Fife

Hello, I am Fife, your new literary senior and book enthusiast. I am studying Biology, Economics and English for A level, and am hoping to study Law at university.

My passion for literacy came at a very young age. Reading anything I could get my hands on, books have been with me for all the key moments I have experienced in life so far. From the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton to Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens – I was and still am absolutely enthralled by reading. I find that it stimulates the mind and builds up key critical analysis skills, improving your overall education whilst simultaneously helping relieve stress and letting you enjoy the feeling of getting lost in a new world.

I hope to encourage more people to start reading, as I believe that there is genre out there for everybody!

Vivi

My name is Vivi and, as one of your new Literary Seniors, I feel both honoured and excited to be able to share my enthusiasm for literature with everyone through a range of activities that we plan to do. Although I understand that reading may appear daunting sometimes, especially when the book is long and meaty, I hope, this year, to encourage more people to get into the habit of reading regularly. The book (or poetry, play, etc.) does not have to be academic but can be used as a form of diversion from daily studies – something which I find really important!

What I personally really enjoy about reading is that I get to understand different cultures, learn about other times in history, as well as about the human experience. Sometimes I am taken to the traumatic time of Slaughterhouse-Five, sometimes to the Ireland of Dubliners, the Russia of Anna Karenina, sometimes into the life of an orphan like Oliver Twist or a vampire like Dracula… all without moving an inch from my bed.

My favourite genre always changes depending on the book and my mood. I’m currently engrossed in dark comedies of the twenty-first century, but I do enjoy reading a good Bildungsroman like The Catcher in the Rye on occasion.

Overall, it is not just what we can learn from books in the long run that is important, but what we can gain at the time we read it.