Katie Stokes

Writing as a coping mechanism for grief

Writing has always been recognised as a method of catharsis. When we are feeling stressed, overwhelmed or upset, many of us filter these negative emotions into journal entries, diary accounts, poetry or novel writing. We use writing, like reading, as a means of escape, and this practice can be used...
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Posted Mar. 18, 2019

Reading widely improves your writing skills

Think about it: every word you know, every little collection of letters you piece together to compose your vocabulary, you know from reading. Maybe you don’t know from directly reading it yourself, but someone might have told you, and they would have read it—in a book, on a sign, in...
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Posted Feb. 24, 2019

Representations of disability in literature

Over the years, literature has evolved to become more inclusive. More novels are exploring sexuality and narrating stories starring characters that are not exclusively White British. But where are the stories featuring disabled people? If disabilities are represented in literary texts, it helps bring a stigmatised topic to the centre...
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Posted Feb. 1, 2019

Literary characters on Christmas morning

Not everyone is a fan of Christmas, but not everyone hates Christmas either. Some of our beloved literary characters would fit into the festive setting quite nicely, whilst others would probably look incredibly out of place. We’ll begin with the obvious: Ebenezer Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. We...
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Posted Dec. 24, 2018

How to keep a reader hooked for a series of books

There are many techniques authors can employ to maintain momentum in their writing – particularly across several books where it is vital to plan plot points that can be extended and evaluated later on in the series. This is important for keeping readers interested in the lives of the characters,...
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Posted Dec. 13, 2018

Finding inspiration for your writing around campus

Finding inspiration to write is hard. Coming up with fresh, innovative ideas and actually forming those ideas into cohesive sentences is no easy feat for any writer, regardless of how long they have been writing for. When you’re a student trying to balance those 9am lectures, upcoming Tabula deadlines and...
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Posted Oct. 30, 2018

Working in the books industry

Are you planning to enter the broad and creative industry of highlighted words, semicolons, shiny covers and colourful libraries? Working in the books industry can be a rewarding feat for anyone, regardless of which subject is stamped onto your degree at the end of your course. Are you looking to...
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Posted Oct. 14, 2018

Mental health in literature: fact vs fiction

Which is more helpful? Fact or Fiction? It depends which lens you would like to filter your perspective through. Medical books will, undoubtedly, examine the scientific reasoning behind a specific health struggle, incorporating both logic and biology to determine the root cause of mental illnesses, such as depression, schizophrenia and...
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Posted Apr. 26, 2018

LGBTQ+ representation in literature

Literature has always been dominated by heterosexual characters. For those of you who are unaware, underneath the umbrella that is sexuality, there lies a plethora of other orientations and preferences. While the LGBTQ+ acronym has a few definitions, the most commonly understood version is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning...
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Posted Feb. 27, 2018

Women’s empowerment through literature

Women in history have conquered many obstacles and torn their way through multiple restraints to get to where we are today. The Suffragettes. Rosa Parks. Marie Curie. Anne Frank. Florence Nightingale. Eleanor Roosevelt. Women in literature have faced similar struggles. Emily Brontë published Wuthering Heights under the male pseudonym of...
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Posted Feb. 16, 2018