Beyond the Books: What Has University Taught Me?
June 11, 2020
Besides (hopefully) gaining an English degree, going to University has taught me so much. From theatre practitioners, the Irish Literary Revival and the works of Alexander Pope, to key poetic techniques and the acquisition of children’s language, my degree’s breadth has equipped me with vital analytical and critical skills. Yet my University education certainly went …
Taking Refuge in Literature
June 4, 2020
As we turned inward during lockdown, we may have felt more compelled than ever to turn to books to find refuge during these trying times. We turn to devour endless pages with imaginary places of fantasy to a world buzzing with life. A reality of social life which, to us, felt fictional and so far …
The Myth of Individualism
June 1, 2020
In the Dutch historian Rutger Bregman’s latest book Humankind, he researches a real-life version of Lord of the Flies. In June 1965, six boys from Tonga floated out to sea in a stolen boat, and found themselves washed up on a desert island for fifteen months. Unlike William Golding’s novel, however, which ends in brutality …
Music and English – An Unlikely Connection
March 9, 2020
Since starting university I have become greatly accustomed to walking around campus in particular the treacherous trek up the downs. My trusted companion of choice tends to be my headphones; not only do they keep my ears warm they also decrease the chances of awkward interactions with strangers (always a win). Regardless of these factors …
Bittersweet Symphony – my ode to being a final year English student
February 27, 2020
It seemed that as soon as I arrived back to University after Christmas, all fresh-faced and bushy tailed, the prospect of (gulp) graduating and (gulp) leaving Nottingham, hit me like a tonne of bricks (or should I say books?). I have become so accustomed to my routine as an English student at Nottingham. Weekdays are …
Old Books vs. New
February 21, 2020
I have always been somebody who loves nothing better than a brand new book. As well as the excitement of fresh reading material, I love the clean-cut edges, the crisp smell of the pages, and the feeling of a factory-made object not yet sullied by human hands. A controversial opinion, I admit, but one which …
Book review on Slavery in Toni Morrison’s ‘Beloved’
June 10, 2019
This blog was written by first year English student, Harriet Mills. Morrison gives the voice to the people who didn’t have one and for me this is what made her tale on the impact of slavery, such an interesting and eye opening read. True, we cannot empathise with the characters but such a detail on …
Summer reading check list…
June 3, 2019
This blog was written by second year English student, Emily Hall. As the expanse of summer stretches out before us, many people will look forward to different things. Holidays, parties, weddings; all of the summer fun you can imagine. Perhaps something less common, but a relief for English students is knowing that you can finally …
Must Read (non-academic) Books This Summer
May 27, 2019
This blog post was written by final year English student, Hannah Smart. Whilst most students on most other courses will give a collective sigh of relief at the thought of not having to read anything particularly exhaustive until next semester, here in the School of English, we cannot wait to get our heads into another …
Book Review: Rachael Allen’s Kingdomland
May 16, 2019
This blog was written by second year English with Creative Writing student, Bethany Mitchell. Rachael Allen’s much anticipated first full collection of poetry (published in January this year by Faber and Faber) does not disappoint. With characteristic bluntness and fantastic attention to imagery, her poems are luminous and astonishing. At times, Allen’s poems are abstract, …
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