Recommended Reading: White Teeth by Zadie Smith

 



This week's recommended read is White Teeth by Zadie Smith 

 

 

Blurb:

 

Zadie Smith's White Teeth is a classic international bestseller and an unforgettable portrait of London One of the most talked about fictional debuts ever, White Teeth is a funny, generous, big-hearted novel, adored by critics and readers alike. Dealing - among many other things - with friendship, love, war, three cultures and three families over three generations, one brown mouse, and the tricky way the past has of coming back and biting you on the ankle, it is a life-affirming, riotous must-read of a book. "Funny, clever ...and a rollicking good read". (Independent). "An astonishingly assured debut, funny and serious...I was delighted". (Salman Rushdie). "The almost preposterous talent was clear from the first pages". (Julian Barnes, Guardian). "Quirky, sassy and wise ...a big, splashy, populous production reminiscent of books by Dickens and Salman Rushdie ...demonstrates both an instinctive storytelling talent and a fully fashioned voice that's street-smart and learned, sassy and philosophical all at the same time". (New York Times). "Smith writes like an old hand, and, sometimes, like a dream". (New Yorker). "Outstanding...A strikingly clever and funny book with a passion for ideas, for language and for the rich tragic-comedy of life". (Sunday Telegraph). "Do believe the hype". (The Times). "Relentlessly funny ...idiosyncratic, and deeply felt". (Guardian). Zadie Smith was born in north-west London in 1975. Her debut novel, White Teeth, won the Whitbread First Novel Award, the Guardian First Book Award, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction, and the Commonwealth Writers' First Book Prize, and was included in Time 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005. Her second novel, On Beauty, was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and won the Orange Prize for Fiction. She has written two further novels, The Autograph Man and NW, a collection of essays, Changing My Mind, and also edited a short-story anthology, The Book of Other People.

 

The book is available in your local Waterstones at £6.29 with free UK delivery, it can also be purchased online here:

Purchase White Teeth at Waterstones Online

 

Waterstones are currently giving Get an extra 10% off at Waterstones.com when you spend £25 or more in association with UNiDAYS.

To enjoy this offer, simply register or login with UNiDAYS to receive your unique discount code.

If you haven't already got an account with UNiDAYS, you can join here:

Register with UNiDAYS

 

 

 

 

Presentation Tips: Essentials for Creating a Good Presentation

Although they don't often occur in the modules, it is pretty much guaranteed that throughout your time at University, you will have to prepare a presentation. These will more than likely be as a group, but it always helps to have some key presentation tips and advice that will enable you to create a decent and interesting presentation, that will hopefully achieve a high mark.

It is important that if your presentation is in a group format that you choose to be with students that you know you can work with - this might not always be the obvious choice of your friends, it might be somebody you know will help to motivate you and vice versa.

Presentations are often the most daunting assignment, even if you are a third year and know everybody in your class, it can be scary getting up and presenting your ideas in a way everybody will enjoy and understand.

It is important to plan your presentation, and the following list should help you formulate a good basis for your presentation;

1. Are you clear on the assessment criteria and the learning outcomes?
2. Have you taken into account your time limit?
3. Have you decided what media you are using? I.e. PowerPoint, Prezi, Poster etc
4. Are you clear what point(s) you would like to put forward?
5. What secondary points do you want to include, and do these enhance your overall concept?
6. Have you decided how you will keep the audience engaged?
7. Are you prepared for the possibility that you will be asked questions about your presentation?

Research is necessary for any assignment, and the same applies to your presentation. Remember that you will need to include secondary resources and direct quotes that will strengthen your point - these will need to be referenced!

Once you have created your plan, the group needs to come together to decide who will focus on which aspect, and who will have certain roles. It is key that this is done early on so that no work gets duplicated. Even small things like, who will change the slide over, how your change overs will work etc, are essential to achieving a good mark.

Although the presentation is a group assignment, there will be times when you need to work as an individual, you need to make sure that this work is academic, referenced correctly, but also comprehensive and less formal than your essays - remember you will be reciting this to your fellow students, so it needs to be easily understood and easy listening, put yourselves in their shoes.

Communication with your group is crucial to a high quality presentation, so make sure you keep in touch throughout.

