Matthew Osment
Student spotlight details
Matthew had always enjoyed writing but focused on his career in banking, alongside a parallel career in the Army Reserve, until he completed a short online course in fiction writing. He then enrolled on the Diploma in Creative Writing and hopes to continue with his love of writing with a master's degree.
'Before the Diploma in Creative Writing, the last time I had looked at poetry in a meaningful way, I was fifteen. I had never read a screenplay and had been dragged, kicking and screaming, through some of Shakespeare’s plays at the same time that Carol Ann Duffy last made an appearance in my life. Reading fiction was the anomaly. But writing a book, a poem, or a play was never something I had seriously considered. No, I had been focused on earning money. A degree in economics and politics was followed by over a decade in banking in conjunction with a parallel career in the Army Reserve. Yet, throughout my schooling and afterwards, I had continued to enjoy writing – essays, the odd article in a military magazine, even report writing. And, over time, I slowly opened up to the possibility of writing without being compelled to do so.
'With very little idea how to start I turned to Google where I eventually found a three-month weekly learning online course entitled 'Introduction to Fiction Writing' provided by the Department for Continuing Education at Oxford University. I loved it. At the end, the tutor recommended the Diploma in Creative Writing, and that’s how I found myself writing poetry, among other newer things, after a twenty-year hiatus.
'The course didn’t come without challenges, the time commitment was significant, especially whilst working full-time and being a parent. However, it has been manageable, with enough breaks to make sure it never became too much. Equally, studying remotely can be difficult, aside from the two weeks spent in Oxford after year one, all my interactions with fellow students were online. Though despite the literally thousands of miles between myself in Gibraltar, and my fellow students across the world, we formed a close-knit group of friends that worked with one another throughout. Everyone contributed, provided feedback, and spurred each other on. I was often astounded at the ability of my fellow students, this coupled with the remarkable expertise our tutors had ensured I went from strength to strength. Indeed, I barely recognise myself in what I wrote before the course, such has been the transformation. It wasn’t just the quality of my writing that improved, but the breadth of experience I was afforded in the form of screenplays, critical analysis, the stage, short stories, creative non-fiction, and of course long fiction and poetry.
'Now the course has drawn to a close I am a little sad to say goodbye, but the addiction to writing is well and truly entrenched and so I plan to continue with a creative writing masters in 2025, as well as pursuing some writing projects of my own. Ultimately, my dream is to write novels and poetry, as well as work on screenplays. This course has made that prospect far more likely. For anyone considering this course, you might feel amateurish or daunted by the reputation of Oxford, but the natural talent you have will be drawn out and refined in an environment that embraces such a vast array of backgrounds and experiences. You have nothing to lose from applying and a lot to gain, so go for it!'
