The Diary of Samuel Pepys: Glimpses of a 17th century lockdown, and a mirror held up to ours

The British naval administrator tracked his mental health, paranoia and the rising death toll.

Ute Lotz-Heumann, The Conversation

· Apr 30, 2020 · 06:30 pm

Lockdown reading: Five tips on how to read Shakespeare beyond the theatre and classroom

The biggest obstacle to enjoying Shakespeare is thinking it’s a literary intelligence test.

Emma Smith, The Conversation

· Apr 29, 2020 · 05:30 pm

Nature’s rhythm and rhyme: Remembering William Wordsworth 250 years since his birth

His poetry is filled with images of flowers and woodlands, inspired by his Lake District home.

Sally Bushell, The Conversation

· Apr 13, 2020 · 05:30 pm

In ancient Greek philosophy, political leaders were seen as healers in times of crisis

How Athenian ideas shaped what we expect from our politicians today.

Eva Anagnostou-Laoutides, The Conversation

· Apr 10, 2020 · 05:30 pm

How illustrations have kept the magical appeal of ‘Robinson Crusoe’ alive for successive generations

From drawings and woodcuts to expressionist art, a variety of forms have been used to illustrate Daniel Defoe’s account of a shipwrecked sailor.

Christian Algar

· Apr 29, 2019 · 05:30 pm

In the age of Brexit, to describe Chaucer as ‘English to the core’ is to misrepresent him

The famed 14th-century author of ‘The Canterbury Tales’ is considered the epitome of Englishness but it was his internationalism that defined his writing.

Marion Turner, Aeon

· Mar 26, 2019 · 05:30 pm

How Mirza Ghalib’s ghazals traveled to America and became a part of the country’s poetic tradition

The Urdu poet died on this day, February 15, 150 years ago. A rich translation tradition has ensured his legacy lives on, even far away from home.

Manan Kapoor, Sahapedia

· Feb 15, 2019 · 05:30 pm

Why I’ve collected 15 copies (and counting) of ‘Wuthering Heights’ for my private library

How Emily Bronte’s classic novel became a ‘source text’ for a literature student.

Neha Yadav

· Feb 12, 2019 · 08:30 am

A hodgepodge of scumbags, orgies, and the breakdown of society: Also known as Juvenal’s ‘Satires’

‘...spat out in words as filthy as the vices they describe.’

Robert Cowan, The Conversation

· Jan 31, 2019 · 05:30 pm

Why ‘The Water Margin’, China’s outlaw novel from the 14th century, keeps getting modern versions

Its influence has gone far beyond the usual genres of fiction, film, art and theatre.

Josh Stenberg, The Conversation

· Jan 18, 2019 · 05:30 pm

Charles Dickens popularised the traditional Christmas meal but what did people feast on before that?

If it hadn't been for ‘A Christmas Carol’, the menu in many Western countries may well have centred on a boar's head.

Joan Fitzpatrick, The Conversation

· Dec 25, 2018 · 05:30 pm

What makes Kahlil Gibran’s ‘The Prophet’ an enduring favourite over nearly 100 years?

This slim volume of 26 prose poems has been translated into over 50 languages.

Antonia Pont, The Conversation

· Dec 12, 2018 · 05:30 pm