Attacking collective amnesia: Is Scotland being honest about its imperial past?
Content warning: mention of sexual assault Behind the grand Georgian facades of Dundas Street, lies a secret from the darkest annals of British history. Unbeknownst to the thousands of locals,…
Heartburn, and the role of food in literature
“When I’m reading,” a friend admitted to me once, “I just always wonder what the characters are eating”. It makes sense: in so much of the literature we read, what…
Poem of the week: ‘Phenomenal Woman’ by Maya Angelou
With Valentine’s Day and its associated anxieties just behind us, and International Women’s Day on the horizon, I find it timely to explore a poem which delves into the intertwined…
Why is Dolly Alderton so good at reflecting our lives?
In my opinion, Everything I Know About Love is the perfect book to gift. It is timeless, and can be enjoyed by absolutely anyone. Written in memoir-style, Alderton reminisces over…
Books to look out for in 2024
Until August by Gabriel García Márquez (12 March) Márquez, best known for One Hundred Years of Solitude, was working on this novel towards the end of his life while struggling…
(Re)Discovering a classic of French literature: Le Petit Prince
A few days ago I re-read this book that many French children are narrated by their parents during their childhood. The most translated book in the world after the Bible,…
What impact is climate change having on literature?
Literature has long been a way to explore societal concerns and challenges. We can see how previous generations perceived the environment in novels like Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens,…
Books to get you through the semester
In the final stretch of a long winter, with midterms looming and stress on the rise, what better than a delightful book to keep you going? I have chosen these…