5th May 2021
Is her literary success reflective of a society-wide mental health crisis? Ahead of the release of her third novel Beautiful World, Where Are You this September, the buzz around Sally Rooney’s writing does not seem set to diminish any time soon. The success of the TV adaptation of Normal People has only widened her readership ...
1st May 2021
Almost 30 years after Trainspotting’s publication, Culture Editor Rosie Shackles examines why the cult classic is just as relevant today. Content warning: discussion of drug use and addiction “Choose sitting oan a couch watching mind-numbing and spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing junk food intae yir mooth” hit a little too close to home when reading cult ...
1st May 2021
Gorman’s poem is an inspiring call to be the light the world needs. As the 2021 Presidential Inauguration was due to commence at the Capitol Building, the digital format could not subdue the palpability of a despairing hangover from an insurrection that had occurred just two weeks earlier. This inauguration was a crucial moment to ...
27th April 2021
Ishiguro’s robot-narrated novel raises hope for the future of technology. A story of childhood naiveties interspersed with fleeting adult struggles of illness, separation, and loneliness, Kazuo Ishiguro’s tale follows a convoluted path and is yet a simple story of love. It is narrated from the perspective of “Girl AF Klara”, a human-doll replica created using ...
7th April 2021
If you think it sounds phallic, it probably is. Poetry 101 or, lol, Poetry. Or raise your hands up in the air for poetry. Or a wee character, lost at sea, drowning in poetry. The latter is what I felt like when I turned up for my first undergrad lecture and realised it was on ...
7th April 2021
Five book titles that promise to brighten your day. Suffering from the lockdown blues? Well, you’ve come to the right place! With the road out of lockdown still so uncertain, many of us are feeling a little tense these days. Sometimes you just want to escape the real world, go to a place where the ...
5th April 2021
An enthralling debut that will have you turning one page after the other. This morning, turning so that my eyes levelled with the bedside table, I saw two things: my phone flashing and spluttering away as the alarm went off, and Rebecca Watson’s novel Little Scratch. These first moments of awakening are captured by Watson ...
24th March 2021
An overdue call to action, or a subdued contemplation of the damage we’ve done? Despite being an advocate for the preservation of the natural world, Attenborough has never been at the forefront of the environmental movement. Now, along with Greta Thunberg, it seems he has become the face of it. In this accompanying book to ...
12th March 2021
Sophie argues in favour of the popularisation of literature. There’s a certain prevailing stereotype surrounding the content of modern English Literature courses, and to be fair, it’s not without merit. Following the absolutely thrilling school curriculums of Macbeth, The Outsiders, and Animal Farm, maybe Breakfast at Tiffany’s or Mrs Midas if you’re feeling adventurous, there’s ...
2nd March 2021
A poetry collection that only scratches the surface. Home Body is Rupi Kaur’s third work, following her widely-acclaimed and hugely-popular first and second poetry books, Milk and Honey and The Sun and Her Flowers. The Instafamous poet has been the recipient of commendation and criticism in equal measure. Before I dive in, I need to ...
