Author: Claire Still
Roald Dahl’s literary legacy: 100 years on
2016 marks 100 years since the birth of one of the most beloved children’s authors in history, Roald Dahl, so what better way to celebrate his legacy than to remember some of his most iconic literary adventures. Here, writer Alice Dawes recounts her favourites… Roald Dahl’s astounding CV makes choosing a favourite book of his a real challenge, mostly because I have a loyalty to so many of his stories after having read the majority of them throughout my childhood. I can confidently say that I barely touched George’s Marvelous Medicine, and I only tried reading it a few…
Review: George Meadows: Stitched Drawings at The Beaney
At the Beaney, The Wellcome Collection’s touring exhibition has Georgie Meadows showcasing her assortment of stitched illustrations. The pieces are inspired by her experiences as a mental health worker with the elderly, illustrating the common struggles of our aging population often afflicted with mental and physical ailments, or simply isolation. Especially with loneliness among the elderly becoming a wider known issue right now, her work aims to “encourage empathy” and “celebrate the courage” of these people. This sentiment comes through very well. Much in the way we may see and judge others in life, we are greeted by the…
Audiobooks: is it really the same as reading?
Audiobooks have basically gotten me through my degree. As a third year student, studying English and American Literature with Creative Writing, I usually listen to audiobooks for leisure or work purposes. Sometimes the expectation to read several novels in a week can appear daunting, but a brilliant alternative to the process is listening to audiobooks. However, I do not substitute audiobooks over books. I use audiobooks as a companion piece, to aid with reading my course text. Yes, what would usually take me up to a week, at best, to finish can be done instead within six hours on…
Calling all poets: London anthology project now open for submissions
Calling all poets, budding writers, and London goers: a very special London-themed poetry anthology, in collaboration with The Alexandra Wylie Tower Foundation, is now open for submissions! The story behind the project The Alexandra Wylie Tower Foundation was set up by Lindsey and Rob Wylie in memory of their only daughter, Alexandra, an inspiring 17-year-old girl, who sadly passed away in 2010 from a rare and incurable form of cancer that she had been battling for almost two years. Throughout her life, she worked hard at school, getting 9 A*s at GCSE, and was determined to excel in everything…
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Book Review: The Little Red Chairs by Edna O’Brien
The Little Red Chairs is currently the book of the month at Waterstones and is certainly having a widescale impact on readers, after a ten-year gap between O’Brien’s last novel. The novel is divided into several parts, starting off in a small innocent Irish village, where the residents appear slightly naïve to the dangers of the mysterious new arrival, an exotic man with an intriguing and mesmerising demeanour who claims to have arrived as some kind of ‘holistic healer.’ As the blurb suggests, one woman in particular is taken in by his ‘charm,’ which leads to extraordinary and horrific…
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