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Book Review: Mothlight by Adam Scovell

From the mind of British Folk Horror writer/filmmaker Adam Scovell, Mothlight takes the reader on an atmospheric journey through love, loss, and life. Ashley Murphey reviews the novel and discusses the intriguing narrator.

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Book Review: The Study Circle by Haroun Khan

A debut novel from a skilled and observant writer, The Study Circle is a work of fiction which an alternative look into modern-day urban Britain. Mariah Feria reviews the book’s timely and important themes and discusses the representation of a community that is so often one-dimensionally shown.

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The Mandibles [a family, 2049-2047] by Lionel Shriver, a review

This was my first encounter of Lionel Shriver’s writing, and I was certainly not disappointed. Known for other dystopian-style works such as We Need to Talk about Kevin and Big Brother, Lionel has a knack for really exploring the hard-hitting issues that are plaguing our modern society. The Mandibles takes us on the journey of

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#ustoo – it’s everyone’s problem

The world has been rocked over the past few weeks with the ongoing allegations of Harvey Weinstein’s outrageous sexual harassment towards members of the film community. Brave women, women who are often in the media spotlight, have broken their silence and supported one another as they speak out against the abusive, powerful, Hollywood figure. Another

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The power of walking

Ladies, a quick experiment for you to try next time you’re out. When you’re walking, see who moves out of the way for you – for example if you’re both on the same side of the pavement, about to collide with each other if one of you does not change their path. It’s something most

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A female Labour PM is a long way off

The shock result of the 2017 General Election took everyone by surprise. No matter what side you stand on, it cannot be denied that the election and the race to the finish itself was full of drama, backlash, and more importantly, young people. Aside from Labour’s unexpected success, another record was also broken. We now

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The corruption of character politics

Snap! And there it went. Early in the night when the BBC released their exit poll on election day , I gleefully imagined Theresa May drafting up a eulogy for her premiership. Unfortunately, even though her leadership may no longer be “strong and stable”, she was still the leader of Britain. The conclusion of the

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Is anybody out there?

When I was younger, like most little girls, I wanted to be a princess. Cinderella, Snow White, Belle; take your pick, I could be them all. It wasn’t until I was much older that I started to understand the problems with Disney and it’s representation of women, causing me to look for role-models and aspiring

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The snap general election

Your Facebook news feed is heating up, and you’ve just discovered that you hate yet another cherished family member, which can only mean that there’s a general election coming. ‘Yer Da reckons that Corbyn “Isn’t up to it”, but you’ve just seen Theresa May fail to eat chips normally. The pieces have moved since the

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Anti-aging: A universally accepted nonsense

The proliferation of anti-ageing cosmetics is rampant and unyielding. Age and appearance have become irreversibly interwoven concepts; the ‘challenge 25’ rule has become a source of flattery, and to be told one looks “good for their age” is a commonly iterated compliment. Social norms have dictated the abhorrence of grey hair and wrinkles, artificially denaturalising

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Why being a sex object is far from empowering

‘Young women today have never experienced a media environment that didn’t exaggerate the centrality of sex and ‘hotness’ to everyday life’ – Susan Douglas, Enlightened Sexism, 2010 Women today have it tough. We are expected to be intelligent, confident, successful, charismatic, kind, and sexy. We are expected to ‘keep up the with the men’ in

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Choice anxiety: Just another first world problem?

Imagine you’re in a car with a friend. You have just thirty minutes to get to your destination and she asks you to direct her. You know five possible routes, all of which have unpredictable congestion. It’s stressful: you feel burdened with the responsibility of singlehandedly determining the outcome of the journey and ensuring timely

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The modern marketplace of ideas

In the current political landscape, no idea is more important than that of the “marketplace of ideas”. This concept, echoed in Al Gore’s wonderfully enlightened book Assault on Reason, is the idea that with a laissez-faire approach in the regulation of freedom of speech and expression, meaning with little interference from governments, ideas presented by

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Unpaid internships: “a scourge on social mobility”

In the later months of 2016, Conservative MP, Alec Shelbroke sponsored a piece of legislation that would ban unpaid internships in the country with the intention of advocating social mobility in the UK. The Tory, whilst speaking in Parliament, denounced the notion of unpaid internships saying that such a concept “should have no place in

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Nod – a bleak look into the overexertion of humanity

Adrian Barnes’ first published novel, Nod, is the unique, engrossing story of the destruction of modern society. Paul, our narrator, finds himself among the select few who still has the ability to sleep, amidst a world which is plunged into constant insomnia overnight. The novel isn’t what I would usually go for. In fact, Sci-Fi

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Being truly “America first”

President Donald Trump in his inaugural speech, said “America first…” that’s the basis of his Presidency. The citizens and their interests will come first, that he will rebuild and make America great again and the country, will decrease the amount in which the US meddles in armed military affairs. Throughout his campaign he has said

