The revolution that the world has seen in terms of communication and media is unparalleled in any other era in history, suddenly everyone has access to limitless entertainment and stories at the tips of their fingers, and more importantly, most of it is free.
Parasols, petticoats, sweets and trifles – Autumn de Wilde’s 2020 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma is the epitome of decadence. Critics have called it “lavish”, “totally delicious”, and “picture-perfect”. But does a focus on all things pretty make us appreciate Austen’s work or take it less seriously?
At the Courtauld Institute, there is a movement towards a digital, free-thinking art writing matrimony: Fire Assembly Point. I spoke to India Picton, who pioneered the magazine from its early stages into the dazzling and exciting space it exists as today. This interview highlights some of the main issues that students face with academic writing and the steps we can take to write creatively and without restriction.
Beth, or BooksNest as she is known online, is a successful book blogger who recently grew her Twitter account to 10,000 followers. BooksNest often reviews young adult fiction, though branches out into other genres too. I spoke to Beth about why she loves blogging and what she has gotten out of it.
Publishing is competitive, ruthless and inherently flawed. At the same time, rather frustratingly, there is no clear solution. But one thing is clear: although celebrities are convenient scapegoats, it’s not their fault.
I used to have enough books to fill two tall bookshelves. In the summer of 2017, I donated almost all of them. It might seem like a bizarre twist of logic but getting rid of my books made me more of a reader.
From an outsider’s perspective, Paris is a city of culture, romance, and art. You value the atmosphere as you stroll through the streets and think of all the great artists who have walked before you. It is no surprise then, that “the bookshop” is one of the most popular tourist destinations.
Offering over 44 million titles, the world’s biggest bookseller seems like the most trustworthy source to get a recommendation. With so much to choose from, you would think our reading preferences would expand with each Amazon order. But we often find ourselves browsing the same section of the virtual bookshelf.
I Love Dick is a manifesto for a generation of women who want to have it all, say it all, and be it all. Its journey from an underground, experimental novel to a cult classic shows far how ideas about women and femininity have evolved in that time.
The heart of World Book Day is encouraging book haters to become book lovers, to tackle the elitist stereotypes around reading, to give a child a form of escapism. How can we not justify this scheme being useful for adults?
