Celebrating diversity: new texts introduced from September 2023

We are extremely proud to announce, as part of our commitment to continuously refine and improve the content of our qualifications, the introduction of three new texts as part of our GCSE English Literature specification.

The texts were selected following a thorough and rigorous review process, which was overseen by our subject specialists. When considering these additions, we considered the views of teaching specialists, our commitment to address the ethnicity and gender balance of authors and to choose texts which reflect the rich diversity of our country.

New texts

As part of our Post 1914 Prose and Drama section, we have introduced two new texts to introduce a wider range of cultural diversity and representation into our specification.

• Boys Don't Cry, by Malorie Blackman, is a fresh and engaging novel that has positive representations of black and LGBTQ+ characters. Malorie Blackman, former Children's Laureate, is acknowledged as one of today's most imaginative and convincing writers for young readers. 
• Leave Taking, by Winsome Pinnock, explores the dislocated identity of black British immigrants. It has been described by The Guardian as an 'insightful and pioneering portrayal of the lives of black Britons'.

These texts will replace Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro, and A Taste of Honey, by Shelagh Delaney.

Commenting on these additions is our GCSE English Literature Subject Officer, Julia Harrison-Pickard: "We understand the importance of positive representation, and are proud to introduce texts which offer learners opportunities to engage with subjects that resonate with them.

As a leading awarding body for English, we consulted with subject experts to ensure the decisions we made were appropriate and would inspire learners. 

We are confident that these new texts will enhance our learners' experience of English Literature, allowing them to engage with texts which reflect their cultural heritage and lives." 

In addition, following feedback from schools and colleges, we have replaced William Shakespeare's Henry V with Twelfth Night. Our team hope that this play, with its timeless depictions of unrequited love and human behaviours, will add some comedy and revelry to the Shakespeare section of our specification. Its themes of class, identity, gender and same-sex attraction are also relevant to our current cultural moment and we, therefore, hope it will be a popular choice with our schools and colleges.

Schools and colleges can begin delivering these new texts from September 2023, with first assessment in summer 2025.

Supporting you

To support schools and colleges in the delivery of these new texts, our team of English experts will be expanding our FREE digital resources, including new Blended Learning Resources and Knowledge Organisers, designed specifically for these texts.

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Contact the team

If you have any further queries, please contact our English Literature Team today:
gcseenglish@eduqas.co.uk
029 2240 4290