Literature

Thom Cuffin-Munday This book was recommended to me by a very special person who was aiding me in my soul-searching, especially since going through many a mental health crisis and struggling to find a meaning to existence. Frankl’s book has been regarded as one of the most inspirational stories of the 20th century, describing his experiences of the Holocaust and using this as a basis to explain his alternative to psychoanalysis – logotherapy. The book itself is very short and sweet at only 170 odd pages and can easily be read within a few days to a week – I’m sure you could finish it in a day, but I would allow more time to process what you’re reading!  The book is divided into two sections, the first being an account of Frankl’s experiences as a Jew during the Holocaust, moving...

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...

Simran Grewal If a large chunk of the reason you chose to attend Royal Holloway was due to seeing Founder’s Building in person, I’m sure you understand what I mean when I say that the Dark Academic in me yearned to study here. However, if you have no idea what a ‘dark academic’ is, here is the definition: heavily popularised by the app Tiktok, the ‘dark academic’ aesthetic revolves around higher education, the Romantic era, classical study, and of course neo-gothic architecture. Here I have some recommendations for some books that should be next on your dark academic reading list instead of doing your assigned reading that’s due tomorrow! The Secret History - Donna Tartt  Perhaps the gateway novel into the world of academia, I would best describe The Secret History as the...

In its 51 year run, the distinguished Booker Prize shortlist has never featured a more diverse selection of writers. Announced September 15th, the six authors shortlisted for Fiction include four writers of color and four women, with only one author from the UK. Considered one of the most recognized literary privileges in the English-speaking world, such an interesting feat proves that the publishing industry is embracing the importance of new and unheard voices. By rejecting exclusivity and instead embracing openness, this year’s diverse selection of books celebrates the cultural variety that the chosen writers bring with them.  The New Wilderness by Diane Cook Bea wants to save her five-year old daughter, Agnes, from being consumed by the smog and pollution of their home c...

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...

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...

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...

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...