editor’s letteR This issue is centred around the theme of ‘the unknown’. after our ‘future’ issue, many of our enrichment group were spurred on by the various futuristic scenarios they’d imagined whilst researching their articles and writing their stories. many people have different ideas about the unknown, but often the thought of it conjures up feelings of fear, worry, wonder or excitement. the fear of starting a new job in a new place. the worry of not knowing whether you will do well or not in an exam. the wonder at the endless possibilities of space. the excitement of travelling to a new country for the first time. the unknown can be viewed as both positive and negative, depending on the context. in this issue, our team explore a variety of topics, from a mysterious fortune teller in bulgaria, the struggles of domestic violence and the experience of doing a work internship in spain. this issue also contains book and film reviews, as well as the reveal of the library writing competition winners. i hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we have enjoyed making it!
Stephanie sekula
Contents
Issue 8 | February 2020
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Weird Thoughts Have We Changed The Unknown? The Lost & Never Found The Unknown Ocean Are The Lustful & Perilious Creatures Real? Enamour The Unsolved Murder Of The Jamison Family Behind Closed Doors What Does The Unknown Mean To You? I Can’t Tell The Future Entry 002: My Valentine The Fortune Teller Of Bulgaria Seville Trip 2019 The Devil Triangle A Series Of Different Love Stories Mask The Mystery Of Louis Le Prince LGBT+ History Month Library Writing Competition Winners Tips For Wellbeing During The Buildup To Exams 5 Tips To Improve Your Wellbeing Online Cleavage Volare Charity Foundation Interviewing The Games Entertainment Industry 20 Films Being Released In 2020 Joker (2019) Review Cats Movie Adaptation Review V-Wars Review Unknown Book Reviews Pride & Prejudice Book Review
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Thoughts
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Do you ever think of something bizarre in the shower or when you are on the way to school? Do you ever wonder... does dropping the soap make it dirty, or the floor clean? Or why is sleeping so weird: we have to put on special sleeping clothes and lie in bed and pretend to sleep before we fall asleep. Deep thinking and deep thoughts - according to some scientists - belong to special human beings with highly trained brains. Deep thinking is something that encourages the thinker always to question themselves, thus leading to new and unexpected answers. We just cannot agree to that, because every one of us experiences an enlightening moment of big ideas going through our morning or evening hygiene routines. Yes, the magnificent and brilliant shower thoughts. It might seem like a basic thing but many people have some of their smartest and most creative ideas in the shower, as well as some of their most profound philosophical thoughts. There’s even an entire sub-Reddit dedicated to them. Question is, why does this happen? According to scientists, the answer is dopamine. It’s a chemical in your brain that affects your emotions, and it gets triggered when we do things like exercising, listening to music, and taking warm showers. Our brains are also more likely to come up with quick thoughts when we’re relaxed. This doesn’t always have to be the shower - it could be in your bed, or a place where you feel most safe. However, some weird thoughts may come from an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which is the most common anxiety disorder with ‘weird thoughts’. Although they can occur in other types of anxiety as well, many of the thoughts of those with OCD are generic, such as a fear of contamination (fear of germs). But these aren’t necessarily described as ‘weird’. They’re irrational, and they’re often distressing, but they’re not weird. But overall sometimes it fine to have an unusual funny thought that will be the highlight of your day. Do you ever think, what if oxygen was actually a toxin that just took 80-100 years to take effect on humans?
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Or clapping is just hitting yourself because you like something? And why is your bottom called bottom as the bottom is your feet not your bum? Perhaps “Go to bed, you’ll feel better in the morning” is the human version of “Did you turn it off and turn it back on again?”
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A different version of you exists in the minds of everyone who knows you
One of the biggest scams in life was your mom saying she won’t get angry if you say the truth
? It’s not f air teeth bro that coffee stain wn sy them wh , but milk doesn our ’t stain ite
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When we’re young, we sneak out our house to go to parties. When we’re old, we sneak out of parties to go home
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Witches have black cats because if they had white cats they would have white cat hair all over their clothes.
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Written and Desighned by
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Alan
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Losicki
HAVE WE CHANGED THE UNKNOWN?
Our world has become increasingly digitalised. Half of the world’s population is now online meaning the boundaries between what clarifies as unknown territory are much hazier. In past years, if one did not visit the Bahamas, the North Pole or the Tropical Rainforest, then one would simply not know what it looked like. However, in today’s world, at just the click of a cursor, these places can be viewed from the comfort of our own homes. And with technology only becoming more developed, it appears that even the void of space is not off limits for our viewing. In 2015 many tuned in for the live stream of astronaut Tim Peake’s first spacewalk. But as we spend more time discovering hidden places through our screens, are we fully present and in the know about what actually surrounds us? Or, are we just changing the destination of the unknown? According to a survey by The National Trust ‘Children today spend half the time playing outside as their parents did’, meaning from an early age we are in constant disconnection from the environment and natural world we live in. This lack of connection not only lies in our local areas and natural world, but also in the people around us. It takes only one bus or train ride to see how the rise of mobile devices has led to more eyes locked on shining screens than eye contact sparking conversations. This proves that whilst we think we know those whose posts we like, videos we watch and blogs we read, in truth, people who we actually meet in human form are very much resting in the shadows of the unknown. With all this disconnection from real-world events happening in front of us, yet an increased connection to people and issues across continents, what needs to be considered is this: Can the variation in where our unknown lies be a positive change for society?
Written and Designed By Isabella Pavitt
In essence when used effectively, our digital use has led to a positive removal of those places originally termed the ‘unknown’. For instance, internet search engine ‘Ecosia’ has been one of the many organisations that has taken advantage of our constant internet searches by planting a tree for every 45 searches, and at the time of writing over 81 million trees had been planted in three different continents, connecting internet users to efforts taking place across the globe that are benefitting both the planet and local communities. However, whilst the changing of the unknown can be a good thing, it is important to remember that we must not lose sight of what actually lies around us. Disconnection from the natural world and the present moment can cause consequences in terms of the increased destruction of our planet as we feel a lack of responsibility and a deterioration of our mental health. So, as the ‘unknown’ continues to change and transform, let’s not allow it to tear us away from the places and people that should be the most familiar to us. Let’s not lose sight of where we have already arrived.
The Lost & Never Found
Written and designed by Halima Abubaker & Sophia Furey
It’s been said that the moment a mother or father looks at their child an instant bond is formed. Nature’s parental instincts are now made and protection of one’s offspring is all that matters. The promise of one’s parents that they will always be there no matter what to protect you from anything life may bring. The apple of one’s eye or the angel of one’s heart. Whether it be falling in a park or picking up the pieces of a broken heart or the promise of protection from the dangers of this earth. But as humans we know not all promises can be kept. Some wounds won’t heal with just a plaster or a reassuring kiss on the forehead or an extra slice of dessert after dinner. Some wounds are simply from the one promise a parent should never have to break: I’ll always keep you safe. Only a select few know this particular wound, this recurring ache, this spiral of a nightmare that never seems to go away.Who might they be you may ask? Simple. They are the kids who fell through every crack of the system. They are the children you pray find their way back. They are the lost and never found. 3rd May 2007 in the depths of the night from her bed in a holiday apartment at a resort in Praia da Luz, in the Algarve region of Portugal, 3 year old Madeleine Beth McCann was abducted. 12 years, 8 months and 22 days later and she is yet to be found. The Daily Telegraph described the disappearance as “the most heavily reported missing-person case in modern history”. What started as a sun filled getaway for family and friends quickly turned into the child abduction of the century.Young Madeleine and her 2 year old twin siblings had been left asleep at 20:30 in the families ground-floor apartment, while the McCanns and friends dined in a local tapas restaurant 55 metres away.The parents checked on the children throughout the evening, until Madeleine’s mother discovered she was missing at 22:00. Witnesses saw several suspicious men watching the McCanns’ apartment on the day she disappeared and in the days leading up to it, though the Metropolitan Police say some have been eliminated. This was the theory pursued by Portuguese detectives, who reopened their investigation in 2011 after studying a series of attacks in resorts along the Algarve coast in the years up to 2007. A man had entered the apartments and villas of mainly British holidaymakers and molested young girls while they slept. In August 1984, Josef Fritzl lured his daughter Elisabeth into the basement of their family home in Amstetten, Austria. She was just 18 years old at the time. Elisabeth’s mother filed a missing person report, not knowing that her child was being held in captivity only metres away. The teenager was forced to write letters saying that she had run away
from home. During 24 years of captivity, Fritzl fathered seven children with his daughter - but one of them died shortly after being born.Three of the children were kept in the sound-proofed basement with their mother, while the other three were brought upstairs to live with Fritzl. He told his wife that the children had been abandoned on their doorstep by Elisabeth because she could not care for them. One of the children being held in the basement fell seriously ill in 2008, and this was when doctors and the police discovered the true extent of Fritzl’s crimes. Fritzl, who is now 82, was sentenced to life in prison in 2009. It is believed he raped his daughter more than 3,000 times. The media evidently plays a crucial part in the journey of a missing child; for weeks, months, or sometimes years, (as seen in the McCann case), missing child cases are plastered all over the news. However, is it completely true that the news helps find missing children, or does it hinder them? With the news exposure as large as the Madeleine McCann case, this poses the question, does media hinder the findings of missing children? What if the media provokes abductors to act quickly in order to avoid being found out, as pressure it put on them by the news and speculation of horror stories. The rule for any abduction or kidnapping investigation is that after 24 hours, if not already found, the victims are most likely to be dead. What goes through the mind of a kidnapper? What are their intentions? In a lot of cases, when an attacker is exposed, it is often a person that people would least expect of. This is seen in the Ted Bundy case, where people had the impression that he was a genuine, kind and charismatic man, some young girls even fangirled over him during his court hearing. The intention of a kidnapper is an odd thing, Where are these kids now? As mentioned previously, the first 24 hours of a kidnapping are the most crucial to finding the victim. Each year 800.000 missing children are reported, of those 200,000 are taken by parents, and 58,000 involved with non-family members who are motivated to abduct the child for sex. Only a small percentage of the children reported missing are actually found. People have created conspiracies involving Madeleine McCann, saying that she’s possibly living a normal life with a German family, as may even be oblivious to the fact she was abducted. How many abducted children are now settled into new families, without a doubt of their past? Maybe we’ll never find out how many children are lost and never found.
