Jane Thomas
Student spotlight details
Jane Thomas decided to return to education in her mid-forties when she enrolled on the Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing. Since finishing the course, she has had her poetry published in many leading journals and magazines, including The Rialto, Mslexia and the Oxford Review of Books.
'I have always written and enjoyed literature, but I was discouraged from studying it as an undergraduate in favour of Philosophy, Politics and Economics. However, the itch never went away and in my mid-forties, I thought if not now then when? I looked into a few different courses but the Diploma in Creative Writing shone out from the start due to the high calibre of tutors, the great cross-genre curriculum and the ability to access all that Oxford academic life has to offer.
'I thoroughly enjoyed the course and would recommend it to anyone interested in exploring their writerly tendencies more seriously (and I have done to a number of my friends). The tutors were all excellent and very accomplished in their craft and shared their knowledge freely. My fellow students were a delightfully mixed group – in all senses – where they lived, their writing experience and their life experience. What they all had in common was their talent and their willingness to share and engage. We formed a strong bond from the start, and this was cemented by the intensive and highly enjoyable Summer School in Oxford at the end of the first year.
'Being part of a group of people that were all passionate about writing was a refreshing and unique experience and one of the most valuable that I got from the course. Even now we still meet up regularly and share our work with one another for comment and we are constantly celebrating each other’s successes on our WhatsApp group. Many of the class have gone on to do MAs and have enjoyed well-deserved publishing successes.
'Personally, the course gave me more confidence to get my poetry out there and since finishing I have had work published in anthologies, many of the leading journals and magazines (like Stand, The Rialto, Mslexia, ORB and Envoi) and also had some competition success, including The Rialto Open Pamphlet Competition 2020. I am also a member of Oxford Stanza II Poetry Group and Ver Poets and I review poetry for Sphinx. I hope to publish my debut in 2022 and I am grateful to my tutors, Oxford University Department for Continuing Education, and my fellow classmates for their part in my journey towards this ambition.'
You can read more about Jane's work on janethomas.org.
