Testimonials

"From the very beginning of the MA, we were advised to start looking for an internship in the field of work that interests us, which I did. My first role was as an editorial and social media assistant at Amsterdam Publishers, which later turned into a freelance position. Working in the book publishing industry whilst simultaneously studying about it turned out to be ideal for me; the courses that I have taken equipped me with valuable theoretical knowledge that I was then able to apply in my work.

In the second semester you usually write your thesis. Being someone who prefers—or else, craves—independent work, I enjoyed the process of researching a topic that I was passionate about tremendously. Once I finished my thesis, I decided that I would like to gain even more work experience in my field, which led me to do a second internship as a social media specialist at Elsevier, and I also started working as an editor for FRAME, Journal of Literary Studies. At this point, I have also literary blog where I would write book reviews and critical essays focusing on contemporary literature."

"When I look back now, one year after completion of the programme, I recall experiencing an academically sound, updated and well-supported programme in contemporary issues of literature and publishing industry. With a bit of theoretical jab and a course on how to trace heritage in literary productions, this programme had everything I was looking for. From proposing a topic to perfecting it as an academic paper, I had to walk through all the research processes and techniques. The faculty were always there 100% with the support and assistance.

After the completion of the programme, which included an internship in one of the oldest and prominent publishing houses of the world, I planned to move back to teaching. But unforeseen and unfavourable circumstances barred me in 2020, but which also serendipitously nudged me to launch my own business as a research consultant. Now, a typical day for me looks like packing my laptop in the morning and finding cafes in the town for coffee and snacks, as I work whenever and wherever I want. Nevertheless, I would go back to my true calling of teaching in near future, with a fond memory of my much profitable affiliation with Utrecht University."

"My background in English and my passion for literature got me into the Pre-Master's programme of Literature Today. This one-year programme offers a huge variety of courses that link to the aforementioned topics, creates an open space in which all types of discussion are viable, and strengthened my knowledge of many modern novels I either already loved, or learned to love through the group discussions.

After I had passed this year (in which I also had to write a Bachelor’s thesis), I enrolled into the actual Master’s programme. During this time, I deepened my knowledge regarding the impact literature can have, the many ways in which classical literature still connects to the now, and in what way it is relevant to other fields. One aspect that really stands out in the programme though, is the internship.

In the third period, the Master’s offers a chance to take a temporary internship at a location that is connected to the literary field. Mine took place at Uitgeverij Ten Have in Utrecht - a publishing house that specializes in books on philosophy - and I was hired to assist the head editor in a great many tasks. It was an amazing experience and, after incorporating it in my resume, actually helped me land another editing job!

I have recently started as a senior editor at E-WISE: a publisher that focuses on digital education for teachers. This job perfectly combines my teaching background with the knowledge I have gained during my Literature Today studies and internship: this internship actually got them interested in me in the first place, and I think they would not have considered me as seriously without that experience.

I would recommend the (Pre-)Master Literature Today to anyone who is interested in contemporary issues that are to be found in literature both old and new, and who appreciate a certain freedom of intellectual discussions that I had not expected when I started."

"What was special to me about this Master’s degree was that a lot of people from the literary field were invited to come and talk about their work, and the students could ask them questions. During those meetings I was shown a glimpse of a possible future career. What I learned most from these people is that you have to get out there, gain experience and meet people. And that’s precisely why the internship-part of this degree is so extremely valuable.

I did my internship at Passionate Bulkboek: an organisation in Rotterdam that develops activities to spark and/or amplify young people’s (11-30 years) interest in reading and writing. My internship was very diverse, as I learned a lot about both marketing and production (so how to organise and event). 

I stayed at Passionate Bulkboek after my internship, where I do the organisation, production and programming of writing contest Write Now! and Geen Daden Maar Woorden Festival."

"After the courses, I did my internship as an online marketeer for Meulenhoff Boekerij, a Dutch publishing house based in Amsterdam. I decided to do an online marketing internship because of my background in media and my interest in transmedia. During this internship, I started realising how all the theory we've learned during the courses actually works 'in real life'.

There were several moments when I really felt like the Master prepared my for the situation I was in. In my case, especially the course about the publishing industry provided me with the knowledge I needed to start my internship with relevant knowledge and a professional attitude. I continued working for Meulenhoff Boekerij as a summer intern while I wrote my thesis about possibilities for transmedia products in the Dutch publishing industry. 

After graduating, I stayed at Meulenhoff Boekerij and currently work as a junior online marketeer. This master gave me the freedom to combine modern media and the literary industry in my essays, internship and finally in my thesis, and because of that I have now found a job where I apply my knowledge about digital media to the literary field that I am so passionate about."