When you all meet up again with your individual bits of work, time does need to spent compiling your work and making sure there is a clear "flow" throughout, and that your overall point/message/concept is obvious.

Make sure you leave yourself enough time, not only do you need to do all of the research, write up and group sessions, you need to know (pretty much) everything you have to say, and try to just use cue cards as opposed to reading off an A4 sheet of paper without making any eye contact or communication with your audience.

When you think your presentation is ready, make sure you have checked off the following;
1. Your timings are correct, making sure everybody speaks clearly and slow enough to understand and ensuring that you have accounted for the change overs and slide changes.
2. Your presentation looks professional, is not too cluttered and accompanies your point.
3. Everybody in the group is clear about what they are doing, where they are speaking and how you will stand to make the running of the presentation as smooth as possible.
4. You have practised and practised and practised, to make sure you know what you are supposed to be saying - but also have the ability to improvise should you forget what you have written.
5. Everybody in the group is happy with the presentation as whole and that you all feel confident about presenting it.

Delivering your presentation is SO important, and you need to make sure you have practised as if you were stood infront of an audience, simply because there are so many little things you need to remember;

Physical
- Stand straight and comfortably. Slouching does not look appealing, and could mean your audience lose interest.
- Look around and make eye-contact without staring or glaring. You are delivering the presentation to everybody in the room, not just one person, the floor or your lecturer.
- When you are talking to your friends, you naturally use your hands and facial expressions to enhance communication. Make sure you do this (in moderation) whilst presenting.

Verbal
- Speak loudly and clearly, especially if you are in a big room. Everybody needs to hear you.
- Vary your voice, don't always use the same volume and pitch - monotony is not interesting and your audience will soon switch off.
- Make it clear when you move from one point to another, this can be done with slight pause or change in pitch or tone.
- Use pauses! Speaking quickly with no breaks leaves no room for the audience to absorb your information.

 

Interaction

- Be aware of how your audience is reacting, are they bored? Are they interested?

- Be open to questions, don't panic, it means your audience are listening!

 

Remember to smile, breathe deeply and speak confidently. If you have prepared for your presentation, it is almost inevitable that it will go smoothly!

 

You can find tips, advice and helpful videos on the University of Cumbria website here.

Graduate Jobs: Where to Find Them

Leaving university is a really daunting prospect, especially with an English and/or Creative Writing degree, as it isn't necessarily specific to one type of career.

However, once you figure out the route you want to go down, you will find that the skills you've learnt can be applied to almost ANY career.

To make things a bit easier - as it can be overwhelming trying to find jobs - I have compiled a list of graduate job sites where you can find a job specifically for graduates.

1. graduate-jobs.com

This jobsite is the 'biggest independent graduate job board in the UK'*, and it gives you the option to search for jobs based on sector, location, industry and degree, as well as having different internships advertised.
There are 4,714 recruiters registered with graduate-jobs.com, and these range from international business such as BAE Systems to small independent business.

2. Prospects

Prospects is the 'UK's official graduate careers website', and not only advertises jobs but also offers careers advice and postgraduate study options.

You can search through lists of graduate employers, work experience and internships, as well as simply searching through the graduate job search, where you select keywords, location and industry.

3. reed.co.uk

This jobsite is more of a general jobsite - advertising a variety of jobs requiring a variety of qualifications. However, it does have a Graduate Jobs section, and currently there are around 15,000 jobs advertised.

Like with the other sites, you can search by specialism, industry and location, but you can also search by salary, full-time and part-time and the type of employment (i.e. permanent, temporary, contract, etc).

4. Guardian Jobs

Although the website is not specific to graduate jobs, there are a large amount of jobs advertised specifically for graduates.

You can filter by industry, employer type, job function, location, salary and listing type (i.e. job vacancy, volunteering, graduate scheme, etc), which makes finding a job specific to your wants and needs a lot easier.

5. GradJobs

This jobsite is specific to graduates, therefore, there is a high volume of jobs available. As well as being able to search for graduate jobs specific to industry, location and salary, the website also enables you to search for Recruitment Exhibitions, which again are specific to industry, location and job role.

6. milkround

In addition to having graduate jobs, and search options such as industry and location, it also offers advice, news and the option to search through specific employers and industries.