The ocean is home to 95% of the world’s population of animals, there is a continental ice sheet larger than the continent of the USA. Mankind has only been able to explore a total of 5% of the ocean due to the immense pressure of the ocean crushing and destroying anything that goes too deep. • Our oceans cover more than 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface. With so much of the Earth’s surface taken up by ocean, it’s evident how vital these marine environments are to the planet, and how much there still is to be explored. • The majority of life on Earth is aquatic. As so much of the Earth’s surface is underwater, it comes as no surprise that marine species outnumber those on land. But, it’s an incredible 94 per cent of the Earth’s living species that exist within the oceans. • Less than five per cent of the planet’s oceans have been explored. According to the Ocean Service, man has explored less than five per cent of Earth’s oceans. As researchers strive to discover more, we’re continually getting to know our oceans better. • The world’s longest mountain chain is underwater. Earth’s longest chain of mountains, the Mid-Ocean Ridge, is almost entirely beneath the ocean, stretching across a distance of 65,000 kilometres. It’s said that this mountain chain is less explored than the surface of Venus or Mars. • There are more historic artefacts under the sea than in all of the world’s museums. Around 1,000 shipwrecks lie off the Florida Keys alone, some of which are within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Other underwater museums have been created in recent years, including the Mediterranean’s submerged bronze statue, Christ of the Abyss. • We still only know a fraction of the marine species in our oceans. According to the World Register of Marine Species there are now 240,470 accepted species, but this is believed to be just a small proportion of the species that exist, with new marine life being discovered every day. • Over 70 per cent of our planet’s oxygen is produced by the ocean. It’s thought that
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between 70 and 80 per cent of the oxygen we breathe is produced by marine plants, nearly all of which are marine algae. It’s possible to find rivers and lakes beneath the ocean. When salt water and hydrogen sulphide combine, it becomes denser than the rest of the water around it, enabling it to form a lake or river that flows beneath the sea. Around 50 per cent of the US lies beneath the ocean. Not only does a large part of the planet exist beneath the ocean, so does the United states – around 50 per cent, in fact. The Pacific Ocean is the world’s largest ocean and contains around 25,000. With 25,000 islands lying within it, the Pacific Ocean has more islands than anywhere else on the planet. The Pacific Ocean is wider than the moon. Water at the bottom of the ocean is incredibly hot. In these deepest parts of the ocean, the water temperature may only be 2º to 4º Celsius, with the exception of water coming out of hydrothermal vents in the seafloor. The water released from these vents can be up to 400º Celsius (750º Fahrenheit). It’s the intense pressure at these depths—the same pressure that would crush you—that keeps the water from boiling There’s an internet connection in the ocean. For the past few decades, according to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, submarine cables buried deep within the oceans have carried more than 97 percent of intercontinental data traffic— meaning that overseas communication is made possible by ocean-based cables The sun gives it that blue tint. One of the most indelible features of the oceans is the deep blue waters that are continually churning, rolling, and coming in waves. The colour is the result of the sun’s red and orange wavelengths being absorbed by the surface and its blue wavelengths penetrating deeper, giving way to a blue tint. And because those wavelengths can travel further down, the ocean will tend to appear more blue the lower you go. Why isn’t water in a glass blue when you’re sitting outdoors? There aren’t enough molecules to absorb the light.
Are the lustful & perilous creatures real? Written by Silvia Hodyakova Designed by Syed Murshed
Are they real or are they just a myth? The legend of mermaids has passed through generation to generation with no actual evidence to back it up. So, some just have faith that they are out there somewhere but don’t want to be found and others believe that they just made up stories that are told by parents to their children. Which one are you, a believer or challenger? Mermaids are usually associated with being very perilous and dangerous that can cause events such floods, storms, shipwrecks and drownings. In other traditions can be benevolent or falling in love with humans. This was heavily influenced by Greek mythology of sirens which were fist seen as half-birdlike creatures but come to be pictured as half fish in the Christian era. Historical accounts of mermaids such as those of Christopher Columbus during his exploration of the Caribbean. It has been argued that he has not seen a real mermaid but a manatee. Even when there is no evidence that prove that mermaid are real there are still reports of sightings continue to this present day. The first known stories of mermaids come from Assyria around 1000BC, the goddess Atargatis, who was the mother of the Assyrian Queen Semiramis, loved a human and accidentally killed him. Ashamed and distraught, Atargatis
jumped into a lake and took the form of a fish, but the waters would not conceal her divine beauty. She then took the form of a mermaid. After the death of Alexander the Great’s sister, Thessalonike, a popular Greek legend emerged that she had turned into a mermaid. According to the legend, she would ask the sailors on any ship she would encounter only one question: “Is King Alexander alive?”. If the sailors answered “He lives and reigns and conquers the world” then she would calm the waters and bid the ship farewell. Any other answer would enrage her, and she would stir up a terrible storm, dooming the ship and every sailor on board. In eastern Europe all mermaids are restless spirits of the ‘unclean dead’. They are considered to be the ghosts of young women who died a violent death often by murder or suicide before their wedding and especially by drowning. They can be found at night, dancing together under the moon and calling out to men, luring them to their deaths. In Medieval Western Europe they are portrayed as evil and lustful creatures and the fact that they were women heightened sexism against women meant they were viewed as the weaker sex who tempted men to sin. Christianity
was trying to establish dominance and eradicate pagan imagery and mermaids went against their views so they made them appear evil. For example, medieval depictions of mermaid showed them holding a comb and a mirror which symbolised lust and temptation, their beauty deceiving men to their deaths. Melusine was a popular legend of a water spirit in the medieval period. The story went that Melusine was a form of mermaid who inhabited forest lakes and streams. One day a nobleman came across her and persuaded her to marry him. She agreed on one condition that one day a week was to be hers alone and he should never intrude on her privacy and he agreed. One day he hides in order to watch he bathe and she grew a tail of a fish. Melusine flees never to be seen again. There are many theories that give a vision of the myth or reality of the mermaids, but nobody can prove what is true and what is not. You cannot prove something wrong when there is no evidence that can back it up. Just because it hasn’t been proven doesn’t mean it’s not true. It just means that it hasn’t been found yet. Or do they even want to be found by us?
It is futile for me to even attempt to make my thoughts coherent - but attempt, I will, as long as I can for you are as deserving of all the love in this world. You are everything and much more and I spend hours in longing, yearning for your delicate gaze. When I think of you I’m within a whirl of perpetual light, and the stars are within my reach. In the deep azure above and beyond galaxies where, no matter how loud I exclaim my enamour towards you, my words aren’t heard, no one can hear my words within that nihility and within that vacuity there’s nothing but just silence - a silence that not even the pain in my heart holds can pierce. But the hush is something unexpectedly special as even without words, without a murmur, I know that my affection for you is sound. It runs through me through the light and the darkness, dreams have turn into reality when I’m around you and I am exuberant for our future. I want to learn more about you, things you push away to the darkest corner of your mind and each little quirk. As each day passes, I’ll fall in love with you even more. I know I’ll be aware of the capabilities my heart has - I’ll be able to love unconditionally. ou settle the cacophony of my thoughts and I don’t intend to leave your side. If I ever do, I hope you know that I was the happiest that I could be and you’ve done nothing wrong for me to make such a decision. My love, I love you with my all, and I will continue to do so.
THE UNSOLVED MURDER OF THE JAMISON FAMILY Written and designed by Atwiya Ahmed
On one evening in 2009, the Jamison family mysteriously disappeared into the woods of Oklahoma, and their case remains unsolved to this day. The Jamison family consisted of Bobby Jamison, his wife Sherilynn and their daughter Madyson who were living in Oklahoma until October 8, 2009. The three of them disappeared from their home without leaving any evidence of where they could have gone. After searching for them for 8 days, the police found the pickup truck that the family had owned in Latimer County, which was around an hour away from their home. The family had previously been in the area as they wished to buy 40 acres of land for their new home. However, the items found inside the truck indicated that the family had not planned to leave for a long period of time as the police found their phones, coats, identification cards and their malnourished - but living family dog in the backseat. The police also found thirty-two thousand dollars in cash, however both Bobby and Sherilynn were on disability when they disappeared, so the way in which they acquired such a large sum of money and what they planned to do with it remains a mystery, although investigators suspected that drugs may have had something to do with their disappearance as the couple could have been distributing drugs in exchange for money. However, this can be doubted as it does not explain why they would bring Madyson and their dog with them, and it was not possible to determine whether the family had been forced out of the car or whether they had chosen to leave. The police and a search party looked through the surrounding woods, searching for the Jamison family however they found nothing. Four years later on November 16, 2013 some hunters came across the partial skeletal remains of a child and two adults. Forensic testing proved that the skeletons belonged to the Jamison family, however due to decomposition it was impossible to determine the cause of death. The police began to investigate the case once again and found a security video taken outside the Jamison home the night they had left. In the video the couple can be seen walking back and forth between the truck and their home while packing their items. Before they disappeared, Bobby had also gone to his pastor and stated that his house was haunted and that there was ghosts on the roof.
Sherilynn had bought a Satanic bible, apparently as a joke, however Bobby told his pastor that he had read it. This resulted in some people believing that witchcraft had played a part in their disappearance and deaths. Connie Kokotan, who was the mother of Sherilynn, believed that the Jamison’s had been involved with a cult and were murdered by their members. However, there has never been any evidence to support this theory and Connie never named a cult. This mysterious case appeared to have several leads, however none of them were proven to be true, and the cause of their disappearance and death remains unclear.
