Last week I discovered this book in a very crowded Oxfam in Oxford. I had exhausted the sections I usually visit: History, Art, Classic Literature, etc., and was content with my haul so headed to the till where I saw this book, Cupcakes and Kalashnikovs: 100 Years of the Best Journalism by Women. I bought… Continue reading Thoughts on Cupcakes and Kalashnikovs
Over a year into the Coronavirus pandemic, it seems we have sufficiently experienced the virus, and its accompanying hardships, to begin to judge it from a different lens - one of retrospect and reflection. Viewing the pandemic we are currently faced with in the context of that in 1918, it is clear that although we… Continue reading Learning from the 1918 Flu Pandemic
The capture of Jamaica by Sir William Penn in 1655 initiated a series of events that considerably altered the path of Jamaican history. When chancing across the island, the English fleet changed its plan to capture Hispaniola, and took Jamaica instead. The island was previously under the control of the Spanish who, through military officer… Continue reading If 1066 is said to be the most important date in English history, what is the equivalent in another country?
Mary Wollstonecraft, born in April 1759, near Spitalfields, London, was the fundamental writer responsible for the advocation and establishment of the individualist roots of equal rights. Through her life and works, Wollstonecraft embodied the climate of progress and liberty, demonstrated by revolutionary radicals in France and America whom she engaged with or was greatly influenced… Continue reading Mary Wollstonecraft: a Woman Ahead of Her Time
Is Margaret Atwood's Gilead a metaphor for Trump's America? After having read Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, a correlation between her presentation of the Handmaids, and the role played by women in society today materialised. As I explored the idea further, seeking additional parallels, I started to look into the matter of surrogacy. Of course,… Continue reading A Handmaid’s Tale: more than just a tale?
When Hamilton first opened at The Public Theatre in February 2015 it took the world by storm, receiving a record-setting 16 nominations at the 2016 Tony Awards. However it wasn't just musical theatre enthusiasts who found themselves touched by the tale, but historians alike due to the factual nature of the two-act drama. Lin-Manuel Miranda,… Continue reading The Story of Alexander Hamilton
This week marked 89 years since the economic boom and prosperity of the Roaring Twenties came to an abrupt end. On a single day, Thursday 24th October, over 13 million shares were sold and the stock market lost over 11% of its value. The effect this collapse of the stock market had on society, American… Continue reading When It All Crashed
On this day, October 19th 1983, The King Holiday Bill passed the senate with a majority of 78 to 22. Merely few weeks later, on November 2nd, President Reagan singed a bill in the White House Rose Garden designating a federal holiday honouring Martin Luther King, Jr., to be observed on the third Monday of January.… Continue reading A March To Remember
On Friday, January 20th 1961, at the eastern portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., John F. Kennedy delivered his iconic inaugural address. With 1,364 words, Kennedy’s historic speech lasted 13 minutes and 55 seconds. Despite its brevity, the words he spoke reached millions of people around the world and still remain relevant today, proudly standing… Continue reading What He Did Do For His Country
‘One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind’ famously quoted Neil Armstrong on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC as he planted the first human foot on another world, completely unaware of what would follow: would the surface disintegrate beneath him? Would he float off into the ether? Would he achieve this feat… Continue reading One Small Flight For a Man…
Grace - Upon - Paper 