In Russia, memories of Stalinist repressions and the Gulag are contentious topics. Despite over 20 million people perishing as a result of Stalin’s purges and many more being forced into labour camps in Siberia, the Kremlin, through propaganda and censorship, has consistently attempted to sanitise its dark history, which it portrays as a necessary measure […]
Desmond Doss, an American World War II conscientious objector, was thrust back into popular consciousness after his portrayal by Andrew Garfield in the recent film Hacksaw Ridge. The film tells the story of Doss, a Seventh Day Adventist who refused to take up arms or kill the enemy on account of his belief in the […]
On the night of January 14, 1887, in Washington DC, the drag queen was born, or at least the concept of the drag queen was revealed to the American public. Prior to this date, her Majesty William Dorsey Swann arranged balls in which men gathered in gowns of satin and silk and sashayed the night […]
When launching the annual Bruntwood Playwriting Prize at the Royal Exchange in Manchester earlier this year, Dame Jenni Murray stated the importance of strong roles for women. She was, however, preaching to the converted. The Exchange’s Autumn/Winter season has had many such roles (not least among them was Lady in Orpheus Descending) and it ends […]
NASA chemist James Lovelock was trying to seek a way to detect life on distant planets without physically visiting them. Analysing planetary atmospheres, he arrived at a profound realisation about our world. He proposed that life on Earth does not merely exist within its environment but actively shapes and sustains it. The totality of life […]
When we think of xenophobia, often we are susceptible to oversimplifying it, without considering the intersectionality of gender and race. Historically, antisemitism has largely existed within a repressive hetero-normative framework of gender identity and sexuality. Considering Antisemitism in Victorian England then, it’s important to take on a gendered perspective, looking at the relationship between Judeophobia […]
In November 2024, countries at the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan agreed on a $200bn per year increase in climate financial assistance to developing countries across the world. Western nations say a ‘massive deal was struck’ and the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that the pledges made were ‘ambitious’ from both a UK and an […]
On the 7th of October 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to, “cripple Hamas mercilessly and avenge this black day they have brought upon Israel” in response to the barbarous attacks carried out by the terrorist group against innocent Israeli citizens. But this isn’t just a modern-day issue; the conflict between Hamas and Israel […]
The story of the Battle of Agincourt follows the age-old narrative of the beloved underdog rising against the odds. A legacy of victory and glory would become synonymous with Henry V after this epic episode in medieval history. An idyllic tale of knights, courage and king; it is recounted even in modern memory, but how […]
It is not often an author has the capacity to create a shift in cultural conscience. This ability is reserved for the most creative and talented minds: writers that can not only entertain, but revolutionise, galvanise, and place a spark of being into society’s mindset. Having said this, writing craft alone will not suffice, the […]
It is now nearly one year since the reopening of the Manchester Central Library to the public in March 2014, after three years of closure for renovation work. Perhaps the stated goal of the council prior to the opening, that the library would become ‘Manchester’s living room’, was a little too ambitious, but it remains […]
Despite the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus altering dramatically throughout history, the ideas underpinning the annual Christmas festival have persistently provided a source of human inspiration. Although the eating, dancing and gift-giving which epitomized Christmas celebrations throughout the High Middle Ages closely resembles our current festivities, Christian understandings of how Christmas should be […]
The United States of America had always been a destination I wanted to travel to from a young age. Perhaps it was the appeal of metropolis-esque cities such as New York or Los Angeles I had seen on TV programmes, the beautiful scenery of national parks across the huge American landscape or possibly the vast […]
Many European football fans view South America as the ultimate embodiment of football as much more than just a game, with incredible fan culture and intimate relationships between football and politics. In Passion of the People (1994), Tony Mason seeks to study the origins of the beautiful game in the continent and examine the accuracy […]