Behind Closed Doors Written by Jack Kerry Designed by Liam O’Hanlon
Some days, when I’m sitting at my desk at work, emails upon emails flooding my inbox and the sound of ringing phones filling my ears, I long to be back home. With him. When I finally get there, he’s waiting for me. He’s always waiting. The first thing he does is question me; he asks me all about my day, what I did, who I was with. He wants to know every detail. “How was work? What did you do today? Who did you talk to? What did you talk about?” Everything. It flatters me really, that he’s so interested. It makes me feel appreciated. He asks because he cares about me. I used to think that some of his questions were strange. Now I know he just wants to protect me, wants to make sure I’m safe. I don’t have many friends at work; I don’t really talk to anyone. He tells me I don’t need friends, that he’ll always be there for me, and that friends will just bring me down. I believe him. I know he’ll always be there, even when my family aren’t. Even when my friends aren’t. After that, I usually make him dinner. He always tells me he’d make it himself, but my cooking is so much better. While I make it, we talk, usually about my allowance. Even though he’s unemployed, he looks after the money I make. It’s better this way. He always boasts about how he can get the best deals, and reminds me how useless with money I am. I know he’s right. Without him, I’d be lost. He gives me a little everyday to buy lunch. Nothing more, nothing less. That way we can save up, and one day, move away together. Somewhere far away, where it will just be me and him. He talks about it a lot, says that we’ll be happier away from everyone else. I never ask for more than I’m given. It annoys him when I ask questions like that.
When dinner’s ready, we eat together at the table. Most of the time things go well, but occasionally… it gets bad. When I do something stupid like burn the food or make something he doesn’t like, he gets really upset. I try to hide it the best I can with seasoning and spice, but he always notices. Sometimes he shouts at me, calls me useless and pathetic. Sometimes he walks out of the room and doesn’t talk to me for days. Sometimes, when he’s in a bad mood, he flips the table. Throws the food on the floor. Smashes the plate. Regardless of what he does, it leaves me in tears each and every time. Usually, I cry for about an hour, curled up on the sitting room floor. Ungrateful tears. It’s nobody’s fault but my own. When he tells me I’m useless I know that he’s right. I’m broken and pathetic and he deserves so much better. I don’t know why he stays with me, but he does. I’m lucky to have him in my life. Eventually, he comes back to me. He always does. He never gives up on me. He tells me he’s sorry, as if it were his fault. He comforts me, tries to relieve me of the pain. He tells me that he loves me, that without me he’d be incomplete, and that if I were ever to leave, he would take his own life. When he says things like that, it scares me. I’m hit with a terrible wave of guilt that warps my emotions, only resulting in more tears. I don’t like to cry in front of him, although it’s started to happen more lately. I fear he thinks that he makes me unhappy, but that’s not it at all. It’s been happening ever since I stopped talking to my parents. They told me that he was bad news. They told me to stay away from him, to leave him. He told me that I shouldn’t let them control my life, and together we decided to cut them out of it entirely. It was the only choice. I couldn’t leave him.
I rely on him. When I’m feeling sad at work, or when I’m crying after a fight, I often think back to when we first met, my fondest memory. I was at the local cafe when I saw him. Handsome, kind, caring. Perfect. We talked together all day, he even bought me coffee, the hours flew by like minutes. I used to get coffee everyday after work, sit in the café and read a book. I don’t do that much anymore. The thought of him worrying where I am frightens me, and he’d get hungry if I wasn’t home on time to cook. One afternoon, on my way home from work, I stopped by the animal shelter. I figured a dog would be great company for him while I was away. When I arrived home with her, he was thrilled; the look on his face nearly brought me to tears of joy. I named her Mable. We’d often take her on walks, play with her at the park. I’d love getting my face licked and burying it in her fur, breathing in her musty smell. When the three of us were together, I’d forget all about my troubles. Everything that worried me was nothing more than a distant memory. He’d often joke that I didn’t love him anymore, that Mable had taken over my life and that there was no place left for him. I’d always reassure him of my love. I didn’t like to think I made him feel that way. A few months later, when I opened the front door, I found him alone, no Mable in sight. He told me she’d run away that day, dashed off into the woods as soon as he unleashed her. I couldn’t believe that she would do such a thing, especially when we’d always been so happy. I never questioned what had happened that day. Even when I found her collar in his jacket. I was too afraid of the truth I might find..
Coercive Control is a strategic pattern of behaviour designed to exploit, control, create dependency and dominate. Initially the abuser is loving and charming in order to secure a relationship, then overtime they will begin to isolate, psychologically manipulate, financially control and erode the victim’s sense of self, confidence and self-esteem. Coercive Control correlates significantly to serious harm and homicide. On December 29th, 2015, Coercive or Controlling Behaviour became a criminal offence in accordance with the Serious Crime Act 2015. You can find more information on this in the Home Office Statutory Guidance Framework Entitled Controlling or Coercive Behaviour in an Intimate or Family Relationship. This can be found on the Government website: www.gov.uk There are many organisations who can advise and support you if you feel you could be a victim of Coercive Control and any other types of Domestic Abuse. If you recognise any of these behaviours in a partner or family member, dial 999 and report it to the police. https://www.womensaid.org.uk https://www.victims-first.org.uk/crime https://www. netdoctor.co.uk/helathy-living https://helplines. org/campaigns/breaking-the-silence https://youtu. be/36mQFefBylM
There doesn’t need to be a bruise for it to be abuse!
What does ‘the unknown’ mean to you? By Stephanie Sekula With changes abound, I decided to pose this question to staff at the College to see how other adults felt about ‘the unknown’ - the theme of this issue. It is interesting to see that the thought of ‘the unknown’ is viewed in general in a positive light...
“for me the term ‘unknown’ is a signifier fo have connotations of doom and gloom and bein what’s a mystery to us, but I believe it’s more that. the unknown can be the hopes and dr haven’t lived yet. whether that’s the hope yo children, the dreams you have of married life someone the ‘unknown’ can creep up on you a in a way that can be thrilling and glorious. the what we all face is what makes things intere know for certain what ‘tomorrow’ brings. It is us in many ways. so instead of thinking of ‘t something that brings fear and Intrepidation, that it can be a force of new hope and gi adventures.” - Stuart Phillips (Subject Leader Games Development)
“the unknown to me is the yet to be discovered and yet to be explored. aspects of life that we don’t currently fully understand. It is these things that, although sometimes unnerving, can also present great opportunity!” - Anonymous
“gratitude - you just don’t know what life has to offer so I choose to be positive regardless.” - Dupe Awosika (Payroll Manager)
or hope. It can ng worries about e exciting than reams that we ou have for your or that special and blindside you e uncertainty of esting, we don’t s an unknown to the unknown’ as I like to think ive rise to new
“the unknown tends to be a great source of anxiety and concern, as the great blank expanse of what is not known is often reacted to with fear, arrogance or ignorance. what you do not know is quite threatening, and when your job is to know things - be they game software uses, the periodic table, the correct stretches before specific exercises, or the formula for integration by parts - the unknown becomes a very problematic being! but the unknown is also fascinating. learning is the battle to make the unknown habitable, striding into new territory and wrestling it into your own brain, making what was once both nothing and terrifying, now something and beneficial. each person has their own nothing to explore, and very often teamwork and cooperation can dispel huge masses of nothing - look at community art projects, the open source 3d modelling software blender, humankind on our moon, the perfect blend of herbs and spices, all the results of humankind fighting and winning against the unknown. the unknown should be exciting and thrilling. going from a state of ignorance to a state of knowledge through facing the unknown is a wonderful feeling, and the best part is that we can do it every day.” - Chris Kettle-Frisby (Games Development Teacher)
Entry 002 My Valentine Written by Maia Casiraghi Designed by Eniola Adeyemi
To my dearest love, ........................................................................................................................................................................ I bet you didn’t expect this, huh? Did you like the flowers? The chocolates? I’m sure you did; you’ve always loved those caramel bites. I’m sorry that I asked you to wait until after work to dive into that box! It’s been such an eventful few years, hasn’t it, my love? I still remember the day we met at the park, you walked into me on my morning jog and after you apologised about 100 times, we clicked instantly. In that moment, I was smitten, you were handsome, charming and it felt cliché to me, bumping into the man that I would eventually fall in love with, the man I would want to spend the rest of my life with and eventually want to have children with. My life revolved around you, you were my sun, you shone so brightly in my moments of darkness and you had become one of the most important things in my existence. I stuck by your side since the beginning, in your own dark times, I helped you through them and in return, you let me be a part of your life. You were my weak spot. It’s a shame, that those whores were yours. I didn’t want to believe it at first, you were just staying longer because you had more work to do, you had just gotten that promotion after all, executive manager was an important job, but I was just in denial. Was it that intern, what was her name? Oh yes, Ruth, she was the first, if I’m correct. Then it was Michelle, Sophia, Brianna, your assistant- they just kept coming, didn’t they? Kept throwing themselves at you and you just kept letting it happen, over, and over, and over, and overYou’re in shock right now, I know, trust me, I know, you’re probably wondering how I could possibly know? Maybe you’re thinking of an excuse to give me, saying that what I was saying is crazy, that you would never, you’re probably trying to reach for your phone right nowOh, but you can’t move, right? Your limbs feel super heavy, right? Yeah, that’s the Botulinum. ‘What’s that?’ you’re probably thinking, am I correct? Well, you see, it’s the toxin that I placed into those chocolates of yours before sending them to your office, you ate all of them, right? Has the panic set in yet, my dear? Don’t bother calling for anyone, it’ll be too late by then, the poison will have spread and by the time you have finished this letter, the paralysis would have fully set in, your organs will have begun to shut down and soon, you’ll die alone on that ugly cashmere carpet of yours, that you just insisted had to be in your office. How fun, right? Please, don’t fret, don’t struggle, instead, use these last moments thinking about your life, your mistakes, maybe, even about me, because trust me, I will be thinking about you when your story is plastered all over tomorrow’s news. I’ll make sure to shed a few tears for you; a loving caring man, so devoted to his employees, to his work- a shame that someone could do such a terrible thing to a wonderful man like you. Goodbye, my dear, remember that I always loved you. Oh, and P.SHappy f**king Valentine’s day.
