It’s been so long, my love, but I haven’t yet found a perfume that reminds me of you. I’ve felt you on my fingertips, inhaled you after midnight welcomed you into my days. You’ve been by my side almost fourteen years, subtle yet always there and you linger in the air making me run […]
Arts and Lit
What Are the Objectives of Art?
“The arts are merely a decoration imposed on the top of human life, they do not express it.” Art is the vessel of permanence and ephemerality. In ‘To the Lighthouse’, Virginia Woolf explores this paradox by making art the object that makes the character of Lily (the novel’s central artist) realize the transitory nature of […]
Does the Writing of Shakespeare Shape Society?
“If Shakespeare had never existed,” he asked, “would the world have differed so much from what it is today? Does the progress of civilisation depend upon great men?” Virginia Woolf posed this question in her 1927 novel To the Lighthouse. We spend years of our life studying Shakespeare: his works surround us, from our GCSE […]
Wanted: Modern- Day Dickens
If there’s one thing that’s on everybody’s mind these days – it’s politics. Who said what, who did what, who trumped who (ha), who’s bad and who’s good. This is a good thing. More people than ever are now beginning to get involved with political affairs, activism and voting and are generally committed to making […]
The Power of Postcards
We’re all too familiar with the touching postcards sent between soldiers and their loved ones, nourished with love and fear. As their only form of communication, postcards held as much depth as the human heart could hold. Romanticised by novels and movies, love letters exchanged in a past age was, and is, the ultimate show […]
Review of ‘One for Sorrow’ at St Nicholas’ Priory
Best described as a ghost story set in Victorian Exeter, ‘One for Sorrow’ depicts Thomas Flay, a textile merchant at a time when textiles made Exeter one of the most significant cities in England. When his wife disappears on their wedding day, he searches in vain. But the real main character is Ignatius, Thomas’ brother, […]
John Le Carré’s Novels in Translation
Why do John Le Carré’s novels translate so well to TV and Film media? John Le Carré has been a pioneer of the literary espionage genre for more than 50 years, from his debut novel, Call for the Dead through to 2017s A Legacy of Spies. He found fame at the height of the Cold […]
Twelfth Night Review, Bristol Old Vic
In the midst of a party, drunken bohemians decide to put on a spontaneous production of ‘Twelfth Night’. From there, we get the twisted plot of confused identities, unrequited love, and madness that characterises the classic Shakespearean comedy. Although the play dates back to the 17th century, director Wils Wilson’s reimagining is accessible, humorous and, […]
Behind the Canvas of Klimt/Schiele Duo
In an affluent Vienna at the turn of the 20th century two artists explore the avant-garde techniques and attitudes of the art nouveau. The two artists being Gustav Klimt and his apprentice Egon Schiele whose drawings and sketches today adorn the Royal Academy in London. The RA exhibition presents outlines and plans for acclaimed works […]
Sleep
A comfy bed, a weary head; The sheets drip golden lead Into the morning dew, Covering darkness with luscious hue. The wind in my eyes, soaring through skies, As I spread my wings and fly, My mind a flurry of stars, Sinking deeper and deeper into your arms. My thoughts they fight and […]