7. totaljobs.com: graduate

Like with the Reed website, totaljobs.com is usually more of a general jobsite for people with a variety of qualifications, however, they have a 'graduate zone' where there are currently around 12,000 jobs being advertised.

The website offers tools and advice, and is also affiliated with Postgrad.com, where you can find a number of post graduate options.



If you decide to directly approach employers without applying for a vacancy, it is worth looking at The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers, registering is free of charge, and you can find a list of the best employers in Britain for graduates in 2013-2014.

It is also worth mentioning that there is a wide range of employers who offer graduate schemes, and although competition is often high for these jobs, remember you will have a degree that's not career specific, but instead gives you a vast amount of applicable skills and attributes that would make you a valued member of any company!

Finishing Your Degree - Other Options

It is well known that many English Literature degree students will start a career in teaching, however, if you feel that teaching is not for you, there are other options for you to consider.

In fact, the skills gained from your English Literature degree are marketable in most career areas, and there are lots of options for you once you have completed your degree.

Just under 60% of English Graduates are in employment six months after graduating, a fifth are in full-time further study, with a further 7% combining work and study. 

What do English Graduates do After University?

English Graduates find opportunities with many different employers, public and private sector organisations such as the National Health Service (NHS), educational institutions, local and national government, financial and legal firms, and voluntary and charitable organisations employ English graduates in a range of roles, including administration, research, finance and general management.

Other typical employers include publishing companies, advertising, marketing and public relations agencies and media organisations. The retail, leisure and tourism sectors also typically recruit English graduates.

Editorial assistant

Editorial assistants provide assistance in all stages of the publication of books, journals, magazines and a broad range of publicity materials. They support senior editorial staff in the administration of the commissioning, planning and production of publications.

The level of responsibility and the range of tasks vary depending on the size of the organisation and the type of publication. The editorial assistant role is the usual starting point for careers in editorial work. Progression to more senior roles such as features editor or commissioning editor may be possible once the necessary skills and experience have been acquired.
Typical work activities

Editorial assistants perform a range of administrative and editorial tasks necessary to get publications published. They act as the liaison for the many people involved in a publication, from the receipt of texts from authors through to the handover to production staff.

You can find more information about the roles and responsibilities of an Editorial Assistant here.

Lexicographer

Lexicographers write, compile and edit dictionaries for both print and online publication. They may work on one of the following types of dictionary:
English for native speakers;
English for learners of English;
technical, e.g. law;
bilingual, for native speakers or learners of English.

English language lexicographers monitor and record uses of language and use databases to interrogate a wide range of evidence. They consider both the meaning and usages of words and compile definitions in a structured manner.

Lexicographers writing definitions for English learner dictionaries also take into consideration the difficulties learners have with learning English. Bilingual lexicographers translate words and expressions, rather than defining them.

Lexicographers edit, proofread and check the accuracy of their own and others' text, and perform editorial tasks. They reassess existing entries and use evidence and judgement to identify and consider possible new entries.

You can find more information about the roles and responsibilities of a Lexicographer here.

Magazine Journalist

Magazine journalists research and write news articles and features for a wide variety of periodicals, including consumer titles, business journals and trade publications. Magazines have a defined readership and focus on a specialist area or interest.

Magazine journalism can cover a range of disciplines, such as writing, sub-editing, and designing.

Increasingly, magazines are also being produced for other media, especially the web. Knowledge of the concise writing style needed for the internet and search engine optimisation are very useful skills.

There are currently around 9,000 magazine titles in the UK, according to the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) . While there are plenty of opportunities, competition can be fierce when trying to secure a job in magazine journalism.

You can find more information about the roles and responsibilities of a Magazine Journalist here.

Academic Librarian

Academic librarians work in higher education, further education and research institutes attached to academic institutions. They may also be known as subject librarians and they manage, organise, evaluate and disseminate information, providing support to members of an academic community including students, researchers and lecturing staff.

Academic librarians may be responsible for a specific academic subject, developing specialist knowledge and other functions, such as resource ordering, loans, specialist collections, ICT systems and library projects.