The fortune teller of Bulgaria Written by Silvia Hodyakova Designed by Syed Murshed
Horror, horror! The American brothers will fall after being attacked the steel birds. The wolves will be howling in a bush, and innocent blood would be gushing. Predicted by Baba Vanga in 1989 Who is Baba Vanga, you may be wondering? Let me tell you, she is a blind mystic, clairvoyant and herbalist who spent most her life in the Rupite area in Bulgaria. She was born in 1911 in Strumica, which used to be in Macedonia then rather that Bulgaria. She was a premature baby who had suffered from medical complications. There was a local tradition when giving a child their name, it was not given until the baby cried out and then the midwife went into the street and asked a stranger for a name. In her childhood she was a normal child. Her father was conscribed into the Bulgarian army in World War 1 and her mother soon died, leaving her to be dependent and charity of the neighbours and close family. After the war Serbian authorities arrested her father because of his pro- Bulgarian activity. According to Vanga, she was once lifted by a tornado into the air and threw her in a nearby field, which she found after a search. Witnesses described her eyes as being covered with sand and dust and she was unable to open them because of pain. There was money only for a partial operation to heal her injuries- this resulted in her gradual loss of her eyesight. In 1939 she suffered from pleurisy (inflammation in her lungs) and the doctor opinion was that she would soon die, however she quickly recovered. During World War 2, believers in her ability to heal and soothsay would regularly go visit her hoping to get a hint whether their relatives were alive or seeking the place where they died. On the 8th of April 1942 the Bulgarian King Boris lll visited her. After the war Bulgarian politician and leaders from different Soviet Republics. She died on 11 August 1996 from breast cancer. In the 1990s a church was built in the Rupite with money left by her visitors. Also, in 2008 her last will was fulfilled by turning her house in which she lived in Petrich into a museum.
The Weiser Field Guide to the Paranormal claimed that Baba Vanga foretold the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Chernobyl disaster and the 9/11 attacks and many more. The singer Silvana Armenulic decided to meet her and at first she did not speak and then she told her “Nothing. You do not have to pay. I do not want to speak to you. Not now come back in three months” and when she turned to the door to leave Vanga said “in fact you will not be able to come”. Two months later she died on the 10th October 1976 in a car crash with her sister. Followers of her claim that she predicted her own death dreaming that she would die on the 11th of August. Shortly before that she had said to a blind 10 year old girl in France that she was to inherit her gift. Who she is remains a mystery. Having been to her house in Petrich there was a calm and welcoming feeling that passes through you as you enter. There was a room where you can pray and make a wish which supposedly will come true and there is a book in which you can write your wishes if you wish so. Inside the place was very old and vintage and it was full of gifts that she had received from wealthy people that visited her. Overall, I believe that she had those supernatural gifts and she used them to warn individuals about the future so that they can be ready.
THE DEVIL TRIANGLE
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It is known as the Bermuda Triangle and holds all the mystery in the world including ships, planes and people.
wreckage was found. The US president Woodrow Wilson said afterwards, “Only god and the sea knows what happened to the great ship.”
The Bermuda Triangle is a mythical section in the Atlantic Ocean between Miami, Bermuda and Puerto Rico. Over the years, ships and planes have taken the route through there and they either disappeared, never to be seen again, or were found abandoned.
In 1941 the same thing happened again to the Cyclops’ sister ship. Another incident happened in December 1945: five navy bombers carrying 14 men took off from Florida. The leader of the mission, also known as Flight 19, got lost and was never found. All five planes suddenly lost control and had to ditch. A rescue team came to help them, but 13 men also disappeared.
Christopher Columbus sailed there on his first voyage around the world. He reported back that he saw a great flame of fire crashing into the sea and every week he saw a light glowing. Joshua Slocum disappeared in 1909. He was on a voyage from Martha Vineyard to South America. But he never made it and people have no idea if he died and blame Bermuda triangle for his sudden disappearance. In March 1918 the USS Cyclops – a 542-footlong navy cargo ship sank somewhere between Barbados and Chesapeake Bay. There were 300 men and 10,000 tons of manganese ore on board. No distress call was sent, and no
All these incidents have created a huge mystery and there are many theories: aliens, sea monsters and Atlantis, a mythical city that uses a crystal energy to sink planes and ships.
What do you think happened to them all?
Written by Daniela Dronic Designed by Gabrielle Prah
A OF LOVE
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SERIES DIFFERENT STORIES By
: Jesutomisin Adeagbo.
Stories about you I’ve heard stories about you, happy ones, I’ve heard that you can be sweet, joyful and A beautiful, precious and wonderful to have, I’ve heard that you can mend, heal, and restore, You can motivate, inspire and persuade. But those are not my personal experiences with you. I’ve only seen you hurt, break and destroy, I’ve only seen you cause my loved ones to cry and curse you, I’ve only seen you cause people to do unspeakable things for your namesake, I’ve only seen manipulators of you dance on my broken heart whilst I beg them to stop, They don’t. I’ve only seen you as a sad but powerful weapon, My experiences of you are only filled with heartbreak, Like many other, I’ve done unspeakable things for your namesake, I’ve sacrificed my worth once and many more time after by going Back to the person that broke me hoping that they could fix me, I bury any feeling of you deep inside the chambers of my heart and I keep the key hidden away so that I don’t feel the pain of your loss Or taste the bitterness of my memories of you, I pretend that I don’t care about you, I don’t watch movies about you, nor do I read books about you I lie to myself and convince myself that You are meaningless, you are a myth, you are nonexistent But these are all lies, You are meaingful, you are a legend, you are real, Written by you, the happy ones, And it’s evident in the stories I’ve heard about
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I’ve heard that once a person has you, they can’t contain you Because you fill their whole heart and you come burst out of them spreading all our goodness, I’ve heard that you are like a healing tool That causes a person to glow and shine, I’ve heard that you are so powerful that you can end foes, I’ve heard that you are rare, but you are indeed A beautiful, precious and wonderful thing to have. I don’t think that I deserve you because All around me, all I’ve ever seen you do is hurt, break and destroy But I’ve heard stories about you, happy ones, Happy stories that my eyes have never seen, my heart has never felt, my body has never embraced but only my ears have heard, And those happy stories of you shine a dim light in my heart crapped with all the painful memories I have of you, I may have never felt you nor am I hopeful that I never will but I’ve heard of your praise and wonders, I’ve heard of love.
Iya ati omo You said that when I was younger I yielded at your every command, You said that I always did anything And everything to make you happy, You said that I used to be your obedient little girl But as I got older, I changed. I stopped yielding. I stopped making you happy. I didn’t rebel, I simply started stopped being a pleaser, You didn’t take it very well. Your obedient little girl changed and Now I pick and choose which command to yield at and Not everything I do makes you happy, Your joy heavily relied, relies, on my obedience to you, My empathy towards you, My compassion towards you and My ultimate loyal towards you, Your conditions of worth trapped me and Though they worked in your favour because You had your obedient little girl, They limited me in many ways and For a long time I thought that you didn’t love me But now I know that you do, You just express it differently. My counsellor said that we are similar and that You identify yourself with me so You treat me and my brothers differently, You raise me to be strong, independent, brave like you, Written by Even if that means showing less emotional love and more tough love, Designed by You taught me not rely on anybody,
You taught me how to overcome barriers and jump over hurdles, You taught me to show bravery at the face of defeat, You taught me to not let my emotions cloud my judgement, You taught me strength, independence and bravery But I wish you also taught me how to be vulnerable and To be open up and let people in and To be who I want to be and not have conditions of worth placed upon me You gave me survival skills when All I wanted was comfort and warmth But I am not confused nor angry nor sad anymore because I am thankful for the life lessons you passed on to me, For the courage you gave me by always persevering and never giving up, For the hope you gave me through your strong faith in Christ, For the laughter you gave me when you call me “e lejo” or tell me that “mo tin jeun ju”, For the Yoruba proverbs you gave me : “Owo lafin tun nkan se” Younger me may not have thought that you loved her But older me knows you do and Though I no longer yield at your every command, And I’m no longer pleaser and I am not your obedient little girl anymore, Ma mi mofe ke mo pe Ma ni’fe yin nigba gbogbo.
The langauge written in the poem is Yoruba (one of the many languages spoken in Nigeria). Iya ati omo : Mother and Child E lejo : Talkative O tin jeun ju : You eat too much Owo lafin tun nkan se : It is the hand that fixes things Ma mi mofe ke mo pe : Mum I want you to know that Ma ni’fe yin nigba gbogbo : I will you love forever
Someone to make you happy My friend once told me that I needed a bird, Then he pulled out his phone and showed me a picture of him and his girlfriend, He smiled, pointed at the picture of them and said “See how happy I am, you should find someone to make you happy too,” I replied quietly and said “I’m already happy,” Then he laughed loudly, hit me on the back and said “Sure”. My mum once asked me if I’ve found someone “special”. I asked what she meant by that and she said, “Someone you love, someone you cherish, someone who makes you happy” I replied quietly and said “I’m already happy,” She laughed loudly, ruffled my hair and said “Sure”. My boss once teased me and asked if I was going to see somone special when I asked to get off work early, I said “No, I just have some packages arriving today and I want to be there to collect them," Then he laughed loudly and said “Those things will never make you happy, you need to find someone who will” This time I chose not to reply. One day I was walking past a shop and saw a Valentine’s advert , It read, in bold red lettering, “Treat yourself this Valentine and make yourself happy” I smiled widely, For the first time someone told me that I could make myself happy without an indication of another person. I make myself happy, Happy valentine’s day to me.
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Manipulative love If you give me your heart, I promise to be gentle, Not to dance around it, like the others did But to be soft, delicate and cautious, I will treat it and you with the upmost care, I will treasure it and you as my priceless possession, I will motivate you, uplift you and love you, I promise to do all these things if you give me a chance And in return, you much promise to be loyal to me, To not refuse, object or hesitate but To yield at my every instruction, To say “Yes” before I ask, And “No” to those who opposes me, I want your ultimate loyalty and compassion to me, Give me your heart and I will be gentle, Don’t And I will dance around it like the others did, I will be hard, rough and reckless, I will treat it and you with carelessness, I will discard it and you as meaningless possessions, I will discourage you, drag you and hate you, I have the power to either break you or mend you, So choose wisely.
