Eco-literature and environmental humanities: This genre examines the representation of nature, ecology, and the environment in literature, and how it reflects and responds to contemporary ecological crises. Creative research topics could include exploring the ways in which literature imagines and engages with environmental sustainability, climate change, animal rights, and the relationship between humans and nature. This could involve analyzing ecocritical themes, ecopoetics, or ecofeminism in literature, and considering how literature can contribute to environmental advocacy and activism.

Digital storytelling and narrative technologies: This genre explores how digital technologies are changing the way stories are created, told, and consumed, and how literature is adapting to the digital age. Creative research topics could include analyzing digital forms of storytelling, such as interactive narratives, hypertext literature, transmedia storytelling, and augmented reality literature. This could involve creating and analyzing digital narratives, experimenting with innovative narrative structures, and exploring the ways in which technology is reshaping the literary landscape.

Postcolonial and decolonial literatures: This genre examines how literature from postcolonial and decolonial contexts challenges and reimagines traditional Western literary canons, and how it reflects the complexities of postcolonial identities and experiences. Creative research topics could include exploring postcolonial and decolonial literature from different regions, such as Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Indigenous cultures, and analyzing how these literatures negotiate issues of identity, power, language, and cultural hybridity. This could involve studying the works of postcolonial and decolonial writers, examining their literary techniques and strategies, and engaging with decolonial theories and methodologies.

Queer literature and LGBTQ+ studies: This genre examines the representation of sexual and gender diversity in literature, and how it reflects and challenges societal norms and expectations. Creative research topics could include exploring queer literature from different historical periods, cultures, and genres, and analyzing how it engages with issues of sexual identity, gender expression, and LGBTQ+ rights. This could involve analyzing LGBTQ+ themes, motifs, and symbolism in literature, and examining the ways in which queer literature contributes to LGBTQ+ activism and advocacy.

Literary activism and social justice: This genre explores how literature can be used as a form of activism, resistance, and social change. Creative research topics could include examining the ways in which literature engages with social justice issues such as racism, sexism, ableism, and social inequality, and how it contributes to advocacy, awareness, and activism. This could involve analyzing the works of activist writers, examining the role of literature in social movements, and exploring the connections between literature, politics, and social justice.

Literature and mental health: This genre examines how literature represents and addresses mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and neurodiversity. Creative research topics could include exploring how literature portrays mental health experiences, challenges mental health stigma, and promotes mental well-being. This could involve analyzing the use of literary techniques, such as metaphor, imagery, and narrative structure, in representing mental health in literature, and examining the therapeutic potential of literature for mental health awareness, education, and healing.

Speculative and science fiction literature: This genre explores how literature imagines and engages with the possibilities and implications of future technologies, scientific advancements, and societal changes. Creative research topics could include analyzing speculative and science fiction literature in different historical periods, cultures, and genres, and examining how it reflects and challenges our understanding of the world and our place in it. This could involve exploring themes such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, genetic engineering, climate change, and dystopian/utopian societies in speculative and science fiction literature, and analyzing the ways in which these narratives comment on contemporary issues, challenge societal norms, and offer imaginative visions of the future. This could also involve studying the relationship between speculative and science fiction literature and other genres, such as feminist science fiction, Afrofuturism, or indigenous futurism, and examining the ways in which these literatures envision alternative futures and contribute to discussions about technology, ethics, and society.

Intersectional literature: This genre explores the ways in which literature engages with intersectional identities, which encompass various forms of oppression and privilege, including race, gender, class, sexuality, religion, and disability. Creative research topics could include analyzing how literature represents the complexities and intersections of identity, and how it challenges the limitations of single-axis frameworks. This could involve examining the works of intersectional writers, analyzing how intersectional identities are portrayed in literature, and exploring the ways in which intersectional literature contributes to social justice movements, advocacy, and inclusivity.

Performance and embodied literatures: This genre explores the relationship between literature and performance, including theater, dance, spoken word, and other forms of embodied expression. Creative research topics could include analyzing the ways in which literature is performed and embodied, and how it engages with the body as a site of meaning-making, representation, and resistance. This could involve studying the works of performance poets, playwrights, and other literary artists, analyzing the performative aspects of literature, and exploring how literature intersects with other forms of artistic expression to create multi-modal narratives and experiences.

Literature of migration and diaspora: This genre examines how literature represents the experiences of migration, displacement, and diaspora, and how it reflects the complexities of cultural identities and transnational communities. Creative research topics could include exploring literature written by migrants, refugees, and diasporic communities, and analyzing how it engages with issues of identity, belonging, memory, and home. This could involve examining the themes of migration, diaspora, and cultural hybridity in literature, analyzing the use of language and narrative techniques in representing migration experiences, and exploring the ways in which literature contributes to discussions about migration policies, human rights, and social justice.

These are just a few examples of the creative research genres and topics that could be explored in English literature in 2023. As the literary landscape continues to evolve and reflect the complexities of our contemporary world, there are endless opportunities for innovative research and exploration in English literature. By pushing the boundaries of traditional genres and engaging with emerging themes, issues, and forms of expression, researchers can contribute to the ongoing conversation and understanding of literature’s role in shaping our understanding of ourselves and our world.