By Haris Hussnain The primaeval age saw the rise and fall of the dragon empire. Scarlet dragons stood for justice and leadership. They sought to unite the other fighting mortals of the primaeval era with their pacifistic beliefs, peace, and harmony. Other creatures marvelled at the sight of their scarlet scales and the sound of the melodic language they spoke. Dragons lived in a golden … Continue reading Dragonism
Reading is the ultimate form of escapism – whether it’s fantasy, historical, or travel fiction, we all have places in novels that we like to escape to and would love to visit IRL. Ranging from Hogwarts to 221B Baker Street, our contributors give us their views on the places they’d most like to visit. Ella Collis The magical and mysterious world of Narnia is one … Continue reading ÔÇÿImagine Living ThereÔÇÖ – Imaginary Places in Literature that We Love
By Jasmine Dodd Who was Raymond Briggs? Inspired by his death at 88 years old in August this year, there has been a wave of melancholy when looking at Raymond Briggs’ iconic writings and illustrations. Celebrated for creating the classic, The Snowman (1978), Raymond Briggs was nationally cherished for his classic stories and illustrations which include: The Snowman (1978), When the Wind Blows (1982), Father … Continue reading Remembering Raymond Briggs
‘Tis the season! As the autumn term draws to a close and everyone heads home for the holidays, there’s no better way to unwind and get into the festive spirit than with a seasonal read – preferably in front of an open fire and with a hot chocolate in hand! Here are some our contributors’ favourite reads at this time of year, to give you … Continue reading Christmas Classics: What Our Contributors Are Reading This Season
By Lucy Matthews If putting cucumber on my eyes Is meant to block out bad vibes And rising at 5AM Sets me apart from them Why am I still not enough? Practicing self love is proving to be tough┬á Yoga doesnÔÇÖt dry my tears And no amount of journaling Cancels out the self loathing I have gathered over the years Loving yourself is a scam … Continue reading Self-Helpless
Written by Rubie Barker ÔÇ£The UKÔÇÖs most prestigious annual book award celebrating & honouring fiction written by womenÔÇØ – thatÔÇÖs how the Women’s Prize for Fiction describes itself on its website. For 27 years, the award has been a respected and prestigious award in the world of fiction and publishing, with anticipation surrounding the longlist, shortlist and winner each year. Yet in recent years there … Continue reading The Women’s Prize For Fiction – Why We Still Need It
The Little Mermaid A lot of the classic Disney stories that we grew to love as children originate from much darker folk tales. RapunzelÔÇÖs prince was thrown into thorns and blinded, CinderellaÔÇÖs stepsisters cut off their toes and heels to fit into the glass slipperÔǪthe list goes on. Hans Christian AndersonÔÇÖs original stories were more frightening tales with warnings, rather than happy ever afters. But … Continue reading How Was This For Kids?
By Ashleigh Adams The character of the witch has been a mainstay in literature for centuries, with depictions ranging from menacing to aspirational. In modern media there is a wide variety of witchy stories; traditional portrayals present a sort of transgressive femininity, showcasing women who are old, vain, and power-hungry. Spectators have long enjoyed the witch as the ultimate horror, the abject woman. Old, ugly … Continue reading Toil and Trouble: The Character of the Witch in Literature
With many stories being adopted by the film industry and transformed into movies or TV shows, we can find excitement in discovering that our favourite book will soon be on screen. However, the disappointment can be all too real when we realise the producers failed to bring the novel any justice. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring ÔÇô J.R.R Tolkien J.R.R. … Continue reading Novels that Truly Outweigh their Film Adaptations
My Favorite Childhood Reads By Ashleigh Adams Since the age of 10, I’ve been a devoted book lover, which I owe to the many stories I read when growing up – whenever I think back to my favourite childhood stories, I always remember how excited and warm they made me feel. One of the first books I adored was my childhood best friendÔÇÖs beautiful edition … Continue reading Remembering our Childhood
By Jamil Akram Receipts I kept your receipts folded, battered, but still yours. When you were down, I showed you it, and when I was down, I read it. I wonder if you still buy those flowers, or use the vase. Maybe I need to throw you out. Continue reading Poem – Receipts
With university finished for the summer, this is the perfect time to relax with a good book. My first recommendation is Richard OsmanÔÇÖs The Thursday Murder Club series. Both books follow a group of pensioners living in a retirement village, who work to solve murders together. Osman delivers light-hearted, easy reads with lovable characters, witty dialogue, heart-warming moments, and many twists which keep you hooked! … Continue reading School’s Out – Our Top Pick For What To Read When You Don’t Have To!
To continue a trend that last year’s editors started, this year’s Literature Editors, Catarina Vicente and Shivika Singh, wanted to write a final article on our recommendations. Catarina Vicente on The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett Three years of university, three years of books. I always find endings sad, and finishing uni is no different, but I can confidently say that my time at Quench … Continue reading Our Goodbyes: the Final Recommendation List from the 2021/2022 Literature Editors
by Catarina Vicente In online book communities, it is usual for creators, in their quest to reach wider audiences and become more popular, to replicate certain ideas or trends that more famous creators have done previously. This is fine and well ÔÇô unless itÔÇÖs done on a major scale. Suddenly, the community is consumed by the same few creators, who promote the same few books, … Continue reading Is the Book Community an Echo Chamber?
written by Iqmal Handan winter had passed,spring is still here but summer is approaching and soon to be autumn.as the seasons change, so do people.we are never the same person we were last month, last week and yesterday.we evolve, together with the sun reviving its light upon our beautiful home before themoon takes supremacy over its dying light and the cycle repeats. i fear as … Continue reading as seasons change
AAPI stands for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month, celebrated in America during May. Our editor Shivika gives her recommendations of books by AAPI authors to celebrate this month. Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is observed by the United States to recognize the contributions and influence of Asian American and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture and achievements of the US. … Continue reading Recommendations for AAPI Month
In this article, contributors discuss their least favorite tropes. Miscommunication I recently finished reading Normal People by Sally Rooney for the first time, yes, I am aware I was a little late to the game on this one. However, I had heard mixed reviews and I finally decided to give it a go myself. I didnÔÇÖt like it. In fact, I found it incredibly frustrating. … Continue reading The Sins of Storytelling
by Katherine Waldock Last month, BridgertonÔÇÖs Netflix adaptation surpassed the record for the most watched TV show season in a week. Among the throngs of excited viewers were a stand out few, who admonished the series for its lack of historical accuracy ÔÇô that admonishment being thinly veiled racism. That reaction irritated me to see, especially given the fact that the same audience is perfectly … Continue reading How Well Do We Represent Historical Periods in Literature?
For this article, Quench Lit asked the Book Club committee to recommend some books! Tennessee Williams‘ “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Edeh Gharibi This was a very difficult choice, but I would say the book I find myself going back to often is A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. I know we all studied it for A-level English, but it stuck with me. The … Continue reading Book Club Recommends
by Emily Plaisted Growing up, I was always an avid reader, and I found I was at my happiest when I was lost in the world of Rowling, Dahl or Blyton. I loved that I was able to go to Hogwarts and learn spells, visit a chocolate factory with everlasting gobstoppers and ice cream that wouldnÔÇÖt melt, or even go on adventures with the Famous … Continue reading Growing Out of Reading
