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Jan 12, 2025 | 
oxfordstudent.com | OxStu Culture |Sophie Harrison
Three of my favourite authors happen to be Oxford alumni. One is Philip Pullman, whose alternative Oxford in His Dark Materials fascinated me as a child (and as a teenager, when I reread it).Then there is Frances Hardinge, the Costa award-winning author of The Lie Tree, and many other gothic, eccentric childrenâs books besides. And last but not least, Natasha Pulley, a predominantly historical fantasy writer who I discovered later on.
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Jan 9, 2025 | 
oxfordstudent.com | OxStu Culture |Sophie Harrison
The manuscript of Mauricewas discovered with the note: âPublishable, but worth it?â. Apparently, the author E.M. Forster concluded that it wasnât; for a novel openly about homosexuality â illegal at the time of writing in England of 1913-14 â the risk was too high. The novel remained hidden in a drawer for 57 years, and would only meet the public eye posthumously in 1971. Even then, reviews were mixed.
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Jan 8, 2025 | 
oxfordstudent.com | OxStu Culture |Sophie Harrison
TikTokâs BookTok niche has provided a platform for recommendations which has caused an explosion in literary sales and inspired a whole new generation of readers. The dominant place occupied by the romance genre within the BookTok sphere cannot escape notice; this includes offshoots like âdark romanceâ â which often has toxic or supernatural elements and ranges from It Ends With Us to Twilight â and âRomantasyâ.
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Dec 5, 2024 | 
oxfordstudent.com | Sophie Harrison
The pang of being away from Oxford is particularly pronounced at this time of year. Oxmas, with its blend of academic frenzy and festive anticipation, is a singular joy I’ve yet to find a match for. It’s the one time of year when the breakneck pace of term has its benefits, as you find yourself eating Christmas dinner in November.
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Nov 9, 2024 | 
oxfordstudent.com | OxStu Culture |Sophie Harrison
Through the social media grapevine, news has emerged of not one but at least two upcoming remakes of Jane Austenâs beloved Pride and Prejudice. Given that the 2005 adaptation starring Keira Knightley is one of my favourite films, this prospect fills me with both excitement and trepidation. Why recreate what is already a triumph? What new perspectives can be offered? In our times, Austen-mania has turned the Hampshire-born author into something of a commercial ‘industry’.
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Oct 29, 2024 | 
oxfordstudent.com | OxStu Culture |Sophie Harrison
Having moved to Paris for my year abroad, I decided to take advantage of my newly-stamped EU visa – a golden ticket granting free museum access – with a visit to a bucket-list location, the Musée d’Orsay. Suffice to say, it did not disappoint. Housed in a former railway station, the Musée d’Orsay assembles masterpieces from the most famous French impressionists and post-impressionists: Monet, Manet, Renoir, Cézanne, the list goes on.
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Oct 28, 2024 | 
oxfordstudent.com | Sophie Harrison
Starting university can be daunting for anyone. It’s likely that you’re juggling many new experiences: moving away from home, exploring an unknown city, even facing imposter syndrome (perhaps especially at Oxbridge). First impressions are then shaped by the overstimulating social free-for-all that is freshers’ week. This introductory period is certainly vital to help students integrate into university life.
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Oct 27, 2024 | 
oxfordstudent.com | Sophie Harrison
Autumn has come to Paris. Earlier this week, I was walking through the Jardin du Luxembourg â a public garden which has rapidly become one of my favourite places in the city â when I began to notice the change of the seasons. I had first visited the garden just after moving to France for my year abroad, at the end of August when the final swell of summer brought a heatwave. But now, in October, the air was crisper, and the leaves had turned to mustard yellow and burnished red.
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Oct 24, 2024 | 
oxfordstudent.com | OxStu Culture |Sophie Harrison
You’d probably expect someone studying French at Oxford to have read Le Comte de Monte-Cristo (1844-46). It is, after all, one of the most famous French novels of all time. But, standing at over 1,000 pages and in 2 volumes heavy enough to double as paperweights, it has remained firmly relegated to the when there’s more time pile of my TBR. Yet, like renowned English classics such as Dracula or Frankenstein, its reputation precedes it.
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Oct 21, 2024 | 
oxfordstudent.com | OxStu Culture |Sophie Harrison
TW: mental illness referencesA devotee of the graphic novels, I have been awaiting the latest instalment in Netflixās Heartstopper adaptationwith both anticipation and dread. Based on the fourth and fifth volumes, I knew that this third season would wade into darker themes, marking a shift away from the wholesome comfort and bubblegum palette of the former series.