A main role involves facilitating and supporting learning by teaching information retrieval skills to students and staff within classrooms or virtual learning environments. Academic librarians spend considerable time working with electronic resources, involving database management and web page development. The role is also very customer-focused.

You can find more information about the roles and responsibilities of an Academic Librarian here.

These are just a selection of the options available after completing your degree, and you can find more options by following this link.

Options With Your Subject.

You can also find Graduate Jobs by degree here.

Brain Pickings

Brainpickings.org is a fantastic blog I stumbled across not too long ago, which is an English students dream! It has lots of blog posts on past and present authors, and artists giving a deep insight into their publications but with lots of interesting facts and findings too! It has much more than that though, as it looks at life and the little things in life as a whole causing you to really think but in a good way.  Some of the posts I found most interesting were letters from long lost authors, which triggered a full day of reading posts from this blog. Be warned, once you start reading you will not want to stop!

"Brain Pickings is a human-powered discovery engine for interestingness, a subjective lens on what matters in the world and why, bringing you things you didn't know you were interested in - until you are. Founded in 2006 as a humble email digest and eventually brought online. the site was included in the Library of Congress permanent web archive in 2012"

"The core ethos behind Brain Pickings is that creativity is a combinatorial force: It's our ability to tap into the mental pool of resources - ideas, insights, knowledge, inspiration - that we've accumulated over the years just by being present and alive and awake to the world, and to combine them in extraordinary new ways. In order for us to truly create and contribute to culture, we have to be able to connect countless dots, to cross-pollinate ideas from a wealth of disciplines, to combine and recombine these ideas and build new ideas - like LEGOs. The more of there building blocks we have, and the more diverse their shapes and  colours, the more interesting our creations will be."

Finishing Your Degree - PGCE

It is often hard to decide what to do after you have finished your degree, and although it may not seem like it, there are lots of options - both career wise and in further education.

An obvious and popular choice with English Literature students is to study for your PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education).

The PGCE differs from Undergraduate teaching courses as it mainly focuses on developing your teaching skills, rather than the subject you intend to teach, and for this reason, applicants are expected to have a good understanding of their chosen subject(s) before training.

PGCE courses are available at Universities and Colleges throughout the UK. This link will take you to an A-Z Index of UK Institutions offering PGCE courses:

A-Z Index of UK Institutions Offering PGCE Courses.

The courses usually last for one year full-time, or up to two years part-time and you may be eligible to receive funding while you train for your PGCE. Find out about funding for postgraduate teacher training in England by following this link:

PGCE Funding Information

You must have a UK undergraduate degree or a recognised equivalent qualification to study for your PGCE, and you also need a standard equivalent to a grade C in GCSE English and mathematics, and if you want to teach primary or Key Stage 2/3 (ages 7-14), you must also have a standard equivalent to a grade C in Science GCSE.

PGCE applications are made through a system administered by UCAS, and the UCAS Teacher Training website is the portal through which you can search for a provider and make your application.

Find out more about making your application

Search for a PGCE course on the UCAS Teacher Training site.

Generally speaking, UCAS Teacher Training accepts applications from November to June for courses starting the following September or October. 

To guarantee that your first choice of course provider will consider you, you need to apply as early as possible.

You can find more information on your PGCE on the Department for Education website,

Department for Education - PGCE

Recommended Reading: When God Was A Rabbit by Sarah Winman

Despite the set reading lists you have to study for each module of your degree, it is always advisable that when you can engage in some personal reading to give yourself a break away from the reading lists! Keeping up with personal reading, reading books you have chosen will make your set reading lists a lot less of a chore and will encourage you to keep reading even through the summer months! For the next few weeks we will be doing a series of recommended reads that we love and think that you will enjoy too.

Blurb:

Spanning four decades, from 1968 onwards, this is the story of a fabulous but flawed family and the slew of ordinary and extraordinary incidents that shape their everyday lives. It is a story about childhood and growing up, loss of innocence, eccentricity, familial ties and friendships, love and life. Stripped down to its bare bones, it’s about the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister.

