Confessions from the committee bench
A night at the Oxford Union bears no pretensions on the matter of its own pretentiousness. Dressed in silk and satin, members of committee weekly perform a ritual of faux-poshness: President’s drinks first; followed by a three course meal; before entering the Debate Chamber to nod politely
Icon of the Week: The Ultimate Picture Palace
“We want to make people feel like there’s a chance it could all burn down in a moment. Because that’s more fun.” I’m sat with Kit Finnie, lead projectionist at the Ultimate Picture Palace. Over the course of our conversation, one thing becomes apparent: the UPP is something t
The name game: Old-school Republicanism is dead, but the Party’s title remains
Despite being situated 5,500 kilometres away from my home country and the American election being two months behind us, it has, without fail, remained the first and foremost topic of discussion offered up to me across pubs, dining halls, and tutorials. As a result, I’ve spent a lot of time attempt
The campus novel on vacation
The first thing I did after finishing my exams last May was read Elif Batuman’s quintessential campus novel The Idiot. Although I was checking out of academia for the summer months, I couldn’t help but return to its comforting rhythm in Batuman’s book, which narrates Selin’s freshman year at
In St James
In St James I lay sun-brushed and smothered; The seeping day flowed beneath the midday Air, the slow June sky hung high above, Spreading swimming shadows about My feet. The multrees whispered as away – Far away – their branches and furrowed leaves Brushed felted rushes. They spoke