Tag: literature

Literature

Taylor Swift and Her Literary Allusions.

Words by Gabriella Sanders. Whether or not Taylor Swift is at the top of your agenda, it is no secret that SwiftÔÇÖs stardom has taken humanity by storm. With her international Eras tour combining yearsÔÇÖ worth of genre breaking discography into one impressive three-hour performance, her music has something for everyone.   However, it is not simply the sheer diversity of music or performance stamina that … Continue reading Taylor Swift and Her Literary Allusions.

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Literature

Autumn Reads: The Best Books to Read this Season.

Autumn invites us to explore stories that match the seasonÔÇÖs mood. From eerie mysteries to timeless classics, we have created a list of book recommendations that our contributors have suggested. The experience of reading a book in autumn can evoke immense nostalgia as we crave home comforts. We hope you find some inspiration among these recommendations. These autumn reads promises to transport you to captivating … Continue reading Autumn Reads: The Best Books to Read this Season.

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Literature

Cheltenham Literature Festival: Women in Orwell’s World

Words by Katie Storrie Casting a new light on how women in OrwellÔÇÖs worlds should be recognised and celebrated. Sandra Newman and Anna Funder discuss their new publications at this yearÔÇÖs Cheltenham Literature Festival. Orwell himself will always hold credit to his extraordinary work. I was first introduced to Animal farm and then 1984 during my teenage years and I became highly immersed in the … Continue reading Cheltenham Literature Festival: Women in Orwell’s World

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Large black shelves filled with books
Literature

The Value of the Book itself: How Second Hand Books Bring People Together.

Words by Josef Swindell In the process of reading or purchasing a second hand book you will make a connection with another human. Second hand books are valuable due to this as you gain an association with a book that could have easily been neglected or thrown away. You could even learn the thoughts of previous owners due to a books annotations. These are only … Continue reading The Value of the Book itself: How Second Hand Books Bring People Together.

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Literature

(Not So?) Happily Ever After: The Depiction and Evolution of Marriage in Literature

Words by Anushka Kar Whether itÔÇÖs in Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility or any of her other novels, you can always rely on Jane Austen to advocate marriage, love, and the intermingling of the two in a taboo-esque manner of the nineteenth century. For Austen, marriage could not simply be an economic ordeal; it had to have that mutual attraction in order for it … Continue reading (Not So?) Happily Ever After: The Depiction and Evolution of Marriage in Literature

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Columnist

The Most Heartbreaking Line of Dialogue Ever Written : How Arthur MillerÔÇÖs Death of A Salesman Reveals the Human Tragedy of Late Capitalism┬á

Over the course of just six weeks in the Spring of 1948 Arthur Miller produced, in my opinion, the greatest play of the twentieth century. Centred on the Loman family of New York, Death of A Salesman serves as the psychological post mortem of a man who dared to buy into Capitalist dreams of success. MillerÔÇÖs subject for this dissection comes in Willy Loman, a … Continue reading The Most Heartbreaking Line of Dialogue Ever Written : How Arthur MillerÔÇÖs Death of A Salesman Reveals the Human Tragedy of Late Capitalism┬á

charlotteharris
Literature

I Read Picture Books At 20 And This Is Why You Should Too

Words by Alexa Price ChildrenÔÇÖs literature, especially picture books, are increasingly ignored upon reaching the age where youÔÇÖre simply ÔÇÿtoo matureÔÇÖ to read them. While thatÔÇÖs understandable (why would you read a book aimed for five or seven year olds at the age of twelve?), these days I can recognise that childrenÔÇÖs literature is its own type of artform. I know that I was a … Continue reading I Read Picture Books At 20 And This Is Why You Should Too

Alexa Price
Literature

Pen is Envy? I DonÔÇÖt Think So.

By Lucia Cubb ÔÇÿThe pen between my fingers is sensuous, alive almost, I can feel its power, the power of the words it contains.ÔÇÖ (Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale) For years, the world of writing and literature was dominated by the male hand: to write was considered an inappropriate and unsuitable activity for women, leaving females forced to publish anonymously or behind the pen name … Continue reading Pen is Envy? I DonÔÇÖt Think So.

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Literature

Momentous or Mockery? Spare – Review

By Jasmine Jones The anticipated new memoir from Prince Harry, is a complicated and explosive book. It paints a sad and unbelievably raw account of the experience of growing up inside one of the most famous families, and has broken all records upon release becoming the UKÔÇÖs best-selling memoir ever in just the first week of sales. From the impact of his motherÔÇÖs death, to … Continue reading Momentous or Mockery? Spare – Review

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Features, Live Reviews

Review: Act One Variety Night: A Night of Nostalgia

words by Eve Davies In aid of Ty HafanÔÇÖs ChildrenÔÇÖs Hospice, on Sunday 19 February, Act One held its annual Variety Night. Having attended a couple of Act One shows previously, I was delighted to be invited along to review their matinee performance of Variety Night ÔÇô and it certainly didnÔÇÖt disappoint.  Act One presented ÔÇÿA Night of NostalgiaÔÇÖ to match their chosen charity this … Continue reading Review: Act One Variety Night: A Night of Nostalgia

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Literature, uncategorized

Library Lovers’ Day

Far from being just a day to celebrate St Valentine, the 14th of February is also Library LoversÔÇÖ  Day – the perfect time to reflect on books about love! Our contributors have discussed their favourite books about love and romance, and why they hold a special place in their hearts.  Milk Fed- Melissa Broder  by Laura Mae Possible trigger warning: Disordered eating. One of my … Continue reading Library Lovers’ Day

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Literature

The Friends to Lovers Trope

By Anushka Kar Romance as a genre provides many individuals ÔÇô the majority of them being women ÔÇô as some sort of fantasy standard of their ideal partner, because, well, reality doesnÔÇÖt always provide this. Within romance comes many different tropes between two lovers, and the one I want to delve into for the sake of February and its all-encompassing ValentineÔÇÖs sentiment, is the friends … Continue reading The Friends to Lovers Trope

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Creative Writing, Literature

Dragonism

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

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Literature

ÔÇÿImagine Living ThereÔÇÖ – Imaginary Places in Literature that We Love

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

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Literature

Remembering Raymond Briggs

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

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Literature

Christmas Classics: What Our Contributors Are Reading This Season

‘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

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Literature

The Women’s Prize For Fiction – Why We Still Need It

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

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Literature

Toil and Trouble: The Character of the Witch in Literature

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

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