ART

CO-EDITORS KAY SABERTON & CHLOE SHAWCROSS

EXCERPT FROM

‘THE FAIRY WHO DIED IN CAPTIVITY RE-IMAGINED: SARA’S STRIKE FOR CLIMATE’

BY HANNAH DALY

Sara stayed on the bus past her stop. Whilst checking her bag for her headphones, she looked over the provisions she had packed for her day of rebellion. She wasn’t going to school today. Walking along the Ipswich Waterfront, with a podcast playing in her ears she tried to ignore the rising anger that her father had left in her. She sat down on a bench and stared out at the boats moored on the river.

It was a still calm day. The sun beating down in a cloudless sky, but the heatwave did seem to be ending. Upon the surface of the water, a swan made its way through the green algae leaving a snail-trail of clean water in its wake. She was going to start university soon. Surely, she should be the one to decide what she did or didn’t eat?

Story continued in Suffolk Folk (2021)

FOREWORD BY KAY SABERTON

AN ANTHOLOGY OF EAST ANGLIAN TALES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY (2021)

This anthology sees students on the MA in Creative and Critical Writing and BA English courses at the University of Suffolk collaborate for the first time on a collection of Suffolk and East Anglian folklore and rewritten tales for the twenty-first century.

As an addition to the anthology, the winning and shortlisted entries from the Student New Angle Prize 2021 Writing Awards are included in the collection. The winning story ‘The Singing Tides’ by Bradley Garnham, and the runner-up tale of ‘Aelfthryth’ by Sarah Clark, have previously featured in Student Life magazine alongside interviews.

The stories included in ‘Suffolk Folk’ tell the tales of Malekin, the Stowmarket fairies, and Spring-Heeled Jack, to name a few. The anthology also includes a foreword written by Costa Short Story Award winning author Zoe Gilbert, who previously visited the University of Suffolk to discuss ‘Folk’ with students in 2018. Since then, she has won several accolades and has recently been appointed as a Visiting Fellow of Creative Writing at the University of Suffolk.

‘The writers in this anthology do far more than show us the dark, magical, shadow side of Suffolk. Every piece reminds us that we find deep meaning in folk tales precisely because they allow us to see the patterns of meaning in our own, contemporary lives. You will find themes here as new and old as folk tales themselves: childlessness, parenthood, loss, destiny, youth, escape, revenge’

Zoe Gilbert

The student writers recently gathered at the Primadonna Festival which took place in Stowmarket. Primadonna is the first literary festival in the UK to specifically give prominence to work by women and those whose voices are not usually heard. The festival brought together a variety of creatives, such as writers, editors, readers, publishers, artists, comedians, performers, and musicians all in one weekend.

Suffolk Folk is currently available to purchase from the University of Suffolk shop directly, or through Waterstones and Amazon. You can also pick up a copy at local bookshops near you! Tales from the anthology have proudly featured on Felixstowe Radio, BBC Suffolk and Norfolk Radio. They have also been recorded as a podcast, available at: https://shows.acast.com/suffolk-folk-eastanglian-tales-for-the-21st-century/episodes

JOURNALLING TIPS

BY DANIEL OWAIRU

Recently, especially during and post lockdown, journalling has become a reliable form of organising our day to day lives, keeping track of essentials or even finding an escape from reality, whatever you choose to journal about.

Before getting to the tips and tricks of journalling, why is it relevant? Well personally journalling has always provided a sense of control over my life, helping me to stay productive and keep on track with what I need to get done. Sometimes writing about your feelings or even drawing them out (if you have an artistic journal) can really help improve your mental health as it gives a feeling of relief, similar to dropping a very heavy bag you’ve been carrying for ages.

I started journalling before lockdown, but it was during lockdown that I made the most of my journal, it helped me reflect on myself and really focus on what I needed to grow as a person and find my place in society. The reason I started journalling in the first place was because I was drawn to the organisation and the impact it seemed to have over other people’s lives and I wanted that for myself. I personally took to the more artistic side of journalling because I enjoy expressing emotion and feeling through art as well as making my journal look pleasing. NOW FOR THE MOMENT YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR: TIPS AND TRICKS FOR JOURNALLING START SIMPLE: A common mistake made from beginner journalists is that they want to make their journal this fancy and extravagant looking text, my advice to you is keep it simple, take time to learn what you like and don’t like, so that your journal becomes an extension of who you are as a person and not just a book full of random bits here and there.

USE STICKERS, PICTURES OR WASHI TAPE: If you’re not confident in your art skills you can still have an artsy journal, just use scrapbook paper, stickers and washi tape to spice up your journal, it can still be a representation of you, just don’t go too crazy with the washi tape (it can be a bit addictive).