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The inauguration aftermath

The now inaugurated President Donald J. Trump is now in office, who would’ve thought this day would come? Often such an idea was said as a punch line of a joke (which is American democracy if Russia can easily tamper with it), with one of the early episodes of The Simpsons actually having predicted this

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The achilles heel of the Trump administration

“All of us who professionally use the mass media are the shapers of society. We can vulgarise that society. We can brutalise it. Or we can help it onto a higher level.” The legendary advertising icon of the 1940’s Bill Berbrach, once said these wise words. With today’s current political landscape, both outside and inside

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Charlotte Perkins Gilman – literary legend and feminist icon

Over the course of the women’s rights movement, the world has experienced its fair share of feminist icons. These ladies inspired, radicalised, and changed the largely male dominated world around them, making way for the fairer (yet by no means completely equal) society in which we now live in. Many documented their struggles through their

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The aftermath of Trump

The election of Donald Trump as the 45th U.S. President has shocked the world. None of the major media outlets predicted it, and neither did the bookies; drawing clear parallels with the Brexit vote in June. Post-mortems are taking place in their abundance trying to determine why, and how pretty much every ‘expert’ got it

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Baby boomers vs Millennials: Who’s to blame?

The first I heard of these cutesy names was in the wake of Brexit; this rift of generations started (seemingly) when the votes were cast to leave and this was heavily supported by the Baby Boomers. Since that time, articles have slated the “lucky” generation and have demonised their healthy pensions and welcoming property market.

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Dangerous dogs or uninformed owners?

I understand that big dogs or angry dogs can be intimidating. But does that give us the right to dictate what breeds are dangerous and what breeds are friendly? In the right circumstances even the smallest dog can harm someone and yet only a few have been banned in the UK. My current family pet

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Tips and tricks – the London property market

Unless you are living in a tent in someone’s front room; you are probably paying around half of your salary every month to pay for a room in a shared house. In this prolonged “University Halls” experience you may think it is hopeless to get onto the property ladder. Fear not local London dweller; these

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Citizens of the world

Earlier this month, Theresa May claimed that “if you believe you’re a citizen of the world, you’re a citizen of nowhere.” In such controversial, post-Brexit times, this quote struck a chord with both young and elderly people alike. Whilst ‘leave’ voters would celebrate the idea that our PM is thinking on a smaller, British-sized scale,

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McDonalds: The antibiotic resistance

To say that I have a frog in my throat is a severe understatement. A more accurate simile is having a radioactively modified mutant frog being lodged at the top of my gullet. I know the symptoms of cold sweats, piercing headache and radioactive amphibian means that I have tonsillitis and yet I know that

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How ‘coding the humanities’ will transform learning

The idea originates from the Netherlands, ‘Coding the Humanities’ is a project that was born in March 2013 and is set to revolutionise learning as we know it. The program encourages humanities students to code their own tools for research, creating a digital platform in which they can share what they are learning with fellow

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Techniques of the tools, a review

The Tools is a self-help book written by Phil Stutz and Barry Michels, successful psychoanalysts working in Los Angeles. Like many people, I approach the self-help genre with some skepticism, but the book has made an impact due to its unconventional advice. The philosophy of the book marks a contrast to what they call ‘Southern

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Kitten heels and oestrogen – Theresa May

A couple of months ago I put money on Theresa May to be prime minister by the end of 2016. It hadn’t occurred to me as a real possibility, but I’ve always liked her and when it came up under politics specials on my Ladbrokes app, I saw no reason not to stick a few

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Thatcher 2 – the sequel

As a feminist I’m thrilled that we have yet another female prime minister. It is a fantastic sign of our ever increasing modernising world and that women are getting the chance to stand up and show their strength, but did it really have to be May of all people? Whilst I’m glad we actually have

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Uni fees – what’s the use of putting them up and up?

Currently the maximum fee charge for a university degree is £9,000 a year after raising this cap from £3,375 in 2011/2012. This already sparked many riots and protests from the student population as well as various student unions and came hand in hand with a raise in maintenance grants and loans based on household earnings.

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The stigma of atheism

Atheism and agnosticism are frowned upon all over the world. In many places they are punishable by death[i], and although there are areas where neither constitutes a forfeit of one’s rights, there are still whole subcontinents where they do. But why are atheism and agnosticism so vilified? First, it helps to understand what each actually

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The new economic trend … universal basic income

The White House recently calculated that by the year twenty-twenty, there is an eighty-three percent chance that a worker earning less than twenty dollars per hour will lose his or her job to a robot [i]. In a world where automation is fast becoming the norm (factories in China for instance, have begun eliminating the workforce

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Vive la Brexit

Whenever I think I regret Brexit, I talk to a loser ‘remainer’ and remember why I am so glad. It’s all gone to shit they say – or words to that effect, unable to grasp the fantastic opportunity they have been bequeathed. And I read that there are Brexit voters who have had a volte

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Post Brexit: Get off social media, get on the streets

Well there it is, we voted Brexit, but why are so many people still unhappy? Put simply, the result is way too close. It is almost a 50/50 split, meaning whatever happens next, half the voting population are going to be put in a situation they voted against. Many are calling for a more conclusive

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The relevance of formal exams

Now we’ve all sat them, a big hall or a classroom with individual desks, as if the space between us somehow made it impossible to see the person next to us, silence with the invigilator giving us the same speech that, by the time our third or fourth exam came round, we all knew off

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Strictly alternative

We often look at the denotations of niches and alternative culture in music and fashion forgetting “why” people choose what they choose and the deeper meaning of the subjective answers that follow. A nuanced example is a 17-year-old girl who was particularly vocal about her reasoning in her choice in fashion and music. “Isla” (the

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EU: Should we stay or should we go?

