I chose to study English literature at university because I liked reading. What 17-year-old me didn’t realise was that I liked reading in moderation, and on my own terms.
My English Degree and My Love/Hate Relationship with Books
‘Bloody Awful’: The Reality of Home-Schooling Inequalities
There are currently 12 children’s learning books on the Amazon Best Sellers Book Charts.With the third national lockdown dragging in a second round of home-schooling kicking and screaming, parents are turning to the largest online retailer for numeracy, handwriting and phonics workbooks.
Mental Health or Money: What Does ‘Essential’ Really Mean?
Alongside ‘unprecedented’, it is a word that has been used excessively during the pandemic. It has sparked a mountain of debate over what should be deemed ‘essential’ during lockdown, with some ‘essentials’ provoking more heated disputes than others.
Is Netflix replacing school Sex Education?
We shouldn’t have to rely on TV shows to teach young adults that consent must be informed. Netflix’s Sex Education is an incredible resource for young people in 2020. More widely, the online sex education industry is booming.
“No, I don’t want no scrubs”: Holla-ing ain’t gonna get no love from me
Since August 2019, French authorities have issued over 450 fines for sexist behaviour, with new legislation threatening fines in excess of up to €750 for being caught cat-calling or shouting degrading comments.
A Vaccine for Coronavirus Racism
On the bus back to my accommodation yesterday, a little boy around the age of 8 waved at me from the sidewalk, then yelled “CORONAVIRUS!” before dissolving into giggles with his friends.
Historical Fiction: A Responsibility To Educate?
Historical fiction provides an enjoyable means of learning about the past, making history accessible for those who haven’t, or don’t want to, read a scholarly dissection of the French Revolution or the Tudor Court. Learning about history through fiction provides a fun and engaging alternative, but what are the perils and pitfalls for both authors and consumers?
Future Focus on Creativity: Education and Beyond
In October 2018, Ofsted, the assessors of educational standards across the country, announced a change to their focus of assessment: instead of examination results, schools will be deemed effective based on a […]
Literature and Real Life: A Message for Literature Students
Last year while frantically searching for material to use in an essay I came across a little-known modern poetics called ‘Art as Experience’ by John Dewey. His argument is simple, but it […]
Should We Decolonise University Staff?
Micah Mackay The past few years have brought a focus on the decolonisation of academic curriculum. In English Literature, for example, the literary canon has often faced criticism for reliance upon white, […]
