A few weeks before the pandemic rooted itself in the UK, I had returned home from Cape Town. I’ve been considering a particularly pressing question: is there a correlation between the aesthetics of wealth and the ability to connect to community in these two Trojan cities?
Read MoreAt the time of the appointment at the fertility clinic, I felt I had no symptoms of the menopause. My periods were regular; I wasn’t having any hot flashes or night sweats. Although I was experiencing a little breast tenderness and my emotions were quick to change, I hadn’t associated this with the menopause at the time.
Read More63% of adults in the UK are “above a healthy weight” and ⅓ of children are leaving primary school “living with obesity” (GOV.UK), but using an outdated body mass index ‘BMI’ scale is bound to produce misleading information. Some may say that the ‘Better Help’ intervention is a necessity, but how effective these initiatives truly will be is yet to be discovered, and I unfortunately do predict that a lot of people are going to struggle with this confrontation along the way.
Read MoreBack in June, JK Rowling caused a media storm when she took to Twitter to comment on a photo entitled “Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate”. To many, this tweet excluded those whose biological sex means they still have a menstrual cycle but identify as male. This might have been excused as a bad joke or boomer ignorance had this not been yet another example of Rowling making transphobic tweets.
Read MoreI wanted to be part of the fashion industry for a long time, but I think the lockdown period has truly opened my eyes to a lot of things that I have previously ignored - the main one being how fashion is not as digital as it could be.
Read MoreBoseman took on the role of T’challa with an ease, confidence, and regality that was as much of a tailor fit as his Black Panther suit. There was no question whether Boseman was portraying this character well enough. He just was T’Challa.
Read MoreSometimes I catch myself feeling the same way when I see my fellow peers share a hashtag or raise an on-trend issue about something I have never heard them once refer to up until that moment or in IRL. And thus for a brief moment, pre-teen Clara returns and she’s judging you. Hard. Much to my disappointment and despite our ageing and all the wonders of technology, it turns everyone’s still a god damn poser.
Read MoreSome people argue that cancel culture does not exist, that it is “a myth”. Others say that ostracism has always been present in society, that it has just changed trajectory, flipping against elites which are now upset about it. Whether or not you think of cancel culture as new phenomenon, the two words most typed in the latest weeks are actually not as recent as you may think.
Read MoreWhen we think about ‘being offended’ as a concept and as a right, what do we mean? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, to offend means to ‘make someone feel upset, resentful, or annoyed.’ So far, so clear - but what does this definition tell us about the function of being offended? To my mind, to be offended is to examine what you stand for, what you find unjust, and why something makes you feel uncomfortable. Perhaps most crucially, it forces you to evaluate who you stand in solidarity with.
Read MoreIn the last five years, the amount of vegans in the UK has quadrupled, and concern for animal welfare and the environment have proved to be two of the major factors for people considering adopting a vegetarian or vegan diet. That was certainly what was on my mind when I decided to give up meat at the beginning of this year.
Read MoreAllowing ourselves to be obsessed and knocked back by every little thing that is said is not just inane, but exhausting. Language is supposed to facilitate sense. Stop shoehorning meaning into words and phrases so that you can claim to take offence and then gather in safe spaces whingeing about it.
Read MoreI sat down to write yesterday. Ideas whirling around in my head, culminating from a peaceful and relaxing two weeks in the Costa Del Sol – I was finally ready to put pen to paper (or should I say fingertips to keyboard). I can’t say I knew exactly what I was going to write, but I had a character, a setting and determination.
Read MoreI will be honest, my expectations for how Boris would handle an unprecedented emergency were low. Very low. But he managed to impress me with his complete ineptitude.
Read MoreCardi B rapped about her Wet Ass Pussy and the world fell apart. Equipped with Megan Thee Stallion, a lime green outfit and a fountain she got society more divided than ever. Forget Brexit-gate, this is WAP-gate. The slogan? ‘Bring a bucket and mop for this wet ass pussy’.
Read MoreThe first time I went to Notting Hill Carnival I was 21, which - as a Londoner - you could say was pretty late in the day. I didn’t really know what to expect; all I knew was that 2007 was the year my friends and I were going to get involved. From that first carnival I was hooked.
Read MoreThat afternoon we lifted the curtains of our worlds to each other, as we danced around an imaginary fire, embracing our femininity. I could almost hear the music as we slowly circled together, lifting our hips to a silent rhythm, twisting our hands in the air as we moved around the tiny room.
Read MoreStudies indicate that the ‘North-South’ divide goes deeper than the debate over the correct pronunciation of the word ‘scone’, and seems to have some influence on the admissions process of more competitive universities.
Read MoreJust over a year ago and at the age of 22 I was diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, more commonly known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It is a chronic, criminally under-researched illness which affects an estimated 17 million people globally. As the identity and lifestyle I had no longer complemented my body’s limits, I am now in a process of rediscovering myself and finding love for my body alongside my condition.
Read MoreNow, I’m sure the concept of ‘Devil’s Bridge’ will be familiar to you in some shape or form. The tale of Billy Goats Gruff and The Troll Under the Bridge are staples within British folklore, and similar tales are shared within other world folklore such as Spain and Germany: there are even trails of this folklore to be found with Norse mythology too.
Read MoreDespite my self-awareness and logical reasonings, when that devilish phrase leaves my lips “I don’t want kids”, I am met with a long list of insinuations, insults and attempts to convince me otherwise.
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