Dumbledore. Grindelwald. Lestrange. Flamel. Nagini. The above is a disparate series of Wizarding World names and references. When you look at these names like this, you acknowledge that they are relevant to the Harry Potter franchise. You acknowledge they are important parts of its history. Do you care that I’ve written this random list of […]
Harry potter
The Hate U Give – Review
Amandla Stenberg is stunning. As the film’s locus, she moves between two worlds – that of her friends, where her identity seems grounded – quite literally – by her obsession with the latest kicks, music, her friends – and Williamson Prep, where she is forced into a performative ‘whiteness.’ My only critique of the film […]
What’s the hype? – Harry Potter
Let’s get this cleared up right off the bat: I do not hate fun. I’m not one of those people who hates on popular things to try and increase their edginess. You won’t find me writing a think-piece about why Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again signals the downfall of culture (if anything, it heightens […]
Pretty Firehouse Lies
I’ve never been to this pub in my life”: A simple sentence with a crushing sentiment. When JK Rowling tweeted last week “if you want real fantasy go to an estate agent” in response to the legendary Firehouse being snapped up for £3-4 million by PLC, the legend of Rowling taking inspiration for the Leaky […]
J.K. Rowling denies The Old Firehouse as inspiration for The Leaky Cauldron
JK Rowling has denied that The Leaky Cauldron was based on The Old Firehouse. It has been a long-standing urban myth that she used to frequent Firehouse. The pubs Ye Olde vibes, winding stairs and big oak tables definitely feel like somewhere Harry, Hermione and Ron would frequent. But, in a tweet this morning, J.K […]
Why all the book adaptations? It’s not needed
Harry Potter, Twilight, The Princess Bride. Arguably, all successful books and series in their own right, went on to become incredibly famous franchises and cult classic films. I know many people reading this article will undoubtably strike up Twilight as the unsavoury outlier in the list, however it raises an interesting question: Should successful books […]
Album Review: The National – Sleep Well Beast
‘America’s Radiohead’ The National have brought forth their latest album Sleep Well Beast, meaning like many other delightful things such as Wonders of the World and the Harry Potter novels, their album discography now totals a glorious collection of seven. Frontman Matt Berninger, whose deep, baritone vocals at times parallel Ian Curtis and Ricky Wilson, […]
Magic comes to Gandy Street
Friday 25th August will witness the opening of a Harry Potter themed bar, The Cauldron Inn, on none other than Exeter’s Gandy Street, rumoured to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley. The bar, opened by the Exeter based Novelty Bar Company Ltd, will take over four floors and include themed rooms and an app which guests […]
Let’s Get Satirical: The danger of Harry Potter politics
Lots of Potter-loving children out there eagerly await the arrival of their 11th birthday, upon which they hope a large bearded man will burst into their house, mutilate their cousin, and whisk them away to a school that would only pass an Ofsted inspection because the inspector would get murdered by a troll before they […]
Best Film Scores to Soothe Study Stress
Midway through my A-Levels, I discovered that listening to the Lord of the Rings music helped me revise; three years later, I have a 200-track playlist, and I can tell you, there’s nothing like listening to the Pirates of the Caribbean theme to make your essay feel like it’s actually important. Following the Oscars last […]