This October, whisky connoisseurs will be joining in an exploration of a new sector of the market: English whisky. From October 16-17, a virtual event hosted by the recently-formed English Whisky Society will discuss the boom in English whisky production over the last two decades, the prospective future of the industry, and the technical aspects…
Travel
Preparing for the picturesque Peru
“Yeah, you can go!” was not the kind of response I expected from my mother, who has been extremely strict ever since I was young, when I asked if I could go on a volunteering trip to a country that is tremendously far away from home – Peru. No one in my family seemed surprised…
Arts, Venue
My introduction to the Gothic
I’m a big fan of the Gothic; literature, art, movies, architecture, you name it. The creatives who cultivated this interest from a relatively young age were filmmaker Tim Burton, and by extension, Helena Bonham Carter, and author Marcus Sedgwick. Many people are familiar with the work of the former two, but, in my opinion, the…
Gaming
Natasha Pulley – The Bedlam Stacks
Natasha Pulley’s The Bedlam Stacks is a charming romp, one that combines magical and paranormal elements with historical fiction. Young and crippled Merrick Tremayne, English horticulturalist, is given the task of retrieving medicinal quinine bark from the depths of Peru with his friend Clem Markham. On arrival, they are guided to the mysterious town of…
Features
Translated literature enjoys sales boom in the face of Brexit
Over the past year, when Britain has been continually debating when and how to leave the European Union, there has been a surge in the sale of translated fiction in the UK. According to figures commissioned by the Man Booker International from Nielsen Book, UK sales of translated fiction grew by 5.5 percent only last…
Creative Writing
The Goddess of Spring
I first saw Cordelia the summer after someone tore out my heart on New Year’s Eve. Too much fog for specifics, but her glow cut through it all. Ivory skin and a wreath of gold leaf for hair. She’d not seen me before but said she’d have to try harder to. Her cyan eye left…
Science
Tea or coffee? It’s in your genes
Studies carried out at Northwestern University in Illinois have revealed that your choice of hot beverage may not be the conscious decision you once thought it was. A study published in the Scientific Reports journal has suggested that in those with European ancestry, genetic variants may influence your perception of bitterness, and thus your preference…
Arts
Book review: The Sixteen Trees of the Somme by Lars Mytting
It is uncommon for a book not originally written in English to become popular in the UK, but Norwegian journalist and author Lars Mytting achieved this rare feat when his book Norwegian Wood became a (surprising) hit among British readers. Mytting’s international success is an example of how books about apparently niche subjects can end…
Features
Daughters of England
By the end of the month, an original piece of drama, Daughters of England – an adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s short story, The Society – will be put on by the UEA Drama Soc in Norwich’s Maddermarket Theatre. I decided to interview the writer, Katie Stockton, about Woolf, the writing process, and the canon… Tell…
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