Forbidden love Seated in the empty auditorium, he stares at boy on stage, The boy with the medium sized afro and a comb in his hair, He watches as the boy plays the piano, How the boy’s hands delicately touch the keys on the piano and The keys feel his soft touch and produce a sweet melody, Oblivious to his observer, the boy loudly hums along the tune he’s playing, His voice is as angelic as the tune he’s playing, His observer recognises the tune being played so he hums along too, Together, they both hum along to the tune of the song “Take me to church”, Soon their voices becomes intertwined And they are joined as one flesh to create a beautiful harmony, They both become lost in their own world. Footsteps approach nearby and Too soon their world shatters, A girl with large sized afro tied up in a bun marches forwards, She walks up the stage, kisses the boy and asks “Ready to go?” He smiles and nods, then he kisses her back, Hand in hand, they walk down the stage together as one flesh and Away from their observer, He stares at them until they become afar, Seated in the empty auditorium, He carries on humming to the song alone.
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Lustful love You kiss my lips first, A small harmless kiss, I smile and kiss your lips too, Then you lean your head forward, cup my face, and press your lips against mine, You force your tongue into my mouth and softly suck on my tongue, I reciprocate and allow our tongues to dance together and our saliva to mix together, You press your body against me so close that I can hear the loud drumming of your heart, Your breathing is heavier than normal and your body is warmer than normal, You slowly and softly start nibbling on my right ear, You drag your tongue across my neck and carefully bite on it, I reciprocate and I plant angel kisses on your neck, I feel your hand sliding underneath my shirt and, Your warm hands touching my bare skin, Then you squeeze without permission, But I don’t mind so I reciprocate and my hand slides down and I squeeze too, You force your tongue deeper into my mouth and softly suck on my tongue, I reciprocate and allow our tongues to dance together and our saliva to mix together, Then you pull away and In a quiet and low voice, for the first time you whisper “I love you”, I know that you are lying but I want to taste you again so I lie and whisper back “I love you” then I kiss your lips second.
Motherly love As I look down at you, I wonder what you will be like when you grow up, Closed eyes, pink lips, soft smooth skin, tiny fragile body, Soon your bones will grow and so will your body. I wonder what your first words will be, I hope it’s “Mama” so that I can show off to your “Dada”, Will you cry if you fall off your bike? If you do, I promise I’ll be there to tell you that it’s okay, That you are still My special girl. I promise to hug you every day before you go to school and Plant angel kisses you on your forehead, To be there to make you laugh and smile, To braid your hair and call you beautiful, I promise to cherish these moments because soon you will be grown, Then comes the disagreements, backchatting, door slapping, shouts and silence, I hope it doesn’t become that, I promise our relationship will stay precious, Even as you grow, you will still be My special girl. I wonder if you will tell me about your first crush, About the butterflies they give you, about how they take your breath away, Boy or girl it doesn’t matter to me, As long as you trust me enough to tell me about them then it’s okay, As you grow and get older, You will make mistakes and have regrets and have breakdowns but I will always be there to guide you, Though there will be shouts and screams and shrieks from me, I hope that you never forget that you are stillby Written My special girl.
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Will you get married? Do you want kids? Will you adopt? What is your dream job? How long will you wait till you retire? Will you put me in a home when you get older? I stop myself. I have only had you for six months but already I am in love with My special girl. I look down at you again and smile to myself, Closed eyes, pink lips, soft smooth skin, tiny fragile body, Soon your bones will grow and so will your body, I wonder what you will be like when you grow up, My special girl.
What I am I am a beautiful, precious thing that Strengthens the bond between your family, friends and partner, It’s what makes your stomach twirl and tighten at the sight of your crush, What makes you go the extra mile, Why parent sacrifice so much for their kids, For some, hearing their partner say my name for the first time can bring Smiles, tears and happiness But for others I can also bring shock, confusion and anxiousness, You all react to the sound of my name differently, For I am not like the others, I am far more complex, far more powerful, far more dangerous, There is no standard way of expressing me, describing me, or showing me, There is constant battle between wanting to be me and wanting to fall into me, Many will do anything for me, Just to feel me, just to have me but You must not rush to say my name, or rush to have me, For I can become a toxic tool that brings out the worst in you, I cause you to do malicious things beyond your wildness imagination, Be careful in crossing boundaries for my name sake, From generation to generation my meaning has slowly been watered down, I do not hold the same value and meaning as I used to, Now you use my name carelessness to describe anything that makes you happy, But that’s okay, because I know that I am still beautiful and precious, There is a still a day dedicated to me, You still express me through my five languages, My meaning may have lessened but I am still as powerful as ever, I am a complex, powerful and dangerous thing but I am worth it for the right person Written by For I am Designed by Love.
What I want I want the type of love that warms my heart And fills it with so much goodness so that it comes Bursting out of me and I can pour some unto others, I want the type of love that randomly causes me to smile to myself, And brings never ending butterflies so that Every fibre in my body tingles and my skin glows, I want the type of love that brings me comfort and peace of mind So that I am always assured and I don’t have to question its goodness, I want the type of love that doesn’t turn poisonous as time goes on Nor do I ever want it to turn into a selfish tool Or as a manipulative key locking away my freedom, I want the type of love that remains good and pure forever and ever, To only bring me tears of joy and never tears of sorrow, I am tired of drinking from the sour bottom of the cup, I want the type of love where I can finally drink from the top of the cup And taste its sweet goodness, and Enjoy all the joy it brings, I want the type of love that warms my heart And fill it with so much goodness so that once I have it, I can stop writing poems like this wishing for it.
Each poem tells a different story, a different journey and a different experience of love. Love is a powerful thing that each of us will encounter differently, we can only hope that our encounter with love is sweet and not bitter.
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“Love is a fire. It can either warm your heart or burn down your house, you can never tell.” -Joan Crawford
By
: Jesutomisin Adeagbo.
Many people, so scared of what the
Technology is a huge p
It makes you wonder; will it be the cause of o
Photograph: Ruby O’Connor
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Model: Shika Fudzi
e future will bring, or what it will hold.
part of the days ahead.
our salvation... or the cause of our destruction?
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Text: Imani Patel
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Design: Stephanie Sekula
The mystery of Louis Le Prince Written by Tory Dickson Designed by Syed Murshed
era is credited to Thomas The invention of the first motion picture cambe Louis Le Prince, who is Edison, from the late 1800s. However it may 1, Louis was a student of art, the true inventor. Born in Metz France 184to Leeds England to work as an chemistry and physics and in 1866 moved married fellow artist Elizabeth agent in a brass foundry where he met and moved to New York in 1881. It Whitley. They both, along with their children scapes, these immersive paintings is here where he observed panoramic landersive experience... moving pictures. inspired him to create an even more imm 1885, creating a camera with He began working on this project in early make what we call today ‘movies’. sixteen lenses hoping it would successfully ion of his single-lens camera. As Soon after, he built and tested an early vers ager at the time remembers stated by his daughter Marie, who was a teena wall in their workshop around seeing her father project moving images on Edison even began the notion 1886. This would be 2 years before Thomasapplied for a United States patent for motion picture designs. In 1886 Louis l right to exclude others from for his sixteen lense camera, giving him lega that took almost 2 years. By 1887 making or using his inventions. A process y as an attempt to avoid those he moved back to Leeds, speculated by man what would be his true claim to who may steal his work. Later, Louis built 8, a working version of the being the inventor of moving pictures in 188 a wooden camera made from single-lens motion picture camera. It was what Toni Booth of the National mahogany and weighed 40 pounds. Here’s about Louis’s single use camera, Science And Media Museum in the UK says era is using, It’s a very similar - “If you look at that mechanism that cam ge cameras that came after... As ima mechanism to all the subsequent moving on - yes I would say he was the acti live g rdin reco ge a piece of moving ima first one to do that.” s in 1888 with three still remaining. This camera would produce viewable film t on October 14th, 1888, portrayOne of which was claimed to have been showalking around in their garden. ing Louis’ son, in-laws and a family friend that one of the women who was The date of the film is supported by the fact 8, ten days after the film was shot. shown in the film died on october 14th, 188 wasn’t shot until 1891. Despite Three years before Edison’s first film, which camera, these being he couldn’t get all this Louis still faced problems with his repeated paper needed to be replaced for a projections to work, as the light-sensitive need a way to show these films. more durable material. He would then also both shooting and projecting After research he started to use celluloid for occured with his projector. Louis his films, eliminating many problems that l opera in Paris in 1890, although projected his moving pictures at the nationa
his family, Louis it was an unofficial demonstration of his work. In a letter to ng pictures once returning to declared his intent to publically and officially exhibit his movi Britain that covered his New York. At this point he was granted patents in France and legally proclaim him as the true single-lens camera however none of them were enough to his work would have secured him the inventor of a working version. Louis’s plan to publicly showce as he disappeared on a title as the inventor. However He was never given the chan to New York to show his train ride to retrieve his devices during his plan to travel back happened to him however many invention. There is no evidence to determine what exactly theories. The first being that involved around the case have produced a series of conspiracy d her belief that Edison was he was abducted/killed by Thomas Edison. Louis’ Wife voice, which was backed up by the motivated to prevent Louis’ invention from being publicized d through legal cases which timeline. Edison was known to have many rivals who he beste Louis’ son Adolphe Le Prince he often won to benefit his finances. Almost ten years later n picture camera and testified built a case to prove his father was the first to invent the motio was found shot dead in the against Edison, who won the trial. Three years later Adolphebelive he committed suicide, wood. It is assumed he died from a hunting accident, some meanwhile many in the family believe he was murdered. responsible for his The second theory is that Louis’ brother Albert Le Prince was board the train. During the disappearance, who was the only person to claim seeing Louis they saw Louis on board. Many investigation there was not a single person who could say at the time and reportedly may suspect Albert as their mother had recently passed away itance, which investigators Louis was visiting his brother to receive his share of the inherthis theory and there is not knew nothing about. Although many family members deny enough evidence to support this theory. not want to be found. This is the The final theory is that Louis willingly went missing and didin 1870s gave a bad loan to his theory of Albert’s grandson. Louis was in massive debt andwould have to provide for the wife’s family business that did not work out. Meaning they believed he hadn’t worked steadily family and pay for Louis’ film experiments. In reports it is He later relied on his mother’s for an income for at least three years until his disappearance. immediate access to the money. It inheritance for finances, but later found out he didn’t have Paris rather than face his family in is speculated that Louis got off the train during his ride to photograph depicting a drowning defeat. In 2003 while investigating Paris police archives, a is uncertain if this may have been victim in 1890 which closely resembles Louis Le Prince. Itwillingly leave especially so close to definitely Le Prince. It is difficult to believe that he would it is widely agreed that if he making his spot in history. Despite his elusive disappearance well known. In the end he was had successfully shown his inventions he would have been declared dead in 1897.
