Friday, March 29Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

Culture & Literature

The BFI leads the way with an online experience at the 2020 London Film Festival
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

The BFI leads the way with an online experience at the 2020 London Film Festival

Doubts surrounding the capability of organising the national film festival this year have been subdued by the efforts of the BFI (British Film Institute) as the annual London Film Festival (LFF) transferred from the big screen to a fresh online streaming service. Despite the flurry of cancelled film and cultural events across the globe in the midst of the pandemic including the Tribeca Film Festival, pop-culture titan Comic-Con and the glorious Cannes, the LFF led the way with a new platform for virtual festival-goers. The wealth of industry events available included revealing behind-the-scenes footage and talks with directors and producers that were very satisfying for anyone seeking the means to break into the business. I would recommend making the most of available talks and spotlig...
This month’s album review: Limbo – Aminé – 7/10
Culture & Literature, Music

This month’s album review: Limbo – Aminé – 7/10

Aminé’s second studio album sees the rapper define his sound following his 2017 debut Good For You. With Limbo he develops his lyricism from a primarily immature, albeit enjoyable and entertaining, style to a more poignant and topical approach, whilst still bringing with it Aminé’s quick wit. Written during the first half of 2020, the lyrics are partially inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other black Americans killed by American police, with Aminé delaying media for the album so that he could join the BLM protests spanning across America. Kobe Bryant also features heavily as a source of inspiration for the album with Aminé saying in Woodlawn that he was like a dad to him. This culmination of a father figure dying and a powerful mo...
An Introduction to Music at Royal Holloway
Culture & Literature, Music

An Introduction to Music at Royal Holloway

At Royal Holloway there is plenty to do, in particular when it comes to music. Of course given the social distancing measures that must be adhered to this year, events and socials may be slightly different than previous years, but all of our societies are doing their best to adapt to the new norms!  Jane Holloway Choir The Jane Holloway Choir was set up in January 2018 as a non-auditioned choir for students, and prides itself on being run by students for students. The choir strives to provide its members with the chance to sing in an amateur choir at weekly rehearsals, and perform in chapel services and concerts, both on campus and in the local area.  The Jane Holloway Choir is a great opportunity whether you have previously sung in choirs and are eager to continue, or ...
Royal Holloway Introducing…
Culture & Literature, Music

Royal Holloway Introducing…

Here at Royal Holloway we are lucky to have a wide breadth of musical talent, and as the Music Editor of Orbital, I hope to bring you some new, up and coming faces each month! If you would like to be included in a future feature, please contact me directly at [email protected].   Miriam Endersby: Miriam is a 21-year-old soprano singer, currently studying French and Italian at RHUL. She recently spent a year-abroad placement at Istituto Monteverdi Conservatoire in Cremona, Italy, where she studied with the sopranos Federica Zanello and Maria Billeri, and the bass-baritone Mario Luperi. Miriam has a particular interest in baroque and early opera, and is currently writing a dissertation on gender and power in Handel’s Italian operas. She also enjoys Gilbe...
The Ultimate Freshers Playlist
Culture & Literature, Music

The Ultimate Freshers Playlist

In a year that will have more flat parties than nights out, a good playlist is more important than ever. Here’s the biggest hits to add to yours! ·         WAP - Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion ·         Watermelon Sugar – Harry Styles ·        Savage – Megan Thee Stallion ft. Beyonce ·         Break My Heart – Dua Lipa ·         Blueberry Faygo – Lil Mosey ·         Spice Girl – Aminé ·         EARFQUAKE – Tyler, the Creator ·         goosebumps – Travis Scott ·         Kill the Director – The Wombats ·         Ransom – Lil Tecca ·        ...
Artist of the Month: The Clay Drop (Jessica Moore)
Culture & Literature, Visual Arts

Artist of the Month: The Clay Drop (Jessica Moore)

The Clay Drop is a project by the wonderful Jessica Moore. Jess specialises in a number of colourful clay earrings made from polymer clay, all designed and handmade by her at home. My favourite things about The Clay Drop are the vibrant colours and funky patterns, the perfect addition to any outfit, I have about 5 pairs of The Clay Drop’s earrings myself. The process of creating the earrings is quite complex. Each earring is made from polymer clay that is rolled into a slab. The clay slabs are then cut into shapes and the clay is baked in the oven, the edges are sanded down and holes are drilled. After this is done the studs and hooks are attached and the earrings are ready to be sent to customers! Whilst perfecting her process Jess has managed to create a variety of different patterns an...
The Fate of Cinema
Culture & Literature, Film & TV

The Fate of Cinema

Can the film industry survive in the post-pandemic world? In the midst of a global crisis that has ravaged economies and industries worldwide, how can cinema prevail against suffocating lockdown measures and rivalling threats with little leg-room for social-distancing? Since the UK and most of the world effectively halted in March in the face of the Coronavirus pandemic, the repercussions and restrictions dealt to the public have had dire consequences for us as individuals but also for the industries and workers dependent upon an active society. The film industry and cinemas survive upon the millions of moviegoers who flocked to the pictures before lockdown barred the doors to a summer of blockbuster releases. But the survival of cinema in its current form where chain venues like Od...
In the Company of Books
Culture & Literature, Literature

In the Company of Books

How Reading Helped Us Get Through the Uncertainty, Isolation and Loneliness of Quarantine Finding yourself forced into solitude at a time of looming uncertainty and anxiety isn’t easy. To cope, many of us turned to things that would usually bring us comfort. Artists picked up journals and looked outside their windows for inspiration, athletes had to relearn exercise in the form of a yoga mat in a cramped bedroom, and we, readers, lost ourselves in a book… or two…or three. We reached out to Royal Holloway Readers, the university’s very own book club, about how reading offered company at a time of aloneness.   I, for one, found comfort in revisiting books I had read years ago. As soon as I picked up Haruki Murakami’s Wind Up Bird Chronicle, something about the familiarity...
A New Chapter – Five Books for a New Term
Culture & Literature, Literature

A New Chapter – Five Books for a New Term

That first week of a new academic year is a full landscape of emotion. Maybe you’re moving away from home for the very first time, or you’re mapping out the weekly commute; perhaps you’re a second or third (or fourth?) year student reorganising your bedroom in your new shared house. Maybe you got the box room. Maybe you should’ve drawn a longer straw. No matter how you’ll be commencing your studies at Royal Holloway this year, you’re bound to be feeling that trademark emotion: somewhere mercurial between ‘This is the start of the rest of my life’ and ‘I’ve left my stack of term one reading in Newquay’. But don’t worry. I’m here to suggest five great (and arbitrary) books I wish I’d read in my first year of university. Normal People by Sally Rooney You’ve probably seen the...
Who translates our stories?
Culture & Literature, Literature

Who translates our stories?

Translations control how hundreds of thousands of people perceive stories from across the globe. It is a difficult profession, often carrying little to no glory despite its arduous nature. It’s also a contentious field, inciting academic argument about what makes a truly ‘good’ translation. However, even within academia, one is hard pressed to find criticism concerning who controls translation. What is often overlooked is that every translated instance and particular word choice can influence a reader’s understanding of the events portrayed. In that sense, the translator has the power to completely change the nature of a text, even without intent. This poses a problem when it comes down to questions of representation in the media. When the voices of women and people of colour are being...