When God Was A Rabbit is a fantastic ‘feel-good’ book that explores the ins and outs, the ups and downs of life over many years.  It is a story through the life of the protagonist Elly, when it begins when she is a young child, experiencing things through innocence and befriending the strange girl Jenny Penny who comes from an abusive background, her mother a drunk. The story in two parts shows how the girls grow and how life changes them as adolescence looms, and seeing and confronting the confusing on goings of her brother, as he struggles to find his sexuality.

The second part of the novel begins in Elly’s adult life contrasting how things drastically change from childhood. Small cracks in life begin to show, and adulthood begins to take its toll. The reader is introduced to a number of characters, each and every one of them having an individual role and story in the novel.

This is a fantastic read for all audiences as you relive real-life history through the eyes of Elly, allowing the reader to relate and engage in similar memories. Well worth the read and a very pleasant read it is.

It can be purchased from the local Waterstones currently, or online here: www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/sarah+winman/when+god+was+a+rabbit/8140572

Finishing Your English Degree – Postgraduate Options

It is nearing the time when our third year students are close to completing and graduating their English degrees. The next few weeks are a precious time to receive the accreditation that you are looking for, but once you complete your degree, the question of what to do next is constantly looming. There are many postgraduate options available from further study, to entering the world of work. We shall be exploring some of the options that are available over the next few weeks, for when you are at the end of your degree.

Further Study – Academic

If you feel like you want to continue your chosen subject, in our case English, then looking at postgraduate study options is a great opportunity for you to do so. As English is a foundation degree, the opportunity for studying an MA or PhD can become very open as you may wish to choose a different subject to specialise in, for example journalism.

Studying a MA

Before one chooses to do a PhD they will usually go down the route of studying a Master’s degree first in their chosen field of study. This can be completed in on year of study, but may vary in different universities so it is important to check the course information for each individual university you are considering studying with.

Studying a PhD

This is usually the next step in becoming an academic if this is the route you choose to take.  PhD’s are studied over a number of years usually between 5 and 7, and will require you to undertake a vast element of research and produce a lengthy account of your findings. PhD’s are much more difficult to gain, and you must present a new idea to the university of your choice that you wish to research in order to be expected.

Further study is a great route for someone who wishes to make their way through the academic ladder especially if you wish to work as a lecturer or within academia.

Further studying funding becomes more complex at this level in comparison with an undergraduate degree. Check out www.gov.uk/funding-for-postgraduate-study for more information, or as always check with the specific university you wish to study with and they will be able to provide more information.

For full course information and applications see www.ucas.com/how-it-all-works/postgraduate

April Poets

Presenting the best of regional poetry, audiences are treated to a great atmosphere and stunningly good poets to listen to. The evening offers a few floor spots – first come first served on the night.


www.aprilpoets.org.uk

Location:The Storey, Meeting House Lane, Lancaster, LA1 1TH

Date: 10/04/2014

Time: 7.30PM Onwards

Cost: Tickets on the Door: £4/£2

Event Contact: 01524 62166

Oxfam Bookshop: Lancaster

Oxfam bookshop is not one that many would think to look first for a book they are searching for, or for when they are looking for a book for pleasure. This fantastic little shop is charity run with donations going directly to Oxfam. Not only is this a good cause but the selection of books the Oxfam shop has to offer is fantastic. The range of genre includes literature, cooking, classic, poetry and much more.

The Oxfam bookshop is perfect for students as the books sell at a much less price than what they may have retailed originally. It may not always have what you are looking for but regularly checking in to see what has come in new, you certainly can get some great finds! Another hidden gem in this bookshop is the collection of records that are also available for sale for the avid old school music lovers.

You can locate the Oxfam bookshops across the UK from the online website where you can also make a small donation to the Oxfam charity if you wish:
www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/local-shops

Address: 54 Penny Street, Lancaster, LA1 1XF
Phone: 01524 380478


"Oxfam is proud to be an authority on international development and humanitarian response. This website offers free access to over 3,300 publications - training manuals, research reports and policy briefs - based on our 70 years in the field, as well as programmer overviews, staff profiles and our practitioner blog,"  Oxfam, official website -  For full information on what Oxfam does: www.oxfam.org.uk

Waterstones: Lancaster's Main Bookshop

As students studying at the University of Cumbria and for most of you living in Lancaster, you will be aware that Waterstones is the main available bookshop in Lancaster. We are very fortunate that we have two Waterstones, one located on King Street, and one in the Marketgate shopping centre.

