Feeling down? Get support at Queen Mary and outside

Students and staff can feel low at any time of year including the festive period where everyone else can seem to be happy.

If you’re not feeling yourself there’s no shame in asking for help and talking about how you feel.

Help at Queen Mary

Big White Wall

Big White Wall offers unlimited, 24/7 accessible online support – you can connect with peers, chat online to clinicians, use self-help resources, join groups or take self-assessments. Lots of students at lots of universities find it an incredibly helpful resource. It is also completely confidential and staff at the university cannot see what you are writing or sharing.

Mental Health First Aiders

Queen Mary has a dedicated network of Mental Health First Aiders who are trained in listening non-judgmentally and helping you find the support you may need.

In the School of English and Drama:

  • Rupert Dannreuther
  • Bridget Escolme
  • Suzi Lewis

If none of these people are available please consult the building based list here. You can talk to any of the Mental Health First Aiders in confidence.

QMUL Advice and Counselling Service

Specialist and confidential advice and support for welfare, financial, emotional and psychological issues.

www.welfare.qmul.ac.uk / 020 7882 8717 /  welfare@qmul.ac.uk

Disability and Dyslexia Service

Confidential advice, guidance and support for students with diagnosed mental health conditions and those who have experienced a mental health crisis.

www.dds.qmul.ac.uk / 020 7882 2756 / dds@qmul.ac.uk e

External Support

  • Samaritans: Samaritans offer a safe place for you to talk any time you like, in your own way – about whatever’s getting to you. You don’t have to be suicidal.
  • NHS 111: Get access to trained medical professionals on the phone. They can also arrange emergency appointments out of hours for example.
  • Tower Hamlets Mental Health Line: 24 hour mental health crisis line has been launched by the Trust to support people living and working in Tower Hamlets.
  • The Haven (Sexual Assault Centre): The Havens are specialist centres in London for people who have been raped or sexually assaulted.

Get festive with our First Year Party, PGRS Literary Quiz and QMTC’s SLAPPIN’ DA BASS variety night this week

English First Year Party | Thursday 13 December 2018 | 4-6pm | ArtsOne Foyer

“You may well know this already, but this is just to let you know that there will be a Year One End of Term Party, Thursday 13th December 4-6pm, ArtsOne foyer. There will be nice nibbles, and good cheer, and it’ll be a chance to celebrate the conclusion of your first semester at Queen Mary.

Wishing you a happy week 12, and hope to see you on Thursday.” Rachael Gilmour, Head of English.

RSVP on Facebook

 

PGRS PhD Panel and Literary Quiz | Thursday 13 December | 5.15pm  | ArtsOne Lecture Theatre and SCR Bar

In a change to the usual format, we will be welcoming two current PhD students and members of last year’s PGRS committee to give papers on their research. We will then be heading over to the Senior Common Room Bar for a special Christmas quiz.

Our speakers are:

  • Di Beddow: The Cambridge of Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath
  • Danny Rhodes: Yeats’s Missing Ghosts: Hauntings and Materialisations in the Radium Age.

Harriet Baker, Will Burgess, Hannah Donovan, Charlotte McCallum, Charlie Pullen, Julie Tanner, Frith Taylor, Vincenzo Torromacco, Alice Wickenden

Watch this space for details or follow us on Twitter @QMEnglishPGRS

 

 

 

SLAPPIN’ DA BASS | Friday 15 December 2018 | 7pm | Pinter Studio, ArtsOne

‘Our monthly variety night where you can perform anything you want!

We welcome anyone and everyone to join us for a night of singing, dancing, poetry, spoken word, comedy, and any other talents! If you would like to watch, all that is required is small donation (50p upwards) which will be given to charity.

RSVP on Facebook

SED staff member Hari Marini presents her video poetry at international festival

Hari Marini (Drama and Admin Team) is presenting her video work Spirals 7th International Video Poetry Festival which takes place in Athens on 14-15 December.

Details here: https://theinstitute.info/?p=3252 and this is the Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/316809979170519/

About the film

Spirals is a poetic journey that crosses geographical borders and unites European female voices in an exchange of languages, cultures, personal narratives and modes of expression. Through the symbol of the spiral, the project explores thresholds, migration, path, nature, home and sense of belonging; the spiral acts as a sign of becoming, transforming and awareness. Poems written by contemporary female poets, recorded material, music and movement are part of a series of performances, photography and video-work. Women create and walk on spirals in a variety of places, such as London, Broadstairs, Coventry, Barcelona, Athens and Belgrade.
Hari Marini – PartSuspended (UK) (www.partsuspended.com/)

Watch online

Read more about the piece here:

https://www.interimpoetics.org/35-4/hari-marini-partsuspended

https://www.interimpoetics.org/35-4/hari-marini-trans-theo-kominis

Unmissable QMTC December 2018 Events including THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA: A PARODY PANTOMIME

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA: A PARODY PANTOMIME

Andy has just graduated from Kings with a BA in English and lands a job with Miranda Priestly, the most wickedest dragon lady in all of East London fashion! She quickly finds herself struggling with the job, no thanks to her so called “friends” Avocado & Toast, her boyfriend Nate, and Emily “Blunt Cunt” Charlton. Luckily for her, Fairy Nigel is just around the corner, to give her a transformation that could just about change her life.
Expect bad jokes and panto chaos in QMTC’s adaptation of one of the greatest films ever made.

