The strange death of English literature

The interest in reading books and the appreciation of English literature is at a nadir. This week it was revealed that only 35 per cent of eight to 18-year-olds enjoy reading in their spare time. The finding, by the National Literacy Trust, represents more than an 8 per cent per cent drop on last year, and the lowest level ever recorded by the charity since it began surveying children about their reading habits, 19 years ago. The drop has been especially pronounced among boys.

It also emerged that Canterbury Christ Church University is to scrap degrees in English literature because of a lack of demand in applicants. The establishment, in the Kent city which was the birthplace of Christopher Marlowe and a place forever associated with Geoffrey Chaucer, says the course is ‘no longer viable in the current climate’.

By ‘current climate’, the university is no doubt alluding to the financial crisis among universities, many of which expanded too ambitiously and recklessly after polytechnics were abolished in 1992.