Department of English

Established in 1956, the Department of English, Shillong College, has over the last seven decades emerged as an important institution for the study of English in the region. Both Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes in English are offered by the Department, with the Postgraduate programme having been introduced in 2019. Since its inception, it has remained committed to academic excellence while also encouraging creativity, critical inquiry, and cultural engagement among students. The faculty members are alumni of various prestigious universities of the country and, besides their academic pursuits, are also known for their proficiency and involvement in fields such as music, sports, visual arts, and mass media.

The Department traces its origins to Late Rajendra Lal Choudhury, the first teacher of English in the institution. Over the course of its long and distinguished journey, it has benefited immensely from the contributions of eminent scholars and teachers including Prof. G.G. Swell, Prof. Kapila Chatterjee, Prof. S.B. Bhattacharjee, Prof. B.N. Nanda, Prof. Sambhu Banerjee, Prof. Dipali Chakraborty, Prof. Jagadish Purkayastha, Dr. S.B. Sengupta, Prof. N.K. Sarkar, Prof. Momota Bordoloi, Prof. S.R. Das and Shri Lawynn Pariat.

Currently there are 5(five)Associate Professors ,5(five) Assistant Professors in the Undergraduate Section and 3(three) Assistant Professors in the Postgraduate Section.

Alongside classroom teaching, emphasis is also placed on creating spaces for wider intellectual and cultural engagement. The Postgraduate Section has been organizing Guest Lecture Series- Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter every year and invited talks on various aspects of literary and linguistic studies by scholars and experts from reputed academic institutions. Academic study tours undertaken by the students and faculty members form an important part of the learning experience, encouraging collaborative engagement beyond the classroom.

Theatre Club started in 2026 was formed out of a desire to create a space where imagination, performance, and collective creativity could thrive within the college community while the recently formed Film Club seeks to foster critical discussions on cinema, literature, culture, and visual narratives.

The Department organises an annual programme for its alumni, titled Leading Light.

A hi-tech Language Laboratory part of the institutional infrastructure plays an important role in enhancing students’ language and communication skills.

Dr. Dhira Bhowmick serves as the Head of both the UG and PG Sections.