8th and 9th December 7pm in the Pinter Studio, ArtsOne

Tickets £6-9

https://www.facebook.com/events/369509427215129/

 

WRITING WORKSHOP

Get your pen and paper ready for an evening of playwriting!

This workshop is designed for writers of all abilities – those who have written hundreds of plays, those who need advice, and those who have never written before. We will do a few exercises to generate ideas, create characters, and will have the chance to get some scenes up on their feet. Just in time for the New Writers Festival pitch night…

4th December 7pm in ArtsOne Lecture Theatre

 

NEW WRITERS FESTIVAL PITCH NIGHT

Calling all playwrights!

Have you written a play or plan to write one over the Winter break? Then come and pitch it for our next festival! Our New Writers’ Festival is a chance to put on any work you’ve written of any kind in a professional and friendly environment. Come along and pitch it to QMTC members and be proud of your creation, or listen to all of our pitches and vote for your favourite!

12th December 6.30pm in the Pinter Studio, ArtsOne

https://www.facebook.com/events/359105954853486/

 

QMTC’s BIG FAT CHRISTMAS QUIZ OF THE YEAR

Celebrate the holidays QMTC-style with our Christmas Quiz 🎅 Round up a group of six friends, relatives or unwitting strangers, brush up on your trivia, and get ready to have some fun!

10th December 5.30pm in Blomeley Room 1

£3 members / £4 non-members

https://www.facebook.com/events/1006478369553089/

 

SLAPPIN’ DA BASS

Our monthly variety night where you can perform anything you want!

We welcome anyone and everyone to join us for a night of singing, dancing, poetry, spoken word, comedy, and any other talents! If you would to perform, please send a message to the Slappin Da Bass Facebook page linked below. If you would like to watch, all that is required is small donation (50p upwards) which will be given to charity.

15th December, Pinter Studio in ArtsOne, 7pm

https://www.facebook.com/slappindabasss/

Guaranteed Accommodation Offer Now for All First Years

We now guarantee accommodation to all first-year undergraduate students and foundation students that meet our eligibility criteria, regardless of whether they live in London or not.

Students who meet our eligibility criteria will be guaranteed a place in a Queen Mary hall of residence, or with one of our partner providers.

This is fantastic news for students who live in London but still would like to gain a more complete university experience by living away from home.

Eligibility Criteria:

To qualify for our accommodation guarantee students must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a new, full-time registered student at Queen Mary, who has not lived in a Queen Mary residence before
  • Firmly accept their offer to study in London and apply for accommodation by 31st May 2019
  • Be prepared to sign an agreement for a full academic year, at least for the period of September to June

For more information about our first-year accommodation guarantee and how to apply, please visit the following page: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/study/accommodation/first-year-undergraduate-accommodation-guarantee/

 

Interview: English student Talia Jacob knits her way onto the catwalk

Talia Jacob (2nd year English student) is the Social Media and Marketing Executive of the QMUL Fashion Society.

We caught up with her to talk about her collection for LUMFS (London Universities’ Modest Fashion Show), which was then featured in the UJS (Union of Jewish Students’) Incubator Exhibition, and the QMUL Visual Arts Collective at the Hundred Years Gallery in Hoxton.

Pic credits: The photographer Gabe Moore and the model in the picture below is Aselya Nurlan.

Tell us about your work in fashion. What do you make and how did you start in the industry?

I did an Art Foundation Diploma in Fashion Design a few years ago. It didn’t involve much construction work though. It pretty much just reminded me that you can achieve any creative goal that you set your mind to. I mostly just knit now, although I do know how to use a sewing machine. A couple of years ago, I asked my mum to teach me the basics of knitting. Many YouTube videos later, I was making wearable gifts for all of my cousins. One of which was featured in the QMUL Visual Arts Collective and LUMFS (London Universities’ Modest Fashion Show). I also recently bought a knitting machine to help speed up the process. Once I’ve learnt how to use it, I’ll be able to make knitted garments much more quickly.

Who or what inspires you to work in fashion?

Although they’re two totally separate industries, costuming in film massively inspired me to get into Fashion. Watching films is a really accessible way to get a close look at some beautifully designed clothes in a short period of time. There are a lot of offbeat films that I’m consistently inspired by to this day (no matter how many times I watch them!). A couple of examples would be “Dangerous Beauty” (1998) and The Thing Called Love (1993).

What do you get up to for the Queen Mary Fashion Society?

I’m the Social Media & Marketing Manager for QMUL Fashion Society. So I’m the person in charge of all of our social media accounts, and our online marketing strategy. I’m also responsible for all of our physical (non-electronic) promotion. Those posters that you’ve been seeing around around campus, for the fashion show “Fashioned by Nature”,  were designed by me.

Our committee is mostly collaborative though, and I’ve had the opportunity to do a bit of everything. I ran a knitting workshop, and brought in a speaker for next week (Hannah Rafter, Founder and Editor of The Intern 24/7). She’s going to be amazing!