FIND A GOOD PEN: When journalling you want to have the best journalling experience possible, so find a smooth pen with a good grip, this will allow you to enjoy your journalling experience and make sure your hand isn’t uncomfortable.

SEVEN DEATHS OF AN EMPIRE

BY G.R. MATTHEWS

REVIEW BY FRAN MULVEY

Where do I start with how I feel about this amazing novel? I suppose by saying that it has fast become my favourite book of the year so far. I don’t want to say too much, as that might spoil a large chunk of it – but I will tell you a non-spoiler-filled, condensed version of my thoughts.

I tabbed so many pages of this book! I used three colours; green for information I thought might be important later on, pink for passages and character quotes I loved, and orange for the parts that hit me in the feels. I have so many green tabs scattered throughout, and I still wasn’t able to figure out who the big bad guy was until very close to the end – which I loved. This is because, in most novels I read that feature a mystery of some sort, I usually figure out the “who-done-it?” within a few chapters. But although I developed a list of a number of suspects as the novel progressed, it wasn’t until very near the end that I figured out who the real villain was. This is what I was here for because it added so much intrigue to the story that carried through until the end. Unlike the truth of the main villain of the novel, I did pick up on a link between two characters fairly quickly as the novel progressed, and was so proud of myself for it haha!

Additionally, during the first few hundred pages of the novel, I felt like it sometimes deviated from the main plot of the story into smaller subplots. However, I quickly realised that these were still linked to the central crux of the story in some way or another, which made what

happened during the time I spent with the perspectives of the story, make more sense. That being said, I still got confused sometimes while reading about certain elements that connected one perspective to the other, though that might be down to me, and not the novel itself.

I fell in love with Matthew’s writing style, and have nearly as many pink tabs as I do green, scattered throughout the novel; there were so many sentences and character quotes which were just beautifully written and phrased, and so many were really wholesome. There aren’t as many orange tabs as there are pink and green, but what I have tabbed had a significant impact on me in some way. They are the most important tabs for me – they mark the passages that really hit home for one reason or another.

I loved the politics of the world, and Matthew’s unique magic system which is fascinating in the way that it works and, – combined with his writing style – reading it being performed was, well…magical! I also found the world’s leading religion equally as fascinating, and the army and its ranking system, along with the palace positions – though confusing at times – interesting. I’d love to know what inspired these aspects.

I’m not sure whether I have a favourite character, as there are a number of characters that I became attached to; one of whom is Kyron who is the sweetest bean, I love him so much. Emlyn is fierce and such a strong young woman despite and because of what she’s been through. Other characters I fell in love with include Master Padarn, and Borus – they’re so precious!

To sum up, despite some of its small shortcomings I absolutely adored this book and its characters. It kept me hooked throughout, creating such an intense and intricate world that pulled me in from page 1, and made me feel a plethora of emotions. I am so excited to read the sequels to this when they come out!

IF YOU LIKED THIS SHOW You’ll Love This Book

BY ROSIE WEDGE

Over the past year, the majority of us have been consuming way more television than we normally would. For most, this has given us the chance to catch up on all those boxsets we’re constantly being recommended. However, if you’re sad that these shows are now over, or can’t wait another year for the next series, then perhaps these books will give you that fix you’re in need of!

If you liked Stranger Things then try

WHEN THE SKY FELL ON SPLENDOR BY EMILY HENRY

Emily Henry is mainly known for writing adult romances, but very few people seem to know about her amazing YA science fiction that oozes Stranger Things energy. After a group of teens witness what appears to be an alien encounter in their small town of Splendor, they begin to notice strange things happening around the town, as well as their own skills and abilities beginning to change. This book really captures a similar atmosphere as Stranger Things with the mystery of this close encounter leaving a scar on the teenagers by giving them what appear to be supernatural abilities. …or THE RAVEN CYCLE BY MAGGIE STIEFVATER

Okay, so I’m cheating a bit here and throwing in another book series, but I also think this series is the perfect thing for anyone craving more Stranger Things content. A group of 4 boys (that you will absolutely adore) team up with Blue, a girl from a family of psychics who is a battery for their psychic energy, to search for the longlost Welsh King Glendower who is said to be buried on a magical ley line and will grant a wish to whoever finds him and awakens him. This series is full of magical realism and has strong friendship at the very heart of it like Stranger Things.

If you liked The Wilds, then try WILDER GIRLS BY RORY POWER

I was hooked on The Wilds and found it to be such a thrilling watch across lockdown that I was constantly thinking about it. Wilder Girls shares very similar themes, and has a very similar atmosphere to The Wilds, following a group of girls under quarantine at their boarding school after a mysterious infection breaks out. Like The Wilds, the themes of isolation and survival begin to mess with the girls’ heads, and soon they go from an allfor-one and one-for-all mentality to survival of the fittest.