"Waterstones' mission is to be the leading bookseller on the high street and online providing customers the widest choice, great value and expert advice from a team of passionate about bookselling. Waterstones aims to interest and excite its customers and continually inspire people to read and engage in books," Waterstones, official website, www.waterstones.com

First established, and opening in 1982, Waterstones is one of the largest bookshops across the UK. You are sure to find whatever book you need whether it is for a selected module or if you simply wish to purchase something for your enjoyment. If you are unsure of what genre you are looking for or where to look within the shop, the staff are extremely helpful and will locate a specific book for you. If you cannot get the book you wish from the bookshops, there is always the online shop that ships throughout the UK, and that will include Lancaster! There is also an option available that allows you to have the book you want delivered to your local Waterstones if you do not want, or cannot have the book delivered to your home. 

Locally, the Waterstones do stock most of the books that are on your set reading lists for each module which will make the books more accessible for each of you!

Address Details and Contact:

8 King Street

Lancaster

0843 290 8435

01524 61477

4-6 Cornmarket, 

Marketgate

Lancaster

0843 290 8433

The Old Pier Bookshop: Morecambe

Our next posts for the coming Monday's will follow some of the local bookshops in the Lancaster area.

The Old Pier Bookshop in Morecambe has a certain charm about it and book lover would love. From ceiling to floor the shops is lined with books from ever genre imaginable. When you step into the bookshop you are sure to lose all track of time and reality of the outside world. There is something very romantic and old style film-like about this bookshop, and it truly is worth a visit if you are unfamiliar to the area, or if you just simply enjoy the pleasures of wandering around such a gem located on the promenade front in Morecambe.

Tom Vettesse is the proud owner of The Old Pier Bookshop, and is more than happy to help you find whatever book you are looking for, and he is more than likely to have it. What amazes one most, although the shelves are like a maze of books to search through, Tom can locate the exact book you are looking for without having to think twice! It is like another world, and for a £3 train fare to Morecambe it is well and truly worth the visit, not to mention that the promenade itself is a beautiful escape from a long day in the classroom.

Address: 287 Marine Road Central, Morecambe, LA4 5BY
Phone: 01524 409360

Happy New Year

We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! 2014 will see our current third year students graduating and the up and coming second and thirds years moving into the more complex years of their English and/or Creative Writing degrees.

We hope everyone has had an enjoyable break but with classes recommencing this week it is time to put the holiday period behind us and move forward with our work. We apologise for the lack of posts of the Christmas and New Year period but posts will be back on track and published as usual on Monday's, Wednesday's and Friday's. We hope that the student and creative writing content will be as exciting as it has been since this blog began.

If you wish to contribute feel free to email Shauna or Abbie:

s1111369@uni.cumbria.ac.uk
s1100097@uni.cumbria.ac.uk

A Visit from St. Nicholas

A Visit from St. Nicholas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,
With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blixen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”


Source: The Random House Book of Poetry for Children (Random House Inc., 1983)

Literary Gift Company

For those of you who are still Christmas Shopping, and for you all to keep in mind for birthdays etc, there is a really lovely website that supplies a hand-picked selection of beautiful and practical gifts for book lovers, including clothing, jewellery, perfume, reading tools, games, and much much more.

http://www.theliterarygiftcompany.com/

UCSU: Blackpool Rocks Festival

The University of Cumbria is sponsoring Blackpool Rocks – the biggest indoor winter music festival in the North West. The festival takes place at Blackpool Winter Gardens on Saturday 21 December with The 1975, Disclosure and Wretch 32 headlining.

As part of our sponsorship, students are being offered a fantastic travel and ticket deal for £36. This includes return travel through Stacey’s Coaches with pick-up and drop-off points in Carlisle, Ambleside and Lancaster. 

Ticket bookings can be made by ringing Stacey’s Coaches on 01228 511127.

If you want to buy a ticket without travel, Blackpool Rocks is offering a no booking fee discount to students which costs £26.50 and can be bought here.

For more details about the festival and the full line-up, click here.

This is a fantastic way to start the Christmas break and with a fantastic line-up at such an inexpensive cost who could resist!!

Check out the official Blackpool Rocks website www.blackpoolrocks.com 

Creative Writing: 'Parade' by Alexandra McCauley

Alexandra is a third year studying joint honours in English and Creative Writing at the University of Cumbria. 

The following poem was awarded joint first in the University of Cumbria Andrea Pendlebury poetry prize.

Parade

We hear the ‘duddlum, duddlum’

of the lambeg drum

their arms swinging possessively

all the youngsters love to copy

all ages are marching in the band

keeping flags in their hands

and the stalls full of tack,

shiny plastic toys covered with the union jack

the roads are cordoned off by police

as the crowds flood the street

here they come, right incline

marching without a foot out of line

drunken protestants fight and curse

here for the parade, but no faith to the church

they yip and yo as King Billy arrives on the horse

every year the tradition is enforced

now comes the bowler hats and oranges sashes

loyalist men in black with handlebar tashes

the people line the route that the bands take

Granda taps his foot and to the sound the flutes make

a security announcement is made to the crowd,

there has been a bomb scare, everyone must leave now.

By Alexandra McCauley

Prize Giving Event for the Andrea Pendlebury poetry prize and the Helen Clark prose prize

The event will be held on Wednesday 4th December, in the View, between 6-9pm.

The poetry winners: Alex McCauley, Helen Pye and the prose winner Hannah Tosh will be presented with their prizes and will read from their work. 

After this there will be an open mic session where people are invited to step up and read their own work. There will be some nibbles and a glass of wine or soft drink provided.

All English and Creative Writing students and staff are welcome, and would be lovely if we could all go and support our fellow students.

Twelfth Night - The Dukes

Filter Theatre in association with the Royal Shakespeare Company present 'Twelfth Night' at the Dukes, Lancaster.

'Filter Theatre return to The Dukes with their explosive take on Shakespeare’s lyrical Twelfth Night. This show played to sell out audiences last time it came to Lancaster, so book early to avoid missing out. Olivia’s melancholic, puritanical household clashes head on with Sir Toby’s insatiable appetite for drunken debauchery. Orsino’s relentless pursuit of Olivia and Malvolio’s extraordinary transformation typify the madness of love in Illyria: land of make-believe and illusion. This story of romance, satire and mistaken identity is crafted into one of the most exciting and accessible Shakespeare productions of recent years. Experience the madness of love in this heady world where riotous gig meets Shakespeare.'

The performances are schedules to start on Tuesday the 11th February 2014 to Saturday the 15th February 2014. The performance times are as follows:

Tuesday 11th Feb - 19:30

Wednesday 12th Feb - 14:00

Wednesday 12th Feb - 19:30

Thursday 13th Feb - 19:30

Friday 14th Feb - 19:30

Saturday 15th Feb - 14:00

Saturday 15th Feb - 19:30

Ticket prices range from £12.50 - £18.50 (concessions a further £2 off)

All tickets for the Matinees are £8.

If you book before the 10th January, you will recieve a £2 discount on each ticket.


Go to http://www.dukes-lancaster.org/book-tickets to book your tickets!

Creative Writing: 'Woman of Sin' by Kirsten Glen

Kirsten Glen is a third year student studying English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Cumbria.

Woman of Sin

I am a woman of sin.

With each sunrise I struggle,
like a sloth with lethargic claws.

I see through mine eyes

the slow pace of life.

I am a woman of sin.

Over indulging like a pig

in the mud. I trough

my treats, my pink lips

stained with temptations.

I am a woman of sin.

My skin’s the deep emerald

of a green tree python, I twist

and hiss. My mind is

so simple, my nature so vicious.

I am a woman of sin.

A grizzly bears temper

so tame in comparison

to my own. My red haze

hits like the power of its paw.

I am a woman of sin.

The tallest antlers, the

sleekest neck, my pride,

like a stag’s, always on show.

My saunter on others lips.

I am a woman of sin.

With each night, a temptress

escapes, sleek velvet on my hide.

A panther; so risqué in nature,

dangerous in temperament.

I am a woman of sin.

My monochrome feather’s

a warning to all that shines,

their glistening; an addiction.

My beak a thief, my wings an escape.

I am a woman of sin.