Check out Talia’s work on the Fashion Society Instagram

Student company Stage 3 win Award – Catch them at WriteIdea Festival in Whitechapel on 17 November 2018

Our Queen Mary student company Stage 3 won “Best Educational Event” at the Srebrenica Awards last night for their tour of interactive performances and discussions about the UK’s treatment of immigrants and refugees.

People’s Palace Projects tweeted their thanks:

Experience their performance at WriteIdea Festival on Saturday 17 November 2018:

Stage 3 | Idea Store Whitechapel | Sat 17 November 2018 | 13:00 – 14:00

RSVP on Facebook

Book a free ticket on Eventbrite

**Don’t Miss** SED Careers Evening – Thursday 22 November 2018

Listen, chat and network with recent QM SED graduates and discover what they are doing with their degrees. Our guests are doing  different things often beyond what you might expect… what will you do with your degree? Drinks & Snacks will be served. 

Come along for an entertaining evening and discover opportunities in a range of possible careers… a few years ago, our guests were just like you!  This is a fantastic opportunity to get some insider tips on starting out in a career.

Our guests will all talk about what they do and answer your questions:

  • Anna Matheson – Senior Features Writer, ‘Closer’ & ‘Bella’, Bauer Media Group
  • Lucy Furneaux – Philanthropy & Events Co-ordinator, Crisis
  • Kate Turner – Media & Public Affairs Manager, FIA Foundation
  • Claudia Catelin – EU & Trade Analyst, Institute of Directors
  • Danniella Hart – English Teacher, Harris City Academy
  • Natalie Jaaskelainen – Publishing Project Manager, Dennis Publishing
  • Nilufa Yasmin – Development Manager, QMUL

4 out of the 7 guests have also gained a Masters since graduating from QM, we will also explore what they did & why… perfect if you are considering a Masters before making any career decisions.

RESERVE YOUR PLACE NOW: https://qmul.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=5399&service=Careers+Service

QMTC Events Coming Up in November/December 2018

Here’s all you need to know about Queen Mary Theatre Company’s events in November and December 2018 including a showcase for the underrepresented BAME community, variety nights and career enhancing workshops.

November

SLAPPIN’ DA BASS

Our monthly variety night where you can perform anything you want!

We welcome anyone and everyone to join us for a night of singing, dancing, poetry, spoken word, comedy, and any other talents! If you would to perform, please send a message to the Slappin Da Bass Facebook page linked below. If you would like to watch, all that is required is small donation (50p upwards) which will be given to charity.

16th November, Pinter Studio in ArtsOne, 7pm

https://www.facebook.com/slappindabasss/

 

MOVEMENT WORKSHOP

Get theatrically groovin’ in a workshop on how to use movement in performance!

This workshop will teach you the tips and tricks you need to incorporate a little bit of movement into your productions. How to use movement and music creatively, how to make up choreography, how to use movement to transition between two scenes, how to make fun of yourself when dancing on stage!

This workshop is part of our DA (Developing Artistry) Program, our new initiative to help our members develop creative and career skills  – use the link to our Facebook page below to find out more information.

21st November, RR3 in ArtsOne, 6.30pm

https://www.facebook.com/events/885312468344099/

https://www.facebook.com/developingartistry/

 

 

BAME FESTIVAL

Reclaiming the voice of the underrepresented.

We are excited to present four original shows in the first festival of its kind at QMTC dedicated to uplifting BAME voices. Check our Facebook page or our website for information on shows and tickets.

23rd and 24th November, Pinter Studio in ArtsOne, 7pm

http://www.qmtc.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/QMTheatreCo/

 

December

 

WRITING WORKSHOP

4th December, ArtsOne Lecture Theatre, 8pm

 

NEW WRITERS FESTIVAL PITCH NIGHT

12th December, ArtsOne Lecture Theatre, 7pm

 

PANTO FESTIVAL

8th and 9th December, Pinter Studio in ArtsOne, 7pm

 

SLAPPIN’ DA BASS

Our monthly variety night where you can perform anything you want!

We welcome anyone and everyone to join us for a night of singing, dancing, poetry, spoken word, comedy, and any other talents! If you would to perform, please send a message to the Slappin Da Bass Facebook page linked below. If you would like to watch, all that is required is small donation (50p upwards) which will be given to charity.

15th December, Pinter Studio in ArtsOne, 7pm

https://www.facebook.com/slappindabasss/

#SEDdigest: Careers Events, Networking Opportunities and Jobs – November 2018

There’s so many events to choose from to help with your future career. Get stuck in and let us know if you enjoyed it with the hashtag #SEDdigest!


Careers Events

Careers in Literature (Royal Society of Literature) | Wednesday 14 November | King’s College | Free

The event is FREE and open to Arts and Humanities students from University of London colleges and RSL Young Members.

To book: leah.cross@rsliterature.org or call 020 7845 4677

Get into Teaching | 12 November | 6pm | QMUL

Join the Department for Education (DfE) for an introduction to the teaching profession, an overview of what to expect in the role, and a chance for you to ask questions about your teacher training options. The DfE presentