Author: Holly Peckitt

Whether we’re together or apart in another difficult year, Mother’s Day is something many of us treasure. A time of celebrating the mothers and motherly figures in our lives, these are the people who have guided us through life and left their indelible prints on our hearts. Your mum might have shaped your love of reading (I know mine certainly has!) and filled your world with stories of all varieties. From doses of wisdom to sources of joy, mothers and books are very similar. So in celebration of Mother’s Day, we’ve looked at our favourite mothers in literature. Molly Weasley…

Photo by James Eades On 17th February, I was fortunate enough to be given a ticket to an online event – Dr David Olusoga in conversation with Dr Adam Rutherford.  Anyone who enjoys history, whether fictional or factual, will know of Olusoga; a professor at the University of Manchester and TV Historian whose notable works include The House through Time, and Black and British: A Forgotten History. His works provide a much-needed and jarring account of history from the lens of marginalised voices and came to the forefront of media attention in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement,…

Photo by Taylor Wright Whether you’re still hungover from St Patrick’s Day or you’re planning a future getaway to the Emerald Isle, a longing for Ireland can easily be cured with a generous dose of Irish literature. Maybe I’m biased as a part-Irish person, but Ireland (both North and Republic of) have some of the best English-language literature to offer. From Wilde to Yeats and Friel, prose to poetry to plays, extraordinary stories have come from every crevice of Ireland, and why not celebrate St Patrick’s Day by enjoying some? Icons to up and coming talent, here is a rundown…

As we enter another month of lockdown, while restrictions may be easing, we are still very much confined to the Bangor area. There is a finite number of things to do in Bangor, but if you love literature and are looking for something slower paced, then why not take a walking tour of Bangor’s literary connections! There are a few characters of literary characters encounters taking place in Bangor, perhaps the most famous (but most forgotten) one being in William SHakespeare’s Henry IV Part I. In Act 3 Scene i, Hotspur, Mortimer, Worcester and Glendower meet in Bangor – specifically…

Whether you have Netflix or not, by now if you haven’t heard of Bridgerton then perhaps you’ve been living under a rock. The new series, inspired by the novels of Julia Quinn, has been taking social media and the world by storm, in part because they are highly-charged reimaginings of Jane Austen, and partly because these are dramatic tales of love and power in Regency London. If you are in love with the riveting new TV series and are craving more, then we reckon you’ll love these books! Note: These books aren’t pure sex. If that’s your thing, see E.L.…

We may be one month into 2021, but with 11 months remaining, there is plenty of time to tuck into a new book and discover some new and exciting reads! From poetry to the new best novel, here’s something to look forward to in the darker times and to lose yourself in when a freshly printed book arrives on your doorstep! Today we’ll be diving into February, a cold month  – no better time to curl up with a new read or discover a favourite author. Light Perpetual by Francis Spufford  After winning the Costa Book Award for Fiction five…

At the end of a groggy year, there is no doubt that we have all arrived at Christmas having spent a lot of time in other worlds, whether it be through music, TV, or books. The arts have been a lifeline to so many of us this year; a helping hand in the most uncertain of moments. Books are always a great solace and comfort in a chaotic world, and as we send gifts to friends or celebrate on Skype, we will all be sharing our favourite reads from lockdown with loved ones. The same will be said for my…

Following the announcement of 2020’s Booker Prize Winner last month, bookshops have been shouting from the rooftops – rightfully so – about Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart. Yet, while the book world gets excited for another modern classic, many of us are also still reeling from the publication of last year’s winner. No, not Margaret Atwood, but Bernardine Evaristo, specifically, Girl, Woman, Other (2019). “This is Britain as you’ve never seen it. This is Britain as it has never been told. From Newcastle to Cornwall, from the birth of the twentieth century to the teens of the twenty-first, Girl,…

At the end of another semester at Bangor, it is nearly time for the Christmas holidays; this year, the end of semester is a little bittersweet. Because of COVID-19, the next few weeks will feature the end of any in-person classes and a mass-migration across the country for any student going home. Whether you’re going by train, sharing a car with housemates or hopping on the bus, it’s going to be a long ride home for Christmas. Your phone battery may run low, the Wifi might be terrible, so what better way to spend your time than delving into a…

Photo by Wan San Yip for Unsplash (CC-by-SA 4.0) In a shortlist hailed as “the most diverse” to date, one author has come out on top. The winner of this year’s Booker Prize, announced last week, was Douglas Stuart for Shuggie Bain. After months of anticipation, and an award ceremony later than usually planned (thanks, Covid-19), we finally have a winner who no doubt will go on to join the prestigious ranks of Booker alumni. The Booker Prize is one of the highest accolades in literature and acts as a huge selling point within the English language book trade. From…

Photo by Juliana Malta (CC-BY-SA 4.0) Whether you celebrate it or not, Christmas is quickly coming around once again. After what has been a difficult time for, well, everyone, coupled with the fact that we may not be able to spend time with those that we love this year, what better way to show your appreciation and care this year than with a thoughtful gift? Anyone with a book lover in their life knows that although books are an easy gift, the trouble is knowing what your favourite bookworm hasn’t read. So we’ve whittled down some of the best tips,…

After several months of trial and experimentation, Bookshop.org has officially launched in the UK! Sure, you may not have heard of it til now, but give it a few weeks and no doubt this will be the website at everyone’s finger tips. Bookshop.org aims to provide significant financial support to independent bookshops across the country. The process is, in actual fact, surprisingly simple. Search for your book of choice and add to the basket If you have a preference, select a book shop you’d like the proceeds to go towards. Buy your next read! Now, your money will be paid…

“There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.” This is the opening line of Jane Eyre, the classic gothic romance novel written by the eldest of the three Brontё sisters, Charlotte. Words that ripple across time are incredibly rare, but in the case of the Brontё sisters, each line of prose is a whispered moment of three lives remembered, their circumstances (isolated in the Yorkshire Moors) oft-forgotten. Their names were Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. As the nights draw in and each day gets a little colder, mistier and vibrant with each shade of autumn, we are all in…

Photo by Steve Daniels (CC BY-SA 2.0) In a year of uncertainty, books have been a great comfort, solace and source of hope to us all. Alongside the wealth of books published over the past couple of months, a whole museum dedicated to our beloved tomes has been given a new lease of life. The Story Museum in Oxford re-opened on 24th October to much celebration, both locally and nationally, as previously featured on BBC News. A long-awaited renovation of the museum, which first opened in 2003, had to be suspended due to the UK Covid-19 lockdown; but now after…

Photo by Neven Krcmarek (CC-by-SA 4.0) It’s officially spooky season, and although we’d all love to spend this time having film nights with friends or exploring forbidden places, this year is certainly different to our usual Halloweens. Whether you’re confined to your flat or need a distraction from our chaotic world, gothic literature is always at its best in the autumn, when the leaves are dry, air is cold, and the days begin with an eerie mist rising. Grab a hot drink, a blanket, and dim the lights; our top five gothic recommendations will keep you cosy and on the…

As October dawns upon us, we may be thinking about one key event this month: Halloween. And while we do love Halloween here at Seren, we know that there is something more important in October: Black History Month. Following the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, we want to show you that Black History Month is not just this month, but every month. Now more than ever, it is so important to diversify our reading; to learn more about experiences and to hear the stories stemming from voices beyond our own. If you want to become more aware, as…