Philip Pullman leads outcry after Sheffield Hallam withdraws English lit degree

The author said: The study of literature should not be a luxury for a wealthy minority of spoilt and privileged aesthetes'

Award-winning author Philip Pullman has warned that the study of literature should not be a luxury for a wealthy minority of spoilt and privileged aesthetes" after it emerged that Sheffield Hallam University is to pull its English literature degree from next year.

He was one of a number of writers to raise concerns about the university's decision to stop teaching the standalone degree and incorporate it instead into a broad-based English degree, a year after the University of Cumbria was forced to take similar action.