Culture & Literature – The Orbital

open this wall – How do you interpret this debut album?

12Mar

By Keira McternanNo Comments

Culture, Music

open this wall – How do you interpret this debut album?

Keira McTernan - Associate Agony Aunt The first thing which catches a glance at berlioz is the art on the album cover. It can be noted that berlioz takes visual inspiration from the French artist Matisse where his Instagram is captioned “if Matisse made house music”, that alone could sum up the work and genre of berlioz. The brightly coloured sporadic yet thoughtful placed lines provide a sense of foreshadowing of the music. The vast use of instrumental, synth, and spoken word leaves many people unsure of what genre this is, is it jazz or house? I believe the conclusion is both, a mix of this and a dash of that. Berlioz has been one of my go-to artists for an array of everyday tasks; traveling, studying, shopping, and even while I write this article, in summary; any and every task....

Jonathan Bailey as Shakespeare’s Richard II

9Mar

By Madeline SidgwickNo Comments

Culture, Theatre & Performance

Jonathan Bailey as Shakespeare’s Richard II

By Madeline Sidgwick: Editor-In-Chief Recently, my friend and I had the privilege of watching Nicholas Hytner’s production ofShakespeare’s Richard II at the Bridge Theatre in London. I have studied Shakespeare in the pastbut only seen one of the plays live before, so I was incredibly excited ahead of this production.With staging in the round and nuanced performances from all, it is safe to say that I was beyondimpressed with the play. Bridgerton and Wicked star Jonathan Bailey took on the role of, as the Bridge Theatre describeshim, the “charismatic, eloquent (…) dangerous and politically incompetent” Richard II. As a fanof Bailey’s screen work, it was brilliant to witness his skills on stage. From capturing Richard’sself-absorbed and witty nature, to delivering intense soliloquies,...

22Feb

By Lucy GriffithsNo Comments

Culture, Music

Let’s talk about Slowdive’s ‘Souvlaki’

By Lucy Griffiths-- Deputy Illustrator I first listened to Slowdive when I was 15 years old, after coming across the music video to ‘Shine’ on YouTube. Other than being completely obsessed with the band Ride, I hadn’t previously heard of any other shoegaze bands. I was transfixed by Slowdive’s sound from that moment on, with Rachel Goswell’s ethereal vocals and the mesmerising vastness of everlasting guitar effects; this catapulted me into a sound world that guided me through the turbulence of growing up. Souvlaki was Slowdive’s second studio album released by Creation Records in 1993. For a bit of context, the front duo Rachel Goswell and Neil Halstead had recently broken up, having been together since the formation of the band, and knowing each other since childhood. The bre...

13Feb

By Lena ZellerNo Comments

Culture, Culture & Literature, Literature

An Interview with Nicola Dinan

By Lena Zeller I had the pleasure of interviewing Nicola Dinan, a Creative Writing tutor at Royal Holloway, whose novel Bellies moved me deeply. Q: Would you introduce yourself to our readers? A: I’m a full-time novelist - my debut, Bellies, came out in 2023, and my sophomore novel, Disappoint Me, is out in January 2025. I’m currently a visiting tutor for the MA Creative Writing. Although I spend much of my working day thinking about books this is my first foray into an academic environment for writing, which might surprise people! I studied Natural Sciences at university and then trained as a lawyer before writing Bellies. Q: What has it been like to translate your experience as a writer into teaching? Did you learn anything about yourself as a writer...

Media Cycles, Microtrends, and the Rise and Fall of Chappell Roan

5Feb

By Isobel CarnochanNo Comments

Culture, Music

Media Cycles, Microtrends, and the Rise and Fall of Chappell Roan

TW: Death, manslaughter For the past six months, Chappell Roan has been the name on everybody’s lips. Despite attempting to make it as a singer for the larger part of a decade, in the April of this year she was catapulted to new heights of fame when her song ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ went viral online, granting her A-List celebrity status practically overnight. Roan’s songs became a staple in every summer playlist, and I personally struggled (without complaint) to escape a daily viewing of at least one Instagram story that consisted of her music playing in the backdrop. In simpler words: Chappell Roan was pop culture’s newest princess. But, like every media-adored woman who came before her, her reign didn’t last long. In an Instagram post published on 24th August 2024, Roan publicl...

5Feb

By Isobel CarnochanNo Comments

Culture, Literature

Babitz, Brats, and Bacchanalia

This winter marked three years since the death of Eve Babitz, and for me, consisted of my nose being buried in Slow Days, Fast Company: The World, the Flesh, and L.A. Whilst the cold winter air and dreary green monotony of the English countryside lay just beyond the window of my childhood bedroom, my mind and my soul were preoccupied with the blistering heat of 1970s L.A. Eve Babitz, the ultimate ‘It Girl’ of 70s L.A. and inspiration to L.A. Woman by the doors, did not receive much attention for her literary work within the active years of her career. Yet, the past fifteen years have seen a resurgence in the popularity of her work; this may be due to the persistence of journalist Lili Anolik. After a freak accident in 1997 left third degree burns over half of Babitz’ body, the ...

29Nov

By Lena ZellerNo Comments

Culture, Literature

An Interview with Nadia El-Fassi

By Lena Zeller Imagine yourself walking into a cafe, the cold seeping from your limbs, the air smelling like treats that will not just revive you, but grant you just a little bit more luck. And perhaps you will run into the love of your life… Best Hex Ever comes as close to real magic as it gets, second only to being tolerated by a really grumpy cat. It transports you into a hidden, magical corner of London filled with love, warmth and a journey towards self-acceptance. Perfect not just for romance lovers, but for anyone looking to escape into a cosier, yet spooky reality. I had the pleasure of interviewing the wonderful Nadia El-Fassi, a Royal Holloway alumnus of the Creative Writing Poetry master’s program. Her recent debut novel Best Hex Ever is the ideal book to curl up in t...

Yellowface: the Parasitical Nature of ‘Wokeness’

13Nov

By Kiera GarciaNo Comments

Culture, Culture & Literature, Literature

Yellowface: the Parasitical Nature of ‘Wokeness’

By: Kiera Garcia - Associate Culture Editor R.F. Kuang’s Yellowface tells a striking tale of the commodification of diverse stories in the media and the negative effects they have. These tend to be on both communities they claim to represent as well as on the authors who aim to fulfil this voyeuristic exchange. Her novel follows June Hayward, a floundering novelist who witnesses the death of her friend Athena Liu, a much more successful author. In Athena’s death, June snatches a manuscript from her desk, ultimately choosing to ‘rework it’ and publish it under her own name. June becomes Juniper Song, changing her name and taking new author pictures in the aim to appear more ‘racially ambiguous’, enshrining herself as a writer whose new release, a World War II epic following the...

31Mar

By Daniel PepinNo Comments

Culture, Culture & Literature, Literature, Visual Arts

Are Tote Bags Still Cool?

By Daniel Pepin A cloth sack with straps and a print. That’s all a tote bag is. And yet, it is so much more. Getting across campus without seeing at least one tote bag is impossible. A bold Brick Lane Bookshop tote here and a sleek London Review of Books one there; a rare sighting of the coveted Shakespeare and Co. bag straight from Kilometre Zero Paris – they tend to permeate our surroundings. Each tote comes equipped with its own prestige stamped on the front or hiding in the small pocket stitched into pricier models. At once, it is a fashion and intellectual statement. But are they still cool? You would be hard-pressed to find an established independent bookshop without a tote bag of their very own, which is their genius. Picture a trip to your favourite bookstore - a hidden gem may...

Words from the Wild: The Nature of Poetry – An Interview with Briony Hughes

31Mar

By Charisse HauNo Comments

Culture, Culture & Literature, Literature, Visual Arts

Words from the Wild: The Nature of Poetry – An Interview with Briony Hughes

By Charisse Hau Words from the Wild: The Nature of Poetry is an exhibition exploring different forms of poetry in response to the natural world. The exhibition has been curated by Royal Holloway and TECHNE researchers Caroline Harris, Briony Hughes, and Gareth Hughes, in collaboration with the Royal Holloway Culture Team. In exploring the interplays between materiality and ecopoetry, I had the chance to talk to one of the curators, Briony Hughes, who is also a visiting tutor in English and Creative Writing, and PhD candidate. There are so many intersections between material, and poetry. Why and how is that used in this exhibition? “All of the poets in the space agree that a shift in climate necessitates a shift in how we approach poetic writing, and in particular, a shift in p...