The redemption of the unlikeable female character
Looking back at great literary works it seems that all unlikeable female characters can be, in one way or another, linked back to the very first one: Eve of the…
WH Smith launch a buy-back scheme for used books: how can we make reading more sustainable?
In an apparent effort to make reading more sustainable, WH Smith have launched a buy-back scheme for used books, measuring a book’s worth through various characteristics such as its condition,…
Three life-changing productivity books
Knowledge is, without a doubt, essential to development and growth in your life. But when that knowledge doesn’t include an understanding of how to actually action the change you want,…
The power of the Goodreads review: a cautionary tale
Satirised by the infamous Nosedive episode of Black Mirror, we have entered the age of online popularity contests. The Netflix show portrays a dramatised reality in which every human interaction…
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead: the impact of Shakespeare on contemporary literature
Tom Stoppard’s absurdist play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (1966) is a modern continuation of Shakespeare’s most important legacy: to push boundaries, question the existing order of things, and even…
The writings of Amin Maalouf
Amin Maalouf is a writer of significant cultural importance, but unfortunately in the English-speaking world, his works do not often see the acclaim that they deserve. Born in Lebanon, but…
The Poetry Pharmacy: making poetry more accessible
When was the first time you encountered poetry? Perhaps it was within the realms of the classroom. Laboriously studying whether Sonnet 29 was written in iambic pentameter, tediously counting foot…
The role of literature in unlocking empathy
In school, the many benefits of reading were often preached, and the one that always stuck out to me the most was the argument that reading fiction increases empathy. It…