Emma Hussain discusses Judith Kerr’s impact on the effects of reading children’s books on child development.
Reading
How you can dive into language: the experiences of an English student in Germany
Back in October, I attended my first class on Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde. It was a first for many reasons: mainly due to how the lesson was conducted – much to my surprise, in both English and German. I knew that German would be spoken to some extent, I am in Munich after all, but […]
Is Reading a Cultural Addiction?
Bibliophilia. Bibliomania. Obsessive compulsive reading. Book readers anonymous. Reading is known by most as a relaxing past time; a chance to de-stress and unwind, a chance to rediscover old favourites or enter a new sanctuary of literary escape. But for some people, this is not a choice, it is an impulse. Zadie Smith recently spoke […]
War and Peace: the essential 1,255 pages
War and Peace is as poignant in 2017 as it was when first published in the 1860s. Set during the French invasion of Russia, over 50 years before Tolstoy’s time, the writer records and reflects on the historical significance of Napoleon’s campaign, and its effects on the society he grew up in. At first glance, […]
There’s A Honey: An Interview with Pale Waves’ Heather Baron-Gracie
Hailed as ‘your newest indie-pop sensation’ by The Fader, Manchester’s latest indie offering Pale Waves were one of this year’s highly acclaimed performers on the Reading and Leeds BBC Introducing Stage. Following their appearance earlier this year as special guest on The 1975’s sold out USA and Europe tours, and their music video for second […]
Festival Review: Reading 2017
Friday On the blindingly sunny morning of the 25th of August, my friend Olivia and I embarked our train from Exeter to Reading. Having both missed out on the 16-year-old post-GCSE rite of passage that is going to Reading festival, we were excited for a great weekend of music. We’d unfortunately forgotten to […]
This is the Age: Interview with Tom Grennan
Last week I was lucky enough to have a quick chat with Tom Grennan, a Bedford-born singer songwriter who was thrust into the spotlight after featuring on the Chase and Status song ‘All Goes Wrong’. Despite being a little tired from a photoshoot earlier that day and a gig he’d played the night before, he […]
The post-degree reading slump: fact or fiction?
When I asked to write this article, I described my idea as ‘a piece about transitioning back to reading for pleasure now my degree is over’, but I’m going to be honest with you. At risk of sounding overly dramatic, the ‘transition’ has been a lot harder than I thought it would be. I’m a […]
Album Review: The Amazons – The Amazons
Shortlisted for the BBC Music Sound of 2017 poll, nominated for Q’s Best Breakthrough Act gong and listed as one to watch out for in 2017 by MTV, BBC Radio 1 and the NME, Reading rockers The Amazons have quickly risen to the top since their formation in 2014. With the support of music press […]
The pen is mightier than the screen?
Sometimes technology doesn’t always win. It was recently reported that ebook sales in Britain are dropping at an alarming rate, with the sales of consumer titles down almost a fifth during the previous year, as print books hit a five-year high. Sales of consumer books have plunged 17% to £204m in the past year, the […]