We’re heading ever closer to one of the most important decisions our generation will face, but instead of being presented with facts, both sides are guilty of pushing propaganda. The result will shape our lives for decades to come, but constant bickering over the economy and immigration, overshadows the many other factors we should be

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Vagina of mass destruction

Why is the female body still seen as a public forum open to discussion? Judged, ridiculed, harassed or simply portrayed as a nuclear weapon that will destroy and wipe out all mankind. People still have something to say when it comes to the vagina, breast, bum or nipples, but why? What is the social fascination

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Depression in the digital age

We may live in the 21st Century, but unfortunately there is still a stigma attached to depression. It’s an illness that can completely envelope someone’s life, yet is rarely talked about and often misunderstood. It’s worrying that a condition the Royal College of Psychiatrists claims to affect 1 in 5 people is swept under the

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The ‘a’ word

Every child is different, some maybe even more than others. So let’s talk about the ‘A’ word. And no I don’t mean some new swear word that’s been made up on some online forum in the depths of the internet (although I’m sure there is one) I’m talking about Autism. With the recent “quiet hour”,

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Shattered illusions – Israel debunked

Forget the words “zionism”, “semitism” and “Jewish”: any British politician who denies Israel’s right to exist should be sent straight out of the House of Commons. Jeremy Corbyn and his ragtag team of commies want to castigate the 2% pocket of the Middle East which is an oasis of democracy, women’s rights and technological innovation.

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Digital amnesia

Over the last few years, I’ve learnt to take survey findings with a pinch of salt (a mineral responsible for obesity, according to a 2015 survey). I’ve learnt that bacon causes cancer, gives you heart disease and is better than sex. I’ve heard that vegetarians live longer but also die earlier. I’ve learnt that surveys

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The South Korean love industry – part 1

“Probably… eight-five percent of my friends have slept with prostitutes.” Established in the last fifty years, South Korea is an odd sort of place. Once poorer than Mozambique, it’s now considered one of the biggest emerging markets in the world. It’s a country where kissing in public is frowned upon and marriage is expected of

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Black beauty, white acceptance

I’m tired. Whenever I put time aside to write about this my head hurts, my pores leak and my breath shortens to a point where you’d think I had ran a marathon…That’s how I tired I am when it comes to this subject. However, there has never been such a more relevant time to discuss

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Trapped in eden

Sometimes in London you can forget greenery exists. Between brutalist buildings, pollution, pavements covered in chewing gum and empty chocolate wrappers, there’s no natural beauty around. Out exploring Pimlico, a friend and I came across a little square garden, a square of natural loveliness surrounded by neo-classical houses. The gate was open so we obliviously

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Trump vs social media

For many of us Donald Trump’s rise to power has been as startling as it was subtle. One moment he was an in-joke for America, the ‘guy off the Apprentice’. We laughed about him over the dinner table and mocked his clunky mannerisms. Then, little by little, it began to change. Trump and his media

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Poison to my vagina

Female genital mutilation is the procedure that intentionally alters or causes injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. FGM can either include the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia. In its extreme practice, the vaginal opening is sewn up leaving only a small hole for the release of urine and

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Strangers in the night – privacy in public

I myself have witnessed the rather typical and gross nature of groups of pre pubescent boys on public transport, not all boys of course but sadly the majority rules. Somehow the crowded buses & trains coupled with tired/sleepy strangers is cue for them to act as obnoxious as possible. Usually exclamations of the words ‘bruv’,

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Connection and consciousness – what is tantric sex?

As I skim through the numerous women’s magazines during my lunch break, everything from the latest fashion trends to the newest celebrity gossip crosses my path but more than ever I see more and more features on this new sexual trend called Tantric Sex. According to these numerous sources Tantric Sex has been growing in

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Ten ways to bare your teeth

From the condescending twat in your class, to the sexists pig at work, right down to the rude and obnoxious uncle at your family reunion. We all have that one person in our everyday lives that needs to be put in their place, I usually refer to it as having to ‘eat’ or ‘bite’ someone

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Five simple ways to feel alive again

Oh hai 2016! What’s going on? It’s me, Melchi – you might not know me but you will this year. This is the perfect mind-set to get you into 2016. It’s a new year! Get out of bed, get into something comfortable and go outside. The world is big and it’s full of exciting things

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