Back in the USSR
Kolya Vasin, one week before his death (Courtesy of Igor Vereshchagin) I used to think I loved the Beatles, until I heard about Kolya Vasin. Only then did I see what loving the Beatles really means. For an essay competition a number of years ago, I wrote on how the Beatles’ influence had ri
BEST BEFORE: In Britain, you can’t control the weather but you can control the elections
Desperate to be more entertaining than Matt Hancock’s TikTok account, Rishi Sunak was given a helping hand by the press yesterday, as rumours about the general election ran wild. The news was flooded with live feeds of Number 10’s closed door, journalists huddled together for warmth in the pouri
Experiencing grief at university
Image: The last holiday with my dad, spent in the Scilly Isles, 2005. I’ve developed an uncanny trick for telling when spring is on the cusp of summer. It requires very little skill, aside from a keen eye on the advertising campaigns in Tesco Express, Magdalen St. Only last week, having sum
Icon of the Week: The Phoenix Picturehouse
During my first month at Oxford, I was in a relative, consistent state of terror as I tried to carve out friendships, figure out my degree, and figure out where and how I’d socialize. I, like every other first year, had arrived in a completely unfamiliar place with little knowledge about how to na
Watching ‘Manwatching’
“This is so funny; I’ve never been interviewed before.’’ “Really? It’s your lucky day. How do I start though? I normally come more prepared but because it’s you, I’m like, it’s fine.’’ I’ve conducted a couple interviews during my time at university, but t
BEST BEFORE: Parasites, power, and presidential candidates
Who is fit to rule? On 27th June, a 77-year-old man and an 81-year-old man will walk into a room. They both experience memory lapses, struggle with mixing up names of individuals, and face other cognitive issues. They have heart issues, and the natural onset of mental faculty decay with age. What wi
In conversation with: David Akanji, President of the Oxford Fashion Gala
David Akanji wore handmade trousers, which he had repaired only hours before, and an H&M tunic to the Oxford Fashion Gala. Not quite what I expected from this year’s OFG President. Having studied Fine Art at University of the Arts London and worked on the Marina Abramović exhibition at
Two Talk: Two Gents
Shakespeare put under the well-funded spotlight in Gregory Doran’s new production. Was Sir Gregory Doran, Former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, trying to avoid directing The Two Gentlemen of Verona? He’s directed every other Shakespeare in his dazzling career.
Icon of the Week: The Tescalator
Let me set the scene. You’re spacing out, walking a busy street in Oxford, probably thinking of next week’s assignment or the dinner you will be making tonight, ultimately not averting much attention to your surroundings; you don’t need to, you know these streets by heart by now. Then,