Which books are in Northern Ireland's GCSE English literature reading list this year? Full guide

• English is compulsory for Northern Ireland’s GCSE candidates, and for many that may include taking English literature.
• Students in this course have to study a novel, a modern play, a Shakespeare play, and a poetry collection.
• The list of texts teachers can choose from are set by the exam board.
• Northern Ireland teaches some books and plays at GCSE level that England and Wales don’t.

If they haven’t already, many of this year’s new GCSE students will soon be hitting the books - starting a deep dive into stories that will play a big part in a key final exam.

In Northern Ireland, there are a few compulsory GCSEs which secondary school pupils will have to sit. These include maths and English language for all students, but depending on the school, many will also have to sit Irish, Religious Studies, a science subject, and English language’s more reading-intensive cousin, English literature.

For the many students who are taking English lit, their teachers will choose a selection of books and plays they will need to read and study throughout the school year. But the list of texts teachers can choose from for pupils to study is actually set by the exam board.

For most Northern Irish students, this will be the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) - meaning the list might look a little different than it does for their English peers. Here are the books on the reading list for the 2024 school year, according to CCEA’s most up-to-date syllabus:

Modern Prose

Unlike English and Welsh exam boards, the CCEA’s GCSE exam doesn’t include the mandatory study of a 19th century novel alongside a more modern one. Instead, students will usually study one main novel from this list as a part of their English literature GCSE’s ‘prose’ unit. They will have to answer a written question about it in their final exam.

• Lord of the Flies, William Golding
• About a Boy, Nick Hornby
• How Many Miles to Babylon? Jennifer Johnston
• To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
• Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck
• Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, Roddy Doyle
• Animal Farm, George Orwell

Drama & Poetry

GCSE candidates will also study a play from this list. They will also be asked about it in their final exams, alongside poetry in the ‘drama and poetry’ unit.

• Juno and the Paycock, Sean O’Casey (in the collection ‘Three Dublin Plays’)
• An Inspector Calls, J B Priestley
• Philadelphia, Here I Come! Brian Friel
• Blood Brothers, Willy Russell
• Journey’s End, R C Sherriff
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Simon Stephens
• Our Town, Thornton Wilder

In the poetry unit, students will study one of three themed poetry collections; Identity, Relationships, and Conflict. The school should be able to provide more information for both students and parents.

Shakespeare

Unlike with England and Wales’ exam boards, the CCEA does not include a curated list of Shakespeare plays for teachers to choose from in its GCSE English Literature syllabus. But the works of Shakespeare are still one of the units that will be included in pupils’ final exam.

Instead, teachers are able to seemingly choose any Shakespeare play. It will need to be on the theme of either conflict or love, however, and be one that students can relate to its social, cultural and historical contexts. The school should be able to advise you on which play has been selected.

What do you think about the books and plays being studied by Northern Ireland’s GCSE students? Have your say and make your voice heard by leaving a comment below.