ART

CO-EDITORS KAY SABERTON & CHLOE SHAWCROSS

A VERY STUDENT CHRISTMAS

BY MATT NEWMAN

Christmas is the most joyful time of the year, or it’s supposed to be. It often entails a considerable deal of travel, stress, and constant worry for us students. It can be a source of extreme misery for those of us trapped in the tumultuous world of student housing. But I’ve decided that this year it won’t be. My flatmates, Adelaide and George, are kind, but like most people, they have their own flaws. Adelaide often suffers from grandiose ideas, and frequently flings her wealth in the faces of others, something that should not be done at a season of giving. George, on the other hand, is the polar opposite; he is riddled with insecurity and poor self-esteem. I consider myself ordinary, but I can be a bit eccentric. So, it was going to take a miracle to have an enjoyable Christmas confined to our small flat.

Adelaide, recently returned from Waitrose, barges into my room with Christmas decorations swinging from her body. ‘It’s time to put up that tree you brought last week,’ she announces. She stands over me impatiently. I tear myself away from favourite book and sigh. I grab the box with the baubles neatly wrapped inside. Then George stumbles in. ‘I’m not sure whether we should put the star on top or the angel,’ he whispers, mostly to himself. ‘Pick the one you think looks best,’ I say, smiling reassuringly at George.

He flashes a smile at me before returning to his room to retrieve the topper. I had been distracted by George so only now noticed that Adelaide was adorning the tree with tinsel in a garish manner. ‘Please, stop what you are doing. That looks awful, Ade,’ I exclaim.

‘What? Why? They’re only decorations. Plus, I bought this expensive tinsel, so it’ll look wonderful,’ she replies confidently. ‘Ade, Christmas isn’t all about you or money. It’s a time of giving and spreading happiness. I don’t appreciate you taking over the tree like this,’ I reply, slightly agitated. Adelaide looks down and sighs heavily. ‘You’re right,’ she says. ‘It’s just… it’s been so difficult not having my family with me this Christmas. They… I can’t go home this year.’ George returns with the star and immediately tries to console Adelaide who has started crying. ‘Hey, it’s all right. We all get upset sometimes,’ he says soothingly. ‘We need to stick together and make this a really merry Christmas, yeah?’ We both nod in response. After a short time, we all stand to continue working on the tree. George hands me the star, which he has proudly chosen to be the centrepiece of our tree. I place the star at the top and then I step back to admire our work. I never could have imagined that the three of us would be able to work together to create something so lovely. George disappears and comes back in a few minutes later with some hot chocolate.

‘You’ve done an incredible job with this hot chocolate, George. Delicious!’ I exclaim.

‘Thank you,’ he replies. ‘The tree looks amazing. Well done guys!’ We continue to stand admiring the tree whilst drinking our warm beverages.

I think about all the wonderful things that makes Christmas so delightful.

It may not have been your typical

Christmas with family and loved ones, but we gave it our all.

And it turned out to be a very student Christmas after all.

BLAME

TRIGGER WARNING:

Sexual harassment, self-harm, bullying, eating disorder, restrictive eating.

BY AMELIA RIGHELATO SUTTON

I used to blame my skirt. If it was longer it wouldn’t draw unwanted eyes. If it was longer, they wouldn’t whistle on the walk home. If it was longer, they wouldn’t slap my ass in the corridor. I used to blame my lack of makeup. If I wore more, they wouldn’t look so disgusted. If I wore more, they wouldn’t judge the bags resting under my eyes. If I wore more maybe they would smile instead of looking the other way. I used to blame my bare legs. If I covered up, they wouldn’t judge my curves. If I covered up, they wouldn’t point out the patch I missed shaving. If I covered up maybe I wouldn’t notice the unwanted stares. I used to blame what I eat.

If I missed a meal my stomach might not roll. If I missed a meal, I wouldn’t have to adjust my skirt when I sit. If I missed a meal, I might look like those Barbie dolls from when I was a kid. I look down at the faded scars covered by my school jumper. They remind me of all the times I thought about missing a meal. The extra time I spent in the morning putting on makeup and tights. I stare back at my naked face in the mirror instead of avoiding the reflection. I look at my bare legs and stomach rolls that never hurt anybody. And I realise, it is not my fault, they are the ones to blame.