If you liked Game of Thrones, then try

THE WHEEL OF TIME BY ROBERT JORDAN If you used the last year or so to finally jump aboard the Game of Thrones hype train and are now left with a craving for a similarly gritty, expansive, political fantasy, then Robert Jordan’s gigantic Wheel of Time series is one you will devour in no time. The series is very similar in that there is a lot of world building, politics, a very medieval feel, and has over 1,000 named characters that make the Game of Thrones cast a walk in the park to follow. This series has an amazing magic system and is excellent at building up and then subverting all the cliché fantasy tropes, meaning that it always keeps you thinking. And if that isn’t enough, Amazon Prime will be releasing series one of their adaption this November, so best to get stuck in now!

If you liked Never Have I Ever, then try

THE WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI TRILOGY BY SANDHYA MENON

I binged both series of Never Have I Ever on their release dates and found the series such a heart-warming comfort show. Likewise, Menon’s When Dimple Met Rishi trilogy is a great comfort read for me, following three different Indian teenage girls in America trying to navigate their friendships, family lives, romances, and school lives. Like Never Have I Ever, this series has a great focus on Indian culture compared to American culture and has great discussions around how clashes between these can have a real impact on teenagers trying to navigate their way through life. All the books are so heartwarming, funny, and full of just some great fluffy romances that just really make you smile.

THE CAT OUTSIDE

BY JOHN N. HARPER

The cat outside was called Glob. It was a rather clever black cat with grey eyes and a constantly swaying tail. But Glob didn’t know she was called Glob for many years, as it wasn’t until her eighth birthday that Ester gave her a name. By age ten, Ester found Glob at the doorstep every morning. Mostly waiting for food but also because Glob always wanted to see Ester. And Ester always wanted to see Glob.

A road lay between Ester’s house and Glob’s nightly place of stay. That stay being a neighbour’s fence that Glob cleverly and tirelessly formed into a den. A secret, private cat den all for Glob. Of course, Ester knew where it was and she was certain that it was a secret for only her and Glob.

By age twelve, Ester started secretly allowing Glob into her home. Much was her parents’ confusion at finding cat toys around the house, which her grandfather often trod on. Ester’s grandfather was a tired old man who drove well into his nineties and went on to live well into his hundreds. He drove a Vauxhall Meriva which was already ten years old when he bought it. He got it cheap thanks to an unfortunate blind-spot that rendered its previous owner in the hospital. Ester’s grandfather was careful, she knew that, so she never worried about him getting hurt.

By age fourteen, Ester’s parents finally revealed to her that they knew about Glob all along. They let it slide as they always wanted a cat and didn’t mind Ester disappearing for a few hours. Ester officially adopted Glob on her fifteenth birthday and gave her a chequered pink and black collar.

Every day was a good day with Glob around. Mostly, anyway. The whole family rejoiced in her shenanigans. Like the time last summer when she got so hot that she dragged a bowl of water onto the roof and bathed there for the rest of the day. And the time that she fell in a tub of catnip and spent an entire afternoon high as a kite. It was a perfect world as long as Glob was in it. Ester loved her.

Things changed the day her parents got Goob, a kitten that looked exactly like Glob. Black fur and an ever-swaying tail. Except for a white patch under his left eye. Ester and her family knew that the patch would come in handy to identify Goob when he grew up. Glob and Goob were like mother and son. He was much shyer than Glob and would spend a lot more time in their private den.

On a Monday morning in the sweltering heat of summer, Ester’s parents’ car broke down and so it was up to her grandfather to drive them. He claimed that he lived with his son and daughter-in-law only because they asked him to. For the most part he never believed he needed care. As far as he was concerned, he lived through the war and had managed this far without help. So why would he need it?

Ester was fast approaching her GCSE exams and had spent the previous night revising till one in the morning and so she never greeted either cat that morning. She much regretted this decision but thought Glob and Goob would be ok without her this one time.

Beep! Beep! The sound of her grandfather’s car brought her out of slumber. Once up, Ester was immediately filled with dread as most teenagers are when approaching their exams. She clambered her way into the bathroom, brushing her teeth before chucking her school uniform on and foraging in her closet for some deodorant.

‘I’m coming!’ she shouted down the stairs as her grandfather continued to beep.

Ester’s grandfather didn’t do it so much because he was afraid she’d be late, but more to amuse himself. Today was an exciting day where he got to drive his son around and prove that he still could.