DEBT?
parchil 42bObis Atlantis Avenue iatist modit
I’ve always been told to stay away from the house with the octopus doorknocker. The building has been abandoned for years, many more years than I’ve been around for. If you walk a little further, you’ll hit the road that my house isby on and where me and my mother Written name here have lived for thirty two years. And in those thirty two years – and all the years before Designed by name hereme where my mother still lived there – the house known as 42b Atlantis Avenue has always been vacant. So of course the only natural thing for people to say about it was that it was haunted. My mother wasn’t superstitious, but she was paranoid. I was forbidden to so much as slip a toe into the front gate. So naturally when I was sixteen I tried to break in. Unfortunately I never got as far as the back porch, where all the windows were dirty enough to paint faces with your fingers. But even Title text goes herePediciumEbitis aligent. as a teenager I was too scared to look in, my mind with allvolupta the rumours ghouls and corpses Ti filled rerferunt sit ofre laborrum that probably littered the broken floorboards. Whatever laid behind those mulberry-coloured sandeliciam quasitis cusanimusa comniswalls has always been unknown. restium rem in nemquaeTitle text goes herePediciumEbitis aligent. Ti rerferunt That’s why today I’m buying it. sit re laborrum The sales assistant is already waiting for me onvolupta the front porch, her hands laces insandeliciam front of her quasitis cusanimusa comnis restium rem in patiently. She’s a surprisingly old woman in bohemian clothingtext and goes for a herePediciumEbitis moment I doubt she’s the nemquaeTitle sales assistant at all, but when she sees me opening the front gate – a black, rusting that creaks aligent. Ti rerferunt volupta sit rething laborrum like a wailing cat – she beams at me and says, “You must be the young thing interested comnis in buying the sandeliciam quasitis cusanimusa restium rem in nemquaeTitle text goes house! Come in, let me show you around.” Ti rerferunt Her long cloth skirt sweeps dried leaves acrossherePediciumEbitis the wooden slats as shealigent. turns to open the door. volupta sit re laborrum sandeliciam Around her neck there’s a pair of thin-rimmedquasitis glasses hanging on a gold ball-chain, whichrem she puts cusanimusa comnis restium on carefully as to see the key hole. in nemquaeRiatem faceperori tem faciene Despite its macabre uniform, the house has always been beautiful, no matter how chipped and rotmquamus posa dolupici blandel mo eosape dio. Nequis et volore, apiciam volor a aut ted the paint got. The door is just as lovely, it’s enchanting beauty only highlighted by its age: a deep etur, undiscius idit quaeceari cuptione burgundy with a faux stained-glass window depicting a pirate-esque ship on the sea. The knocker conem sitatur? Optas vid ulpa cuptat. is shaped like a tarnished gold octopus, it’s smooth body the bit that thumps against wood and Rumquatem erum quid eos am the restibus its tentacles splayed out flamboyantly so that you could slip your fingers through them to knock, a nesciet quibus, verferum qui tempore handshake to the house upon arrival. explabo. Adiciumquas es natur abo. Namet ea conseque perrovid magnis we qui oditin the The old woman clicks the key in the lock and opens the door proudly and together breath ommod et ut fugitatur modignisi conem. scent of musty memories and a millennium’s worth of decay. Tionectores dolupta tquodit minctibusam The woman breezes in without hesitation, a grand smile wrinkling the sides oftest her pro mouth. eatur am qui ute pratemporro cuptati She walks straight down the corridor and into aditatetus, the room right atvolorectiae the back of theinvenimusdae house, her steps smart and sure, and she spreads her arms out wide to exaggerate the space in eribust the decrepit room. voluptur, int earum vitias orerchi llest, volor molori nonsequibus ex eum rem “This is the kitchen!” She declares. ducid et enim ipiet doluptate dolo iscium I’m taking my time to look at the stripped floor boards and banisters that have been naked for decea quidel eic tem id mod mi, ut acea nis ades. Mostly everything has been taken, as youvoluptam would expect, but some odd bits here and there eaquatiores explautatio. Bea have been left to fade. A mahogany bookcase, a set of vintage gold handles, an ornate mirror veldrawers ipsumwith volut quiaspic to vernatus, senturi tatincipsam quodior as simendel
Andante Written by Sam Ahadi Designed by Gabrielle Prah
cleavage
Written by: Robbie Clare Designed by: Eniola Adeyemi
in the mirror i gaze “look at that cleavage!� baggage dumped on me by society the media sauvage - save me safety lost to time lost for me the remarks the comments crashing down like an anvil bricks self image self pity therapy nothing helps mayday - help me. love me love me myself i can’t they say sticks and stones break my bones snap one, two, three crack words hurt me i am more i am mine my body does not define me
How did you decide to set up the charity organisation? Did you face any challenges along the way? How did you parents and friends react to your decision? -I’ve always handed out stuff to the homeless, like on my way to places, maybe giving some change or so. Then I thought , why not just have a charity whereby other people could get involved and many more homeless people could be helped out. So I done so. I started planning logo’s , social media platforms etc. I did face some challenges such as promoting it properly in order for it to get as much recognition, also, with donations , people need to trust what you’re doing before they donate their money to your charity, so I had to try and show everyone my vision properly in order to motivate them to donate to this good cause. My friends and family were extremely supportive and they were actually the first people to donate and promote all the things. They sort of made it easier to start.
That’s great. Also, I noticed that you do not work alone and you said you have a team who helps you. Do you accept additions to your team or volunteers to help you when giving food away? -Thank you! And yes, I first chose a team amongts my friends whom wanted to get involved. But yes we do also accept volunteers to help us. They can sign up via the website and then they will be added into a WhatsApp groupchat where they will be updated with every upcoming project, they can also give ideas of any projects they would like to do. For more information: -www.volare-charity.com -volarecharityfoundation@outlook.com
Why did choose to set up your own charity instead of donating money to already established one? -I believe that not many charities have the same ideas that I have and the same vision. I really just wanted to begin my own thing, something to be proud of. I don’t really know many people my age having a charity so I want to inspire them. The thing you are doing is amazing and it is very nice that you are getting support from your family, friends and hopefully a lot of other people. Have you set up any plans for your organisation? -Thank you so much and yes we have many plans and many upcoming projects to do. With the amazing team, whom work extremely hard, we will gradually be able to achieve all of the things we have planned for the future. I am happy to hear that and I hope you achieve every single thing you have planned on achieving. Can you tell us how we can help, what donations are more useful (food, money, clothes, etc)and where to donate them. -We accept all types of donations. No donation is more useful than another because anything donated would really help these homeless people. To donate money, you will have to visit www.volare-charity.com where it gives you a section to donate. To donate items or food, we can simply collect them from you or you can drop it off to us, just contact us by E-mail on volarecharityfoundation@outlook.com . With food donations, it will have to be packaged or tin food.
Bergit and her team giving away food
Interviewing the Games Entertainment Industry Designed and Written by Zak Cronin
eXtine eXtine is a Freelance Esports Commentator, Host, and Chef. Being at events such as the Dota Internationals from 2017 - 2019 as the Bootcamp Chef for TeamLiquid and is also #530th worldwide in Minesweeper. How would you describe yourself? I live in Portland Oregon and am very into video games. I’ve been working as a chef and doing freelance gigs in esports, mainly commentary and hosting but I also have been a bootcamp chef for top level esport athletes. What got you into the esports industry? I’ve been gaming most my life and I actually wanted to write a book defining the term esports and using TF2 as a case study. I ended up seeing there was a media void and producing coverage of matches. This led to all sorts of opportunities in TF2 and in other games. Where did your signature ‘yaaaoo’ phrase come from? I was working for a family bakery in the bay area called Della Fattoria and living on their ranch. I worked in the bistro but their bread was amazing. I introduced the son who was the head chef/baker to TF2 when it came out on XboX. When we’d see each other at a distance we’d holler: “Yooo” and it just got crazier and crazier until it was the full gutteral Yyyaaaoooo we know today. When I started making videos I knew I needed an intro and that seemed fitting.
What is your favourite event that you have commentated/casted for? Insomnia65 was great to be a part of as the host, and while every event holds a special place in my heart I think it’s my favorite so far. Casting wise, the last ESEA TF2 Grand Finals ever was pretty memorable. How did you get into cooking? My family has always been into food with my grandpa and dad both cooking a lot. I got a job after college that really helped get me sharp enough to be able to find work at other places. What is your favourite dish to cook? Tacos probably. It’s real easy and a lot of fun to throw a taco party. I’ll braise some meat, either pork or chicken, then make tortillas and chop up some onions and cilantro. Salsa is definitely involved.