EARLY 2022 YA RELEASES TO LOOK OUT FOR

BY ROSIE WEDGE

I say it pretty much every year at this point, but I feel like next year is lined up to be one of the best for YA book releases! I recommend checking out blogposts on Goodreads and Epic Reads if you want extensive lists of what is in store, but I’ve compiled a list of a few books I’m most excited for in the first half of 2022… and those I may have already pre-ordered!

GALLANT BY V.E. SCHWAB (March 1st) If you’re anybody that knows anything about YA literature, then you probably already know that V.E. Schwab has another book coming out next year. This time she’s blessing us with some Gothic, light-horror wonderment. Schwab has one of the most distinct writing voices in YA literature right now, and so understandably the book community is buzzing for this release!

IMAGES BY SOPHIE DEBENHAM

THIS IS WHY THEY HATE US BY AARON H. ACEVES (March 29th) If the cover of this book alone was not enough to suck you in, then let me try to tempt you further. Aceves, a bisexual Mexican-American author, is blessing us with another LGBTQ+ contemporary romance, following Quique over one summer as he tries to get over the guy he’s been crushing on by pursuing other romantic interests. But as you’ve probably already guessed, getting his crush, Saleem, off his mind is easier said than done. The biggest spanner in the works is that Saleem has gone home to the girl his parents are trying to set him up with. Aceves promises both laughter and tears from this one, and I cannot wait to have my heart broken and repaired over and over by this book!

SO THIS IS EVER AFTER BY F. T. LUKENS (March 29th) March 29th is going to be a glorious day for LGBTQ+ releases, and this is possibly the book I’m most excited for. LGBTQ+ YA fantasies are my kryptonite, and I cannot stop gawking at this cover. And if that’s not enough, this book is being described as Carry On meets Arthurian legend, with a love-was-rightin-front-of-you-all-along romance! The synopsis is also giving me strong Master of One vibes, which is currently my favourite YA fantasy of the year, and so my hopes are high for this one. ONCE UPON A K-PROM BY KAT CHO (May 17th) This book is going to be everything! We follow Elena Soo, who’s just trying to live her usual suburban life in Illinois, when her childhood BFF (who just so happens to now be a huge K-Pop idol) shows up on her doorstep and asks her to prom. Because prom isn’t as big of a thing here in the UK as it is in America, I love living vicariously through YA characters at these events and I’m super excited for the K-Pop and Asian representation. This book is said to be perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sandhya Menon, both of whom I am a huge fan of. I think this is going to be a perfect fluffy romance book for Spring 2022!

THE LESBIANA’S GUIDE TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL BY SONORA REYES (May 17th)

This book sounds like it’s going to be such a fun time. Yamilet Flores finds herself in a predominantly white Catholic school, where seemingly the only pro is the fact that no one here knows she’s gay, having been outed by her ex-best friend. However, it’s not long before she finds herself crushing on the only openly queer girl at school. But she’s not ready to come out just yet, out of fear of disappointing her mum. Whilst Reyes says this book is going to be fun, and full of amazing romantic yearning, there’s going to be some poignant moments too, and I cannot wait to see how the author blends these together to bring us this amazing YA contemporary novel.

LIGHT UP YOUR WINTER

WITH ILLUMINATED TRAILS IN NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK

BY ELMA GLASGOW

Discover amazing arts, timeless heritage, and cultural wonders in Norfolk and Suffolk. From concerts to comedians, literature to landscapes, and palaces to puppeteers – whatever you’re into, Head East.

Head East is a celebration of arts, culture and heritage in the East of England, delivered around a series of ‘headline’ place-specific cultural initiatives. Led by the New Anglia Culture Board, the year-long targeted cultural tourism campaign aims to promote and build a national profile of the East as a ‘must see’ UK cultural destination. The original campaign was focused on 2020, but the pandemic triggered a strategic re-focus. Head East is designed to amplify the profile of Norfolk and Suffolk’s outstanding cultural offer and to boost the gradual recovery, adaptation and re-stabilisation of the region’s visitor economy in the wake of the pandemic. CHRIS LEVINE AT HOUGHTON HALL, HOUGHTON, NORFOLK 22 Oct – 23 Dec houghtonhall.com Houghton Hall in Norfolk is set to be transformed by a major solo exhibition of contemporary British artist, Chris Levine, 528 Hz Love Frequency. Marking the inaugural winter show in the historic grounds of this prestigious art venue, this exhibition running between 22 October and 23 December 2021 will feature a series of new holographic artworks, print works and large immersive laser and LED installations. This is a body of new work created specifically for the unique environs of the house and grounds. Each distinctive work is characteristic of Levine’s unique and cutting-edge work with the meditative and immersive properties of light and sound.

ILLUMINATED GARDEN TRAIL, HELMINGHAM HALL, SUFFOLK 17 Nov – 19 Dec | helmingham.com/ events/illuminated-garden-trail Make the most of the dark winter nights by stepping into a magical world of light, colour and sound, as you explore the grounds of Helmingham Hall adorned with thousands of lights transforming the gardens into an enchanted winter wonderland.

ENCHANTED JOURNEY OF LIGHT, THURSFORD, NORFOLK 17 Nov – 13 Dec | thursford.com/enchanted-journey-of-light/ Your journey will progress into the Santa’s Magical Journey Building (sadly Santa is STILL ice-skating so will not be attending the event). You will travel past the penguins and polar bears to the giant-sized teddy bears! Get ready to see how the elves have loaded Santa’s sleigh, then past the busy elves hard at work in the toy factory using the wondrous wrapping machine! Throughout your journey you’ll meet lots of fantasy land characters including the snowman family, make sure you watch out for their snowballs!

SANDRINGHAM WINTER LIGHT TRAIL, SANDRINGHAM, NORFOLK 12 Nov – 19 Dec | luminate.live/ sandringham-estate Nestled deep within Her Majesty’s private Estate, awaits a spectacular, illuminated trail, full of wonder and intrigue, to delight and enthral your senses. As darkness descends, join us on our enchanting journey, as we weave a captivating light trail through the Country Park at Sandringham, the muchloved rural retreat of Her Majesty. Immerse yourself in our mesmerising mile long trail, with stunning lighting elements and fabulous light play, all set to ambient music.

LOVE LIGHT NORWICH, NORFOLK 17 – 19 Feb | lovelightnorwich.co.uk Love Light Norwich returns with stunning new installations, projections, and performances all designed to amaze and delight. This free light festival makes Norwich shine with three days of enchanting experiences, open to everybody. See muchloved landmarks transformed into vibrant artworks, enjoy fantastic performances from renowned artists, join in with the city centre procession, and become part of the festival with interactive installations. Themed around love and belonging, Love Light Norwich takes the dark February nights and conjures a beautiful experience for residents and visitors alike. SPECTACLE OF LIGHT, HAUGHLEY PARK, STOWMARKET, SUFFOLK 4 – 27 Feb | haughleypark.co.uk/ public-events/spectacle Discover the night-time wonder of Haughley Park and its gardens brought to life as you follow a beautiful new Spectacle of Light and Sound around the glorious gardens. Explore this magical illuminated trail marvelling at the glorious gardens and majestic trees all lit under the stars. Enjoy the wonderful music as you discover each new secret of this romantic environment. Discover the amazing Carpet of Colour and the flickering Field of Fire. Walk through the Kaleidoscope, gaze at the Mirror balls, Moroccan lanterns and much, much more!

For more cultural events in Norfolk and Suffolk, visit Head East regional culture tourism campaign blogs and more: visiteastofengland.com/head-east Follow Head East on social media.

PHOTOGRAPHY Q&A WITH ELLIE SHARP PART ONE

What made you start photography? I first got into photography when I went on holiday to Belgium. I was taking photos of architecture, nature and interesting objects at the age of 12 but got into portraiture when I turned 14 and had been bought my first DSLR: the Canon 400D. Since then, I have developed my portraiture into creative, editorial fashion concepts.

Why do you feel like it’s important to raise awareness of topics that aren’t as well known? I create a lot of my art based around ideas of mental health and current problems in society, particularly in the media. Today, the media can easily trick people into believing just about anything, especially misconceptions about mental health. I feel educating people through visual imagery is a lot more impactful and relatable to an audience. Who is your biggest inspiration? My main inspiration is my aunt; she has always been so encouraging towards me and my photography journey. She has experience in photography and is always happy to give me feedback and help me develop me ideas, her kindness never goes unappreciated. It really helps me grow as a young person in the creative industry.

Catch part two of this Q&A with Ellie in the next issue of My Life.

Instagram: @elliee.photoss Website: www.elliesharp photography.myportfolio.com