After a moment, Ester arrived, panting her way into the comfy back seat. She sighed and saluted her grandfather the way he taught her to. It’s all in the wrist she remembers him telling her when she was young. He smiled back at her. With her dad and grandfather in the front and her mother beside her in the back, it was time for their journey to begin. The interior of the car was dull and grey, but the air conditioning made up for it. You could see the blind spot which was caused by a dent in the bonnet raising it a few centimetres higher than it should have been.

The car started and drove swiftly, Ester’s grandfather knew that he had to be quick. But he turned the corner far too sharply.

‘Watch out!’ Ester cried out in fear. The next day had bad weather. A call from the vet confirmed what they feared had happened. In the warm cosy living room, our household occupants’ hearts grew ever colder. Sat on the main sofa was Ester’s grandfather in shock. His son and daughterin-law watching TV.

Ester opened the front door, back home from school. She’d just finished her English Language exam. She would not know that the story she wrote about a cat on the other side of the road would grant her a grade nine until many months later. All she did know was that the cat did indeed pass on to the world beyond.

Goob was sat at the kitchen window, facing the den that he always saw as a haven. He watched as the neighbour boarded up the fence. Ester brought Goob close and for the first time he found comfort and solace in her arms.

Many years later, Ester would find Goob sat at the window, waiting for Glob to come home. But she was also sure that he knew Glob’s fate. She began to realise that cats mourn just as much as humans and whenever she was sad and alone – Goob was there.

THE END

WHY WE SHOULD STUDY THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES

BY MATT NEWMAN

The Arts and Humanities are some of the oldest fields of study known to man. Though the proper definition of ‘art’ is still debated by scholars and enthusiasts across the globe, a widely more accepted meaning can be taken into consideration when we consider the number of forms it takes when being taught in schools. Humanities on the other hand, ranges from a diverse set of literature to political science. It enables students to become independent thinkers and allows for old ideas to be processed and new ones to be proposed. Examples can be seen in the field of history, where historians have continued to make assessments of different ideas on the figures who have made their mark on history.

You might ask why this is relevant in today’s workforce? Well studying in these fields can equip you with critical skills for a vast range of different careers. Some of these skills include analysing, researching, communication, and problem-solving. These will help you to build an important skill set needed for progression into university or a career. It is a total myth that arts and humanities are ‘totally useless’ for a valuable career and unfortunately, this is becoming echoed by statements and policies around the world. In the UK, the government’s emphasis on STEM has led to a nearly 20% drop in students taking A-levels in English and a 15% decline in the arts (Source: BBC and The Guardian).

It also is not necessarily about work. We are losing out on crucial ways to understand and improve both the world and ourselves. I have taken A-level History in order to further understand world

history and how we can learn from past mistakes we have made to then apply this learned knowledge into striving for a better world. For example, one of my units is looking at Communist Rule in Russia and how this affected daily life. I am particularly interested in the suppression of free speech and how the media was controlled tightly by the state. If we apply this knowledge to the modern world, we can understand the importance of freedom of the press and why knowledge of the arts and humanities must be studied and widely understood.

To summarise, studying history provides us with the data that is used to understand and create new ideas that society needs.

Many of us have begun to feel and understand the importance of science especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addressing the issues presented by the virus, we need the work of scientists and health professionals. But what many forgot to consider is that “arts and sciences all serve the large purpose”, as expressed by mathematician Albert Einstein. One multi-institution study results show medical students who had also studied arts and humanities received much higher scores in empathy, tolerance for ambiguity, and emotional intelligence – those all being qualities that we want in a physician. For as long as the pandemic lasts, science will of course be at the forefront, however that does not mean institutions and our government should see arts and humanities as ‘worthless’. They are essential for survival and welfare; the arts can help heal our bodies and mind during these difficult times.

We are unique in our drive to engage and create in the arts. We define our human experience by the cultures we create and participate in. Culture is made up of social interactions, activities, and traditions that are fuelled by the arts. We are also seeing art being used as a tool to unify communities together, it allows not only to just understand ourselves, but to understand each other on a deeper, personal level.

The pandemic has made it more necessary to consider what skills we need as a society to be able to address present and future challenges. While higher education institutions need to help deploy the knowledge base and skills that students need. The government has always determined what it believes to be the most important skills for young people to develop. There are reports that the government plans to cut the amount of funding for art courses in universities that it provides already, up to 50%. This would be a huge mistake as this shows the government’s complete ignorance about the economic and social benefits that the arts and humanities provide. Particularly as the country begins its recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

To put it simply, the arts and humanities matter deeply. It is up to us to show the government what really matters by getting more people to study these areas. That’s how we can show the importance of the arts.