PublishED

By Chiara Hampton Walking into the world of a novel blind has a quality of excitement. You’ve not yet been influenced by reviews, academic contexts, the particularities of the author’s biography. Perhaps it was the cover that drew you in or the recommendation of a friend. In any case, nothing exists in your mind but the text itself. You note the writing style before beginning to untangle the first threads of an unfamiliar story. By the time that story concludes, you’ve created an impression both personal and isolated.

By Doe Charles All too often we get to this point in the semester and have a strange, and sudden desire to combust from everything that we've managed to take on, with only the thought of Flexible Learning week to get us through. As I write I'm sat here dreaming of the blissful week off... except, if you're well seasoned at the university, you'll know this isn't to be the case, and you'll be rushed off your feet regardless. The point is, university keeps on going, and before you know it you'll be deep in coursework, sipping coffee, claiming you rightful desk at the library, and pretending that you're actually getting work done. Again, speaking from experience here. Problem with this is that it leaves little time to think about what we're going to be doing with our summers, our careers, and frankly our lives. This is terrifying, much like a deep cavernous abyss, that we sort of dive head first into after university, or in my case, i...

By Karolina Zentrichova Crazy deadlines, friend group drama and other life-related nuisances can leave a self-proclaimed passionate reader feeling guilty, as they realise they haven’t read anything in months. After a long day of uni-related reading, it’s completely natural to reach for your laptop and a few sneaky episodes of Brooklyn 99 rather than the 500+ page novel that has been recommended to you by multiple people... that just screams commitment. So what do you do if you miss reading but find it hard to make time for it? Here are some solutions that will provide you with your literary fix, but also leave enough time for your life and Netflix commitments.

By Karolina Zentrichova Many people will look at their past and remember formative events, important people or strong emotions.  For some of us (and if you are reading this blog there is a fair chance you are a part of this select group) these formative events and people are not only real but also imagined.

By Chiara Hampton You need only to walk into a library to know that literature is vast. Similarly, for every copy you recognize in a used bookshop, there will be twenty cracked tomes you’ve never heard of. For lovers of language and literature, this expanse may feel both exciting and tragic – so many books, so few hours in a day (or even in a lifetime). Every novel we read is a choice. Some might approach the creation of their life’s library by curating a list of classics or must-reads to choose from. Others will whimsically pick up whatever catches their eye, whether this be a new release or a gorgeous 19th century cover. In both cases, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of reading within a restricted pool of tastes or genres. There’s nothing inherently wrong with becoming a master of science fiction or modern feminist literature; in fact, understanding the ins and outs of a particular area will undoubtedly lead to greater appreciation (plus you can stand in front of t...