Writing, Sharing and Growing: Creative Writing in English at a Mainland Chinese University

Abstract

The teaching of Creative Writing in the Department of English at Sun Yat-sen University in South China has its own particular characteristics. First, to my knowledge, this is one of the very first English Creative Writing courses taught by Mainland Chinese faculty to students for whom English is a second language. Another important factor is that the Creative Writing program at Sun Yat-sen has developed not only as a writing experience, but also as a context for counselling and therapy for students. The students taking these courses write from the experience of their own lives, and the workshops that are integral to the program have provided a context where students can share the experiences they write from. Students have come to regard the program as a safe space where they can share their experiences about growing up, as well as their personal relationships with family and friends. Teaching this course over the last year has led me to believe that Creative Writing not only serves to improve students’ writing ability, but may also provide an educational context that helps students share experiences, and enables them to grow as people.