The UEA is introducing a new creative writing course to its prospectus at a time when the university is looking to fill a £11m black hole in its budget.

Commencing in January, the Masters programme will seek to equip the latest generation of writers with skills to advance in both the print and digital economies.

The university said the course will span all genres and include the study of books, plays, poetry and screenwriting. 

The new course will start in JanuaryThe new course will start in January (Image: Norwich Book Festival) Dr Iain Robinson, the course director for the university's creative writing MA, said at the inaugural Norwich Book Festival in the Forum: "Today's writers work in a digital world that is rapidly transforming.

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"This new MA programme will lead the way internationally in encouraging students to embrace and experiment with the commercial, intellectual and formal opportunities presented by a changing digital landscape.

"It is a course that will open a space for writers to experiment and write across different forms and genres, allowing them to acquire a wide range of future-orientated writing skills."

Course leader Iain Robinson said the new course will lead the way in the international literary sceneCourse leader Iain Robinson said the new course will lead the way in the international literary scene (Image: UEA) In 1970, the UEA led the way for creative writing programmes when it introduced the nation's first Masters degree for such a subject. 

There are now Masters qualifications available for prose fiction, non-fiction, poetry, scriptwriting and crime fiction among others.

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But the announcement of the new course comes just weeks after vice-chancellor David Maguire told staff their jobs could be at risk because of an £11m hole in the university's budget.

David Maguire, vice chancellor of UEADavid Maguire, vice chancellor of UEA (Image: University of East Anglia) This comes on top of an earlier deficit of £45m which UEA bosses committed to filling over the next three years. 

Mr Maguire stressed that compulsory redundancies will always come as a last resort, however, and money will be saved by removing vacant posts and accepting voluntary redundancies.

A UEA spokeswoman said: "The course has been in planning for some time and will be taught by existing staff.

"Its launch is unrelated to the university's wider financial position."