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This provocative, controversial book, follows the life and academic career of Francois in a dystopian France crackling with political change. As a tragically immoral and lonely university lecturer living in Paris, his life is altered when the fictional Muslim Brotherhood Party wins the national election. His girlfriend, Jewish, flees the country in fear and he […]
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There is a wide range of podcasts out there, and it should come as no surprise that a sizeable number of podcasts are concerned with books. As a devoted bookworm and podcast enthusiast, I have pored over lists of “the best podcasts” and tried numerous programmes, coming to establish my own favourites. These podcasts are […]
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A selection of books capturing the essence of Christmas in a multitude of ways and exploring the strange, tense and mystical atmospheres brought forth by this time of year. Orlando by Virginia Woolf (1928) The book begins with Orlando, a teenage boy, serving as a page in the Elizabethan court and ends in 1928 with […]
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Image Credit: Martin Pettitt. Description: the exterior of the Palace Theatre showing ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ ‘Don’t look back in anger’ is a classic by Oasis. And for me, not looking back is advice that should be given to authors everywhere. Recently, some of my favourites have decided to revisit worlds they left […]
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Credit: Still Life with Books in Niche , Barthélemy d’Eyck The Bodleian Libraries is lifting the lid on its collection of ‘obscene’ and ‘improper’ books for the first time ever in a display of items from the Libraries’ restricted ‘Phi’ category. The exhibition, Story of Phi: Restricted Books, explores changing ideas about sexuality and censorship and […]
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When starting out at Oxford the library system is more than a little intimidating. With over 100 different libraries affiliated with the University, it can be a bit overwhelming knowing where the best place to study is, so I thought I’d help out. Not all the university libraries are accessible to every student, particularly the college, […]
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Independent bookshops are a dying race, callously destroyed by online purchases and dooming their owners to disillusioning profit losses. However, on 25 Walton Street, a survivor determinedly battles on. The Last Bookshop, providing quaint mint-green tables outside for those who wish to read with a coffee, and a perpetual deal of two books for five […]
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It was recently reported that Jojo Moyes, author of Me Before You, has stepped in and put up £360,000 of her own money to ensure that the adult literacy campaign Quick Reads is able to continue. The scheme had got into trouble when funding from both its long-term sponsor Galaxy, and the Arts Council, dried […]
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Over the past few years there has certainly been no shortage of Middle-earth inspired projects for fans to get excited about. From the controversial Shadow of War video game series to the upcoming biopic starring Nicholas Hoult, Tolkien’s cultural influence is showing no signs of slowing down. Now, from out of the blue, HarperCollins has […]
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Admit it, we have it good. From the Upper Radcliffe Camera’s elegantly sweeping ceiling to the futuristic maze of tunnels in the Bodleian – Oxford is an idyllic reading space. However, beyond the city of dreaming spires’ confines lies a myriad of bookshops, offering the opportunity to uncover an obscure 18th century tome in a […]
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As a lover of reading books, growing up being surrounded by these musky-scented, ever-thrilling beings is one of the many things I am thankful for. Cheeky weekend trips to Waterstones used to be, and in fact still are, the highlight of my week – that’s how I treat myself after a long week of tutorials […]
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Since 13 Reasons Why launched as a Netflix adaptation, the story of a teenage girl’s suicide and the subsequent blame-game has been a popular point of discussion. Jay Asher’s New York Times bestseller by the same name tells a very similar story: 17 year old Hannah Baker takes her life and leaves behind a set […]
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A derisive critique of one of India’s greatest pastimes – cricket – and a powerful satire that deconstructs the deep-rooted ironies of India’s post-modern society, Selection Day is a fictional novel by Aravind Adiga, an Indo-Australian writer and journalist, appearing in paperback for the first time in September 2016. Through the story of two young […]
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Richard Adams, author of the timeless Watership Down, has died aged 96. Born in Newbury, Berkshire, to Evelyn Adams, a surgeon, and his wife Lilian, he was educated at Bradfield College. Encouraged by one of his masters, he went on to study at Oxford University. His unusual style, as well as his engagement with his material, […]
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Between seventeen novels (most recently Thomas & Mary, a Love Story), a selection of literary criticism and non-fiction, talks spanning several continents and a post as Associate Professor of Literature and Translation at IULM in Milan, Tim Parks is likely qualified to answer questions on more subjects than I could realistically stretch into what at […]
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The Case for Daenerys Stormborn – Jack Cooper Daenerys Stormborn. House Targaryen, first of her name. Rightful heir to the Iron Throne, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Mother of Dragons, Breaker of Chains, she-who-frequently-emerges-from-burning-structures-before-overturning-prior-social-structures. Westeros, say hello to your future Queen. Daenerys is a divisive figure amongst the GoT fandom. Her ability to conquer, and […]
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I must preface this article by admitting that I’m something of a fraud – I have actually watched The Fellowship of the Ring before, but I hadn’t yet seen the extended version, in all its 228 minute long glory. One of the first things I realised was that nobody feeling even a little stressed about […]
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I recently started reading a novel. I’ve been reading it on a tablet, actually. It’s called Newtons Sleep (and no, that’s not a typo), by a writer called Daniel O’Mahony. It’s about… well, I’m still figuring that out, but from what I gather so far it’s about England in the immediate aftermath of the Civil […]
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A Facebook group allowing Oxford students to share photos of outrageous, fascinating and witty margin notes in library books was picked up by national newspapers this week. ‘Oxford University Marginalia’ currently has 5,556 members who post photographs of interesting margin notes. The group was noticed by The Telegraph last Thursday. The paper wrote: “Completing a […]
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