At Westminster, making the case for English
DIAS Chair of Humanities Ben Davies recently brought politicians, academics, media figures and business leaders together at the House of Commons to launch a new initiative for English studies.
What is English for?
For many people, the answer may seem obvious: reading, writing, literature, language. But in public debate, the subject is often misunderstood.
At a parliamentary breakfast meeting in Westminster on 18 June, DIAS Chair of Humanities Ben Davies set out to change that conversation.
Hosted at the House of Commons by Lord Baker of Dorking, the meeting brought together representatives from politics, education, media, business and higher education. Among those in attendance were BBC journalist Samira Ahmed, Bloomsbury Publishing founder and CEO Nigel Newton, and Lord Chris Smith, Chancellor of the University of Cambridge.
Making the case for English studies
The event marked the soft launch of a new Charter for Change for English, developed by University English, the Institute of English Studies, The English Association and Bloomsbury Publishing.
“The purpose was to get people with influence and power in the room to talk about the importance of English as a subject, and the study of literature and language,” says Ben.
The initiative aims to make a clearer public case for English studies, not only as a route into teaching, publishing or academia, but as a discipline that develops skills and perspectives needed across society. It is also a discipline that makes major research contributions that have important impacts on society.
Why English matters in the age of AI
That message became particularly relevant in discussions around artificial intelligence and the changing labor market. While public debate often centers on technical expertise, Ben points to the lasting value of distinctly human skills.
“The skills of reading closely, writing well and being able to communicate are vital,” he says. “Particularly with AI, the ability to understand texts and language and human interaction is going to be among the key skills of the future.”
The breakfast was organized by Ben Davies in close collaboration with Clare Lees, Director of the Institute of English Studies, and Nigel Newton. The idea began with a meeting at the House of Lords last year, prompted by growing concern about the public lack of understanding regarding English studies.
From advocacy to societal impact
The response at Westminster was encouraging. Participants agreed to endorse the Charter and support its wider work, including identifying public champions for English and raising funds for a dedicated advocacy role focused on policy, communication and political engagement.
For Ben, the case for English is also personal.
“It was one of the main subjects you pursued if you wanted to think, to read deeply and carefully, to write,” he says. “It requires a lot from students and offers them a lot.”
That value, he argues, cannot be reduced to a narrow economic measure. English creates space to think across history, philosophy, sociology and culture, grounded in the close reading of texts and language. And yet, it also makes significant contributions to the economy.
It also shapes society in less immediately visible ways.
“A lot of work in areas such as queer theory and gender studies has been embedded in literary studies,” Ben says. “That has gone on to change people’s lives in all sorts of ways.”
The Westminster breakfast was only a first step. But it brought together an important coalition around a simple idea, namely that English remains central to how people think, communicate, understand one another and make sense of a changing world.
