English – The Orbital

14May

By Charlotte RadcliffeNo Comments

Has Political Correctness Gone Too Far?

Political correctness, by definition, is a term that is used to describe the avoidance of language, expressions or actions that can offend, marginalise or exclude targeted groups of people who are intentionally discriminated against. But how does this relate to literature? Surprisingly to some, political correctness is shaping literature as we know it. In Royal Holloway’s English department, the content has changed considerably in the last few years. For example, student feedback over struggles with essay writing has prompted the need for the second year module ‘Writing as a Critic’. Staff changes can also lead to certain areas of specialism being given as options to students, with a significant increase in 20th and 21st Century specialists, indicating a greater focus on how mode...

Staff Email Blunder Shames First Year Failures

An unfortunate email blunder has been made by members of the English Department staff. Sent to all first year English students, the email has named and shamed all of the those who have failed their Shakespeare module exams. Last month, the Faculty Administrator of the English Department at Royal Holloway sent an email to all the first year students to inform them that their essays for module EN1106 were marked and ready for collection. However, attached to this was a thread of earlier emails sent between members of the English Department staff and presumably not meant for the eyes of the first year students. The earliest email in this thread outlined not only the student numbers of each individual that had failed the module exam taken last term, but also stated their full name for al...

#cheltlitfest – ten days of celebrity signings and sexy pizza men

This October, over 1.2 million people attended The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, which had its best year ever, including a stellar line-up, some wonderful new sponsors and an unbeatable team of event managers, production staff and almost 250 volunteers. The festival itself is constantly expanding its content, sponsorship and patrons. Returners to the festival were happy to see the site buzzing with its usual excitement and the new addition of a Green & Black’s chocolate tasting tent (the most popular stall in the history of existence). Ten reasons you should volunteer for #cheltlitfest: 1. They pay for all your travel, accommodation and food, plus you get a cracking T-shirt. Generous, or what? 2. You’ll have the most productive thirteen days of your lif...