Blog: How I chose to do the MA in Arthurian Literature at Bangor University

A blog post by Sean Ferguson, MA in Arthurian Literature student, 2017-18.

It was at the University of Florida (Gainesville) where my passion for Arthuriana began. I majored in English and minored in Medieval & Early Modern Studies (MEMS), and part of this work involved a module called ‘Tales of King Arthur’ taught by Dr Judy Shoaf. While Shoaf’s entire module was brilliant, her sessions on Malory and later the Grail Quest—a translation of the Lancelot-Grail cycle—were among my favorites. In these sessions, we unpacked these texts and looked at several issues surrounding them, including politics, spirituality, and the evolution and endurance of the Arthurian legend.

Since arriving at Bangor University, I have immersed myself not only in Arthurian scholarship, but also the field of Medieval Studies in general via IMEMS seminars and public events put on by the School of English Literature. Bangor’s Centre for Arthurian Studies holds an unmatched collection of both primary and secondary sources on Arthuriana, and having access to this collection as part of my research has been enriching on multiple levels. Some highlights of the MA programme include working with Bangor’s world-leading faculty, including Prof Raluca Radulescu and Emeritus Professor PJC Field, library trips to Manchester and Aberystwyth where students can see first-hand some of the precious texts studied on modules (most notably editions of Geoffrey of Monmouth and Malory), and the flexibility of the course in terms of elective modules.

The MA in Arthurian Literature at Bangor is a unique and exciting course, and I look forward to continuing my journey on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Publication date: 9 August 2018