What made you want to make your own esports team (Portland Burnsiders)? Well, with wrangling volunteers for eXtv and my own TF2 competitive efforts at the time, it seemed like the best connections were those anchored in real life. I was on a team or two but people weren’t very understanding and after the season things just drifted apart. I wanted to do something different, trying to play with people who live near me and leveraging those connections to become a stronger team. When we started up we had a LAN a month for a year straight, but our activities have gone up and down since then. It’s a lot of fun and there’s definitely other important work I want to do with the team.
eXtine (right) w/ Robin Walker (left) the co-developer of TF2 and Half Life Alyx at Valve HQ What advice do you have to people wanting to become commentators in the future? Listening to your own casts is the best way to improve, but listening to other people’s feedback is important too. Getting traction as a commentator is also about putting the work in. There are demos out there and teams who’s matches have gone uncasted. No shortage of games to practice on. Who has been your favourite person to work alongside in commentating? Probably Pyyyour, just really knowledgeable about the game but also he would put a lot of effort into the casting side of it which isn’t common for most players. There’s been a lot of fun people to work with over the years though like Duder, Kip, GrumpyKoi, jakeowaty and eepily being notable. Do you ever get nervous knowing that you’re being watched by thousands? I got nervous before introing i56 and I think you could see my cue cards shaking fairly hard. A lil bit of nerves before a performance are alright and natural but definitely once things get going I just click into gear. What is your dream event to work at? I’d love to work a DotA International sometime. I’ve got a lot on my plate so I’ve been slow to cross over into the game, but I play it a lot and have good connections in the scene. TIs are special events though and the gameplay at them is insane, pushing the casters to the limits.
What are your goals for 2020? I’m launching a hot sauce company! That’s a big challenge and a great opportunity. I’m hoping to use it to become even more involved in the esports community and give me the freedom to travel to more events. Look for Yaoooo Sauce on the shelves and available online!!
Interviewing the Games Entertainment Industry Hamaji Neo Hamaji Neo is a YouTube content creator with 200k subscribers making gaming related content from VR to building custom keyboards to using maths to work out if video game attacks would kill you in real life if they were possible.
How would you describe yourself?
I’d definitely describe myself as a person who is afraid. As a person, I am extremely scared of making decisions and it will often lead me to have long periods of contemplation and fear of getting something wrong. I’d like to say I’m very down to earth and love to talk to peeps, I can be very outgoing.
Who is your favorite youtuber and why?
TF2: LazyPurple, he has a lot of talent with comedic timing as well as his amazing skillset he uses in videos Others: NairoMK, Corridor Crew, Zalinki, RTGame, Marques Brownlee, just for the sheer entertainment and quality.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I would like to see myself working within the digital media/marketing department of some huge agency or with my own company. probably not married lol
Recently you’ve started to upload What are your goals for 2020? more of a variety of games and Reach 200k and get to a good uni and find a content, how does it feel to have good internship :) that freedom and creativity? It feels bittersweet. A lot of the times, I feel What advice would you have to very happy and accomplished with the new people starting a gaming channel type of video but at the same time, the views on YouTube?
are minimal and it hurts deep. So it’s a mixed Please be unique, don’t do the same things as bag everyone else. And once you find a niche, stick to it while maintaining growth outside of that niche.
Hamaji Neo presenting a workshop on YouTube talking about thumbnails at Level Up KL
In 2019 you attended Level Up KL and hosted a segment yourself. How did you find the festival and the chance to give advice to people about YouTube? I was a visitor for the year prior and I really enjoyed it. I just realised that YouTubers and creators from the area with far less subscribers were able to do it. I was initially afraid of joining because of a ‘subscriber wall’ that could have been put in place. I just contacted the staff and things just worked! I’d definitely say that it’s a great opportunity and honestly really helps to build character and your skillset. Speaking in front of a classroom or an audience you know is one thing, but getting out there in front of a hundred or more people, all of which you barely know, is a great push forward and really helps to make you more confident in the future. Grit is definitely one of the main traits a youtuber needs to gain. The ability to put your feet down and just keep going, it’s very easy to get discouraged but the youtubers who have remained here or are still growing are the ones who went against the current and made it.
Joker (2019) Review Written by Harry Bruns Designed by Liam O’Hanlon
Seeing as it is coming up to Oscars season, it’s appropriate to review Joker (Phillips, 2019) seeing as it has received eleven nominations, including Best Picture and Best Lead Actor for Joaquin Phoenix. This film came out on October 4th in the United Kingdom and, seeing as I went to see it on the opening day, I was looking forward to this film and suffice to say it didn’t disappoint – it had what I was looking for. It wasn’t a conventional comic book movie and that was something which I wanted to see, as even though I enjoy the MCU, it is quite formulaic and has a distinct hero and villain dynamic. Todd Phillips even said that he wanted to make this film as much like an art film as possible and has advocated for the usage of less CGI in this film. This is much to his credit as the film feels natural and organic. The film is directed by Todd Phillips but could be mistaken for a Scorsese film as Joker shares similar themes and aesthetic as Taxi Driver (Scorsese, 1976) or The King of Comedy (Scorsese, 1982). It’s clear also from the setting that this is a Gotham which is very similar to 1970s New York and again that links to what Scorsese uses in his films. Even down to the colour palette as Phoenix’s Joker is wearing bright colours making him stand out in a washed out and bleak world. Phoenix’s Joker in this film is very Travis Bickle and it is ironic as the man who plays Travis in Taxi Driver is Robert de Niro who stars in this film as Murray Franklin, the comedy show host. Being a comedy show host, it is a little funny to see as it is like his role in The King of Comedy as Rupert Pupkin. Throughout the film, Arthur Fleck is the name of the Joker and is basically Rupert as both characters struggle with mental health issues who want to appear on a show. In Joker, Arthur actively admires and adores the Murray Franklin show and thus his ambition is to be a comedian and to get onto his show. Tying it back to what Scorsese does in his films, it is very similar as the character of Arthur Fleck would not look out of place in one of his films. By also naming the Joker, fans of his in the comics were not pleased as they believed that the Joker’s origins should be more ambiguous like in The Dark Knight
(Nolan, 2008) but the film makes him ambiguous as we find out that Arthur is actually adopted and had no name. This strips away his identity and prompts him to brand himself the Joker, creating ambiguity. The scene where he finds out he is adopted is highly disturbing and acting brilliantly by Phoenix as his laughter and his pain are intertwined. A special mention should be made here for Joaquin Phoenix and his performance as it is wonderful, and I believe that he should get an Oscar for Best Actor at the Oscars. For the role, he had to lose weight to portray a broken and unstable man who is against the society he lives in which shows a dedication to the part. Furthermore, he did not read any comic books in order to play the part, instead he studied certain character aspects which would be like the Joker in this film and, as an example, he studied a condition which means that a personal has uncontrollable laughter. This is instead of the regular evil maniacal laughter that you would expect from a villain. He also took some aspects of his performance from Heath Ledger but not too much to not affect the legacy of him. When he won his SAG award, he cited Heath Ledger as “standing on the shoulders” of him. Furthermore, you buy that this is a broken man and he makes the Joker seem unhinged but also very human and relatable at the same time. One such scene that shows this is where he kills the three ‘Wall Street’ guys on the subway. This is the turning point in the movie where it is a catalyst for the poorest in society to start fighting back. He does a dance as well which seems as though it calms him and revels in chaos. This isn’t the conventional Joker as some see him as an evil man who makes evil decisions, but this Joker is a product of society’s treatment pf mental illness. Arguably, the Joker is formed as a result of poverty and the poorest in society rebelling against the rich and elite of society, creating a class dynamic. It is quite a left wing, socialist view to have on the film and it certainly fits the themes of the film and aesthetic. This, and Phoenix’s performance, really shines in the film’s climax as he kills Murray and creates anarchy
in Gotham. He is arrested and in a police car where we see anarchy in the streets and rich people running away from the scenes on the streets. When he crashes, he is brought out of the police car and does his dance as before and then, as though time stops, he smears blood over his mouth to create the iconic Joker smile. A masterful scene by both director and actor. The musical score I’ll also briefly mention, as it is by Hildur Guðnadóttir and is used so well. That may be down to the sound mixing but whenever a killing happens, the music ramps up and beats as though something is going to happen. She uses violins to create a sense of sadness too, but it’s used in an intimidating way too as it creates fear toward Arthur. She is also nominated too for Best Score and I also believe that she should get an Oscar for that too as it really builds the atmosphere and is mixed well. Other musical choices in this film are That’s Life by Frank Sinatra, White Room by Cream and Rock and Roll by Gary Glitter. The latter song has garnered a lot of heavy criticisms since Gary Glitter is convicted sex offender and was reported that he would receive royalties. Those reports were untrue. They could have chosen a different song to use to avoid this but evidently the people behind the musical choices wanted this. Other controversies have been that this film would cause a lot of rioting and violence. This is because mainstream media outlets in America believed this to be the case and Phoenix and Phillips have repeatedly defended the violence in this film. Personally, I have no issue with it, and I think that the violence is very minimal. The most violent scene is where he stabs and repeatedly beats his ex-co-worker to death in his apartment. It is a bloody scene but essential to show
“The worst part of having a
mental illness is people expect
you to behave as if you don’t.” - Arthur Fleck
how unhinged he is. Phillips also says that he didn’t do a comedy either because he believed that comedy was becoming more restrictive which again allowed a lot of controversy and criticism. I think it’s clear that he feels strongly about this as Arthur’s Joker says that “comedy is subjective” which is the sentiment which Phillips feels. In conclusion, Joker is masterful. It might not be everyone’s favourite film, but it has a lot of artistic value in the way it is an exploration about mental health. It also gives great social commentary on how there is a divide between the rich and the poor in society. I don’t think it’ll win best picture, but I think that’s okay because the films in the category are great such as One Upon A Time in Hollywood (Tarantino, 2019), The Irishman (Scorsese, 2019) and Parasite (Joon-ho, 2019). I’d just like to add that the Oscars should have added more female directors and films such as Great Gerwig and her film Little Woman (Gerwig, 2019); there were many great films by female directors which were snubbed this year and the Oscars must change as consequence. Despite this, Joker is rightfully acknowledged, in my opinion, but I can see the criticisms behind it and acknowledge their credibility.
I READ A LINE AND TRIED TO UNDERSTAND IT:
Title goes here @"FROM WHAT WE CANNOT HOLD THE STARS ARE MADE.”
it IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL THING TO SAY,,I JUST DIDN' T KNOW WHAT IT MEANT. - Aristole and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
There are many things that we do not know, and most of them excite us. As this entire issue illustrates, the unknown is fascinating and illusive, scary and unpredictable. The things we do not know about we seek to learn, or, we wish to fantasise about. They are also often the inspiration for many a writer, who weave a story out of the threads and spaces left by the unknown stories that haven’t been finished or just haven’t been told yet. For this month’s issue, I want to introduce you to some books that I’ve read and think delve into the wonderful world of the unknown in many different ways. From inexplicable imaginings, mistold characters and questions we didn’t know we wanted answering, here are some recommendations from both YA and more mature audiences that I’d recommend to any curious soul - well-read or otherwise - to pick up and give a try. Written and designed by Eleanor Morgan
Written by Designed by
“I noticed life’s ironies a bit more often than the average person. I collected them: how love arrived when you least expected it, how someone who said he didn’t want to hurt you eventually would.”
“I didn’t know why I was thinking about all these things— except that’s what I always did. I guess I had my own personal television in my brain. I could control whatever I wanted to watch. I could switch the channels anytime I wanted.”
Admittedly, I have started off this list with one of my all-time favourite books that I can’t wait to re-read soon. So take my gushing with a pinch of salt. This hidden gem is a beautifully written piece of poetic prose, following the different generations of a rather unique family. Slotting itself firmly into the wonderful world of magical-realism, this book is rife with strange happenings and inexplicable stories that exist unapologetically in the narrative to feed your hunger for the elegant and unexplainable. The story follows the different lines of the Roux family up to Ava Lavender, our main character who has been born with the undecided blessing-or-curse of gorgeous bird wings. She ventures out into the world with an innocent curiosity for everything unknown: love, people, mystery. This whimsical adventure of the girl - who to some is mistaken for an angel - comes to a sudden crescendo one summer night in a way that will make your skin crawl. From people drifting away into flowers and ashes to family ghosts, this book is just a divine curl-up-and-enjoy sort of story with a sudden, horrifying ending that jumps from beautiful to stomach-churning in one fell swoop (so, warning to readers: Adult themes). Walton crafts her story with a charming, winsome prose and a whimsical imagination where I find the language mimics the delicate story being told. It wins my award for the most appropriately titled book I’ve ever read: it most certainly is strange and beautiful.
Critically acclaimed and with many editions of this book plastered with award stamps, Aristotle and Dante quickly became a instant hit and for good reason. Aristotle is a boy on the cusp of manhood and is filled with an existential numbness mixed with all his unexplained questions of life and its mysteries. Where do the dreams come from? Why doesn’t his family talk about his brother? Why is his father so distant since the war? Who’s in control of his life? One summer’s day at the swimming pool changes Ari’s life forever when Dante Quintana, a sweet-hearted, open-minded individual, comes into his life unexpectedly and opens up a whole world of questions to this boy, who up to now only looked at his life as if it was never his idea to begin with. This heartfelt and masterfully written novel earns my most highlighted book on my Kindle, which just goes to show how every sentence was a masterpiece. Its themes are vast, touching upon ideas of identity, love, friendship, family and more. It is an LGBTQ+ story but it is also SO much more than that. If you’re someone who has a lot of questions - about life, about growing up, about finding yourself - then this will be a very thoughtprovoking read. While it might not give you the answers you are looking for, you may just find a friend in either one of these young and curious boys to touch your heart and marvel at the excellent and eloquent prose of this expertly crafted novel.
“Like all fiction writers, I made up his story when I couldn’t find the one I wanted to read.”
“The thought was this: that all my life had been murk and depths, but I was not a part of that dark water. I was a creature within it.”
Title goes here @"FROM WHAT WE CANNOT HOLD THE STARS ARE MADE.” While The Greatest Showman was a fantastic A popular release from 2018 that I’m sure escapist film, I’m afraid it thoroughly lies to you’ve since seen in every Waterstones you about the life and times of the one and window since then, Circe imagines the overonly P.T. Barnum. looked story of the Ancient Greek deity, Circe, While this book is in no means a true story goddess and witch, exiled from the Gods to - it’s not even *his* story - it does give you a reside on an island for seemingly eternity. more truthful, realistic insight into what the Circe is one of those captivating but minor real King of Humbug was like: characters in the vast extraordiance of Greek money-grabbing, selfish and a con-artist. Mythology, who pops in and out of other But what would happen if, for once, Barnum people’s legends as villain or friend to other was selling something real? An eighth wonder hero’s legends and origin tales (see Odysseus, of the world, beautiful and vicious, wild and Scylla, Picus etc). Yet this enchantress, famed looking to earn some money? for her potions and witchcraft, had yet to have Introducing Amelia, The Fiji Mermaid (not her story told. really, she’s from the Atlantic), a bold, Madeline Miller breathes life into the witch peculiar, widowed mermaid with clawed, of Aeaea, doing her the justice she deserves as webbed hands and sharp teeth (when in water an outcast, wild woman in her own tale, inthat is) and eyes that could rival the terlinking all the legends she features in into - Aristole and Dante of the Universe dangerous charm of the whole ocean.Discover Drawn the oneSecrets beautifully written narrative that explores to her by the rumours, Barnum sends of his her emotions, motives and relationships in a partner in con-artistry Levi Lyman to way the ancient myths just never bothered to persuade this mysterious woman into being attribute to her. a “performer” for the museum. Despite being Another arguably feminist-fronted book, this head-strong and detached from 1840s is a must-read for lovers of the ancient arts, humanity, she joins the museum of her own enchantments and enrapture, strong females There are many things that we do not know, and most of them excite us. As this entire issue illustartes, the unknown free will, revealing her secret to the world, and with a bone to pick, defiant deities and a lion is fascinating and illusive, scary and unpredicatble. The things we do not know about we seek to learn, or, we wish to seeing just what the human world has to offer or two. fantasize about. They are also often the inspiration for many a writer, who weave a story out of the threads and spaces her. This book earns a place amongst my left by the unknown stories that havent been finished or just haven’t been told yet. For this months issue, I want to With all the charm of a classic fairy-tale and recommendations for shining a light on the introduce you to some books that I’ve read and think delve into the wonderful world of the unknown in many difsocial commentary that should come from a unknown in-between parts of the wide web of ferent ways. From inexplicable imaginings, mistold characters and questions we didn’t know we wanted answering, 21st Disney Princess, Amelia may be bold but Greek myth, giving this powerful enchantress here are some recommendations that I’d recommend to any reader (or even non-reader!) to pick up and give a try. New York is bolder and soon she finds that life her own story for a change. on land in the hands of P.T. Barnum and his species of air-suckers might be more Written by Note: Touches on some adult themes, so reader be aware. suffocating than the depths of the ocean.
it IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL THING TO SAY,,I JUST DIDN' T KNOW WHAT IT MEANT.
Designed by
“The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearences.”
“Here she was, watching a case up close, gicing a statement, expiriencing all the things she so longed to experience. All it took was for someone to die.”
Now here we have a classic. Keen to throw in a good, classic read for those looking to appear well-read, I present to you the queen of murder mysteries - Agatha Christie. After all, what book is centred around an unknown story more than a murder mystery? With the popular release of the 2017 film (which is a BRILLIANT watch in all areas from its cinematography and production design to its performance and plot - there, you have a film recommendation too!), Murder on the Orient Express is arguably one of Christie’s most iconic works and destined to leave a legacy in the genre. Thirteen passengers, one prestigious train and a brutal murder overnight. While trapped within the narrow but richly decorated carriages of the Orient Express, no-one can escape suspicion from the famed Belgian detective extraordinaire, Hercule Poirot. Rich with characters that’ll leave you with doubts, the aesthetic pleasure of a fine red wine and a turn-out you (hopefully) will never see coming, this story is murder mystery at its best. You know that feeling when you have the ingredients to a cake and you don’t know how it’s going to turn out in the end? Then it comes together; fits nicely into one big story that just satisfies even the pickiest of eaters (or readers!). That’s how finding out the ending of this story made me feel. So if you’re hungry for a classic but can’t stomach the thought of a Jane Eyre or Dracula, I offer you this slice of surprise.
In the same vein as my classic pick, Truly Devious is the murder mystery of the YA. Generally, the good old murder mystery has been catered for an older, more “mature” audience with the iconic Agatha Christie’s and Agatha Raisin’s (It appears Agatha is the designated Murder-Mystery-Mistress name) sitting nowhere near the shelves you and I are drawn to first. So Maureen Johnson decided to bring the genre to us. This trilogy - a stand out from all my other refreshing stand-alone rec’s - follows Stevie, a teen with a passion for the unsolved and grisly. From Sherlock to Poirot, she’s read and loved them all. And in a pleading essay to one of the most eclectic but prestigious school’s with a history of the most famous (fictional) blackmail case known, she’s accepted on the level of her love for murder cases alone. Now standing amongst the best of the best teens in their field including an artist, writer, actor and engineer in her dorm room alone, she’s swept up with uncovering the ancient, iconic, Ellingham mystery. But her curiosity is suddenly fed too much when another murder carrying another mystery occurs right while she’s there. A delicious read designed for the modern generation, packed with wit, diversity and reads just like the soceity around us (but without the prestige and cool libraries), I commend Johnson for her characters that I felt like I could easily meet in my peers today. A smoky and intriguing murder mystery to get wrapped up in, you’ll see why this book had such a great reception in its recent release.
Many thanks to our contributors tori lillywhite daniela dronic jack kerry silvia hodyakova harry bruns syed murshed atwiya ahmed gabrielle prah zak cronin liam o’hanlon halima abubaker
maher hossain radosveta dimova eniola adeyemi isabella pavitt sophia fury dominik zielinski eleanor morgan mason terry mobolaji babalola jesutomisin adeagbo gracie gardiner
Facilitated by Stephanie sekula
tory dickson maia casiraghi elie musieme alan losicki zuzana murgasova robbie clare ruby o’connor shika fudzi imani patel
Front Cover by Isabella Pavitt
SUMMER edition out may 2020