Some authors use pseudonyms instead of their real names to publish their work. But why do these anonymous authors choose to hide their identity and forgo personal recognition for their literary achievements? Pseudonyms are popular in every aspect of our culture today, not just among writers. Actors and musicians will...
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Robert Halfon MP has recently come forward with a radical new suggestion for our exams system. He’s calling for the government to scrap GCSEs and replace them with a baccalaureate-style qualification that combines academic and vocational subjects to give “a broader curriculum” to students. But while it’s clear that school-leavers...
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Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, but is this cause for celebration? For the more cynical, and let’s face it – single, among us, February 14threpresents an opportunity for smug couples to publicly flaunt their relationship status. Those who are single, but would rather not be, have to suffer...
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Gillette launched their latest advertising campaign with a short film called “We Believe: The Best Men Can Be”, which reimagines modern masculinity. Following the release of this film, there was a predictable backlash from those who felt attacked and belittled by the depiction of men as bullies, lecherous street-harassers, and smug...
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New Year’s resolutions are notoriously tricky to maintain beyond the end of January, especially as the fresh start also signals the start of a busy Term 2 for students. I have promised myself that I will incorporate reading for pleasure into 2019 rather than just read for my course. However,...
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Examiner reports have branded essays by history students at the University of Oxford as “alarming” after failing to discuss important Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) figures in their essays.
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Jasmine Dhesi discusses some of her favourite reads for this time of year… For a Classic Christmas read: A Christmas Carol Every classic festive reading list includes Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, and for good reason. There’s nothing more heart-warming than watching a wretched miser learn the error of his...
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One of the earliest secondary school assemblies I remember was about the meaning of Christmas. A teacher presented us with a shoebox, which contained several smaller boxes. Each box, she said, represented a layer to the meaning of Christmas: Consumerism, Food, School holidays and family time. Finally, she revealed the...
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Among the many traditions surrounding Christmas, literary traditions can often be overlooked in favour of the comfort of festive foods, the ease of watching a Christmas classic on TV or the glamour of extravagant decorations. Bookish Christmas traditions still hold a place in our Christmas ritual, even if they sometimes...
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Why is it that female writers often face more scrutiny over their personal lives than their work? The relationship between reader and author is, for the most part, ever-evolving but it would seem that the relationship specific to female authors and their audiences has reached an impasse. Despite women’s contributions...
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Reading books often represents a comforting escapism. But what if reading could do even more than entertain and distract you at the end of a difficult day? What if reading could help treat a mental illness? Bibliotherapy, an ancient practice given its name in 1916 by Samuel Crothers, aims to...
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