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tinker tailor student spy

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OpinionDecember 27

Rebranding my resolution for 2024

2023 has been a bit of a slog, all things considered.
Rebranding my resolution for 2024
Rebranding my resolution for 2024
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OpinionDecember 13

Grief is like a long and winding valley

My dad died yesterday.
Grief is like a long and winding valley
Grief is like a long and winding valley
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OpinionNovember 15

Fresh starts often come with stale ends

One month ago, I packed my life up in Oxford and drove seven hours up to Edinburgh, Scotland.
Fresh starts often come with stale ends
Fresh starts often come with stale ends
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OpinionNovember 1

Waning strengths, but also rising hopes

My father is one of the smartest people I know.
Waning strengths, but also rising hopes
Waning strengths, but also rising hopes
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OpinionOctober 18

Lyrical delight a poignant reminder

My sleep last night was plagued by strange dreams of tangled forests, cragged mountains, and the heady sounds of warfare.
Lyrical delight a poignant reminder
Lyrical delight a poignant reminder
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OpinionOctober 4

The Troubles do not seem so foreign or far away

It was pouring with rain, I was hungover and exhausted, and had time to kill before my Airbnb in North Belfast opened.
The Troubles do not seem so foreign or far away
The Troubles do not seem so foreign or far away
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OpinionSeptember 6

No skipping, no cutting to the chase

Two weeks ago, I found myself sitting on a dilapidated deck chair in a rather muddy field at Shakespeare camp in Stratford-upon-Avon, listening to an octogenarian read aloud from Macbeth.
No skipping, no cutting to the chase
No skipping, no cutting to the chase
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OpinionAugust 23

Ageing: another word for living

Recently, I was showing a friend around Oxford when I noticed her staring at me intently.
Ageing: another word for living
Ageing: another word for living
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OpinionAugust 9

Reimagining Dickens on a pebbled beach

I was 13 when I discovered Charles Dickens for the first time.
Reimagining Dickens on a pebbled beach
Reimagining Dickens on a pebbled beach
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OpinionJuly 26

The complexities and contradictions of Barbie

As Barbie herself might say, "There’s no such thing as too much pink!".
The complexities and contradictions of Barbie
The complexities and contradictions of Barbie
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OpinionJuly 12

Nightingale keeps singing in the Big Smoke

My favourite thing to do at any concert is to watch the people around me.
Nightingale keeps singing in the Big Smoke
Nightingale keeps singing in the Big Smoke
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OpinionJune 28

Subtle infiltration of fundamentalism

It's no secret that I love watching documentaries. True crime, missing planes, the dark underbelly of the wellness world—you name it, I’m there.
Subtle infiltration of fundamentalism
Subtle infiltration of fundamentalism
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OpinionJune 14

Election campaign stops in Midjourney

Last month, people scrolling through the National party’s social media accounts might have encountered several bizarre attack advertisements.
Election campaign stops in Midjourney
Election campaign stops in Midjourney
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OpinionMay 17

An opinion, expressed in readable English

As anyone who has met me in real life can attest, I can be a bit of a hothead.
An opinion, expressed in readable English
An opinion, expressed in readable English
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OpinionMay 3

Piece full of sound, fury yet meaningless

Recently, I found myself queuing for an overpriced glass of wine in a darkened theatre at London’s West End.
Piece full of sound, fury yet meaningless
Piece full of sound, fury yet meaningless
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OpinionApril 19

The disappointing truth about J.K. Rowling

Like most children growing up in the ’90s and early ’00s, I was obsessed with Harry Potter.
The disappointing truth about J.K. Rowling
The disappointing truth about J.K. Rowling
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OpinionApril 5

A memoir of grief, silence; a woman’s history

There is, as author Carmel McMahon notes in the introduction to In Ordinary Time, an old Irish phrase, "uaigneas an chladaigh", which means, "the sense of loneliness on the shore; a haunting presence of people who lived and died long ago."
A memoir of grief, silence; a woman’s history
A memoir of grief, silence; a woman’s history
OpinionMarch 29

Evangelist’s rhetoric of concern

There is a unique sense of horror that accompanies the realisation that the most recent evangelical advocate making his way around New Zealand is a family friend.
Evangelist’s rhetoric of concern
Evangelist’s rhetoric of concern
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OpinionMarch 8

The importance of inclusion in clinical trials

Yesterday was International Women’s Day (IWD), an annual celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, and a reminder of the importance of gender equality and women’s empowerment.
The importance of inclusion in clinical trials
The importance of inclusion in clinical trials
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OpinionJanuary 25

Bringing awareness to Movember Conversations 1km at a time

Anyone who has worked with young men may have noticed that come November each year, a preponderance of moustaches begin to flourish on the faces of said colleagues.
Bringing awareness to Movember Conversations 1km at a time
Bringing awareness to Movember Conversations 1km at a time
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OpinionDecember 28

Long-haul journey on Lufthansa is the 10th circle of hell

The 10th circle of hell is a long-haul flight from London to Auckland.
Long-haul journey on Lufthansa is the 10th circle of hell
Long-haul journey on Lufthansa is the 10th circle of hell
OpinionDecember 14

Forget sunshine and shorts, Austria knows how to do Christmas

Christmas in the summertime, as I am told every year, is just plain wrong.
Forget sunshine and shorts, Austria knows how to do Christmas
Forget sunshine and shorts, Austria knows how to do Christmas
OpinionNovember 16

Let us celebrate literature that subverts the limitations of English

My first year of university was one characterised by severe imposter syndrome, insomnia and a creeping realisation that a life in the laboratory was not for me.
Let us celebrate literature that subverts the limitations of English
Let us celebrate literature that subverts the limitations of English
OpinionNovember 2

Charisma fundamental for public figures

You'd have to be living under the proverbial rock to have missed the current situation in British politics.
Charisma fundamental for public figures
Charisma fundamental for public figures
OpinionOctober 19

Stalking behaviour is no laughing matter

I am a podcast aficionado. In fact, I am rarely without my over-ear noise-cancelling headphones — be it in the office, in bed, or wandering around Oxford. 
Stalking behaviour is no laughing matter
Stalking behaviour is no laughing matter