Thursday, March 28Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

Author: Jack Wright

Must-Read Poetry Collections by LGBT+ Writers
Culture & Literature, Literature

Must-Read Poetry Collections by LGBT+ Writers

The power of poetry as a means of expression and exploration – of self, of identity, and of place – should not be understated. As it is LGBT+ History Month, we wanted to bring your attention to a number of acclaimed poetry collections by poets for whom sexuality and gender identity are significant themes.  Surge by Jay Bernard. As the title suggests, Surge, Jay Bernard’s Ted Hughes prize-winning collection, is a text that considers the concept of change in a multitude of ways. In Bernard’s poetry, they reflect upon the flaws of the response in the wake of the 1981 New Cross, and upon their own experience as non-binary. It is a multi-faceted, moving, and powerful piece of work. Physical by Andrew McMillan. McMillan’s use of the gym and exercise as an entry into thinking ar...
Six Short Poems
Creative Writing

Six Short Poems

J. Wright i. Start Sometimes these things like the best things take time ii. Smile I can’t remember what I said to make you smile iii. Sure I smoke often only so that my hands have something to do iv. Sorry You and I beneath  pale bluish skies knit together in birdsong v. Skin I fall out of bed wearing the imprint of my body into something soft, soon and smooth vi. Sighs I miss you like dawn misses the moon
Confessional Writing and the Destigmatisation of Mental Health
Culture & Literature, Literature

Confessional Writing and the Destigmatisation of Mental Health

Jack Wright In the middle of the twentieth century, a new style of poetry saw a surge in popularity, spearheaded by writers such as Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton and Robert Lowell. Principally, confessional poetry placed an emphasis on the “I” and involved a poet incorporating biographical narrative directly into their writing.  Rather than glorifying the mental health struggles of writers, confessional poetry sought to embrace the exploration of topics previously seen as taboo. Mental illness was one, as was sexuality and suicide.  A key effect of this style of writing was to expose the imperfections of the domestic which, in both written and filmed media, was often idealised. The world was in recovery mode after the Second World War and would remain ever-changed by eve...
Review: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Culture & Literature, Literature

Review: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

I feel bad for my friends.  I haven’t shut up about Ocean Vuong in recent weeks since reading his T. S. Eliot Prize winning collection, Night Sky with Exit Wounds. The 2017 collection is evocative and moving. Many of the lines within highlight the excitement and energy found within contemporary poetry: & remember, loneliness is still time spent with the world. Or, my personal favourite: Sometimes I feel like an ampersand. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is Vuong’s first novel. The title is taken from one of the poems found within Night Sky with Exit Wounds, a collection in which the poet considers his own family story. Family sits at the heart of this novel and so too do love, loss and life. The story within detailing the experience of a gay, Vietnamese-Ameri...
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...