Contributions by Alexa Price and Katie Waits. Alexa Price – A Letter from Santa Claus by Mark Twain Everyone can agree by now that nothing makes Christmas quite as special as the presence of children; that pure rush of excitement at 7 am is enough to make anyone believe in Santa Claus all over again. Mark Twain encapsulates this warm feeling in A Letter from … Continue reading Festive Books to Get You Ready for Christmas
by Summer Griffin. When we pick up a book we donÔÇÖt tend to consider if the name on the front really is the author as they claim to be. We just assume that we can trust that this is the truth. Maybe in some genres, we wouldnÔÇÖt be surprised to discover that a ghostwriter has been used. When reading an autobiography, for example, we donÔÇÖt … Continue reading The Ethics of Ghostwriting
by Alex Daud Briggs Throughout our childhood there were a number of books that were pushed on us to read and appreciate, stories that have supposedly shaped society and revolutionised the culture we see today. Unfortunately, thereÔÇÖs often a chance that upon actually reading through these, they may seem just a bit dull. But why is that? These are some of the best works of … Continue reading Why Do We Find Classics So Boring?
By Suraya Kazzuz In light of the current political climate, it seems that Barack ObamaÔÇÖs newly published memoir, A Promised Land, couldnÔÇÖt have come at a better time. After a tumultuous four years following Obamas precedency, it is refreshing to reminisce or discover a time which was, if not necessarily better than the times we live in now, certainly more hopeful and less erratic. Barack ObamaÔÇÖs eloquent … Continue reading Review: A Promised Land by Barack Obama
By Hanna Pluck As life gets more and more online, book lovers are getting creative to show their appreciation and build a community around their hobby. While plenty of book-specific fandoms have popped up, for those wishing to engage with book lovers as a whole there presents a pretty unusual challenge – how do you connect with people who love books when thereÔÇÖs such a … Continue reading Consumerism in the Book Community
Essex County by Jeff Lemire By Chahat Awasthi Sophisticated black-and-white graphic novelÔÇÖ set, the trilogy of Essex County is close to what is called a story prose. The intertwining collection of stories empathetically traces membersÔÇÖ life at various points in an isolated community. Set in a rural Canadian county, the novels have a striking characterization and will blow your mind in terms of clear-sightedness ÔÇô … Continue reading Graphic Novels to Read if YouÔÇÖve Never Read a Graphic Novel
by Hope Docherty. Poetry itself can be collectively grouped as a genre of literature conveying an emotional response to an experience/ image personal to the poet. This emotional response is then intensified with the style and rhythm of the language chosen to show to the reader. Though is this academic grouping enough in 2020? Social media has created a new platform for poets to present … Continue reading Breaking the Norm: Poetry Outside the Pages
Katie Waits on Friends to Lovers There are tropes we love, tropes we hate, those that are overused and others that we wish were appreciated more. There are many romantic tropes that frequently appear in literature, including the friends-to-lovers trope. Although often very unrealistic, with the power to ruin dating expectations, friends-to-lovers is, if well-written, a wonderful trope. Usually, I donÔÇÖt seek out romance novels, … Continue reading Our Favourite Literary Tropes
by Megan Evans. The ÔÇÿManic Pixie Dream GirlÔÇÖ is that character that every teenage girl idolises (well, I for one can certainly say that this was the case for me). She is so effortless and carefree, and itÔÇÖs a well-known popular term that resembles the woman that ÔÇÿexists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directorsÔÇÖ. These young women aim to teach men to embrace … Continue reading The Manic Pixie Dream Girl in Literature and Film
By Maja Metera Many know TikTok as an app with meaningless challenges, dances and jokes. However, the truth is that if you dig long enough ÔÇô you will find your own side of it – be it psychology tips, witchcraft of the LGBT community. I stumbled up #booktok ÔÇô part of TikTok for bookworms. I had spent most of my childhood and adolescence with a … Continue reading Stars of BookTok
by Nicole Rees-Williams The Marvel Cinematic Universe is arguably the most successful film franchise of our generation. ItÔÇÖs hard to think back to a time before Marvel dominated our screens in both film and television, so today we will be taking a look back at the true origin of the Marvel Universe, the comics. Comic books used to have a reputation, this reputation pinned comic … Continue reading The Real Origin of the Marvel Universe ÔÇô Marvel Comics
by Ona Ojo. ÔÇÿI began to write verse, not only because I liked it, but because it was a way of expressing the anger, the passion of the youth of my generation.ÔÇÖ – Linton Kwesi Johnson YouÔÇÖve stumbled across spoken word before. You may have watched a few viral performances, from HBO’s Def Poetry or on the Button Poetry and Youth Speaks channels on Youtube. … Continue reading Poetry as a Cultural Weapon: Black Poets and the Power of Spoken Word
by Katherine Wheeler Jean lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip, clinking her teeth against the bone china edges. The tea was cold, a little stale from some time on the mantelpiece. SheÔÇÖd picked the leaves herself, when sheÔÇÖd still believed in health kicks and quick fixes, an age ago. Beside her an armchair rocked a whispered beat into the ground, pushing dimples … Continue reading Short Story – Kingfisher
Following the recent success of NetflixÔÇÖs, The Haunting of Hill House, this spooky season is the perfect time to discover some of Shirley JacksonÔÇÖs scariest works: Rhian Lock on The Lottery (1948) First published in The New Yorker in 1948, The Lottery received more backlash than any piece ever published by the magazine, with many cancelling subscriptions and boycotting Jackson. I first read JacksonÔÇÖs short story in my first year as an English … Continue reading Shirley Jackson’s Scariest
by Eva Rodericks. The question looms of what youÔÇÖre going to wear on Halloween. What could be more perfect for the best dress up night of the year than a literary cosplay? Here is a break down of 7 book characters you could use to impress your group of 6 this 31st of October. Sexy Sherlock – Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle . One … Continue reading 7 Book-Inspired Halloween Outfits That Will Give You Goosebumps
by Madeleine Griffiths . A solitary rose stands regal and untouched, Her sophistication peerless amidst the chaos of the world. Below Her horticultural subjects bask in the fervour of her transcendent beauty. Twisting her crimson countenance up towards the sun, She bows to her omnipotent queen. . Stretching out between the chartreuse blades of grass, Silvery threads tremble in the gentle evening breeze. They catch … Continue reading Poem – Rose
Words by Bonnie Wileman Most of us had our introduction to Greek mythology as kids, whether singing along to DisneyÔÇÖs Hercules or immersing ourselves in the Percy Jackson series. The Greek gods have become household names despite the fact we no longer pray to them or leave them offerings in the form of a sacrificed goat, and although our childhood favourites revived this culture, itÔÇÖs … Continue reading Classic VS Retelling
An interview with Joel Rochester by Neus Forner It’s unimaginable how big the online book community has become. Bookstagrammers, BookTubers, book bloggers… The love for books has reached almost every type of content. As book influencers, they have become essential in the book market, many turning their love for books into their dream job. In order to understand what really goes inside the book blogger … Continue reading An Interview with Book Blogger Joel Rochester @fictionalfates
Words by Jacob Evans My Siren In the abyss Her eyes absorb gold,┬á A guilty treasure Of fate untold. Her hair floats,┬á Dark and deep, Whisping and wrapping In the current of her temptation Her skin escapes friction, Pure as the ocean floor.┬á Freckles dust her moonlit face, For there is always light in her dark place. Looking up, her body still, She does not … Continue reading Poem – My Siren
The story begins at Heathrow Airport. Lily arrives tearful and anxious, doing a bad job at putting on a brave face for the sake of her parents. Although overwhelmed and regretting the decisions she made that brought her here, she is determined to see her plans through and become the carefree and confident girl she wants to be. Lily is embarking on a backpacking trip … Continue reading Gringa Girl: Author Lauren Dittmer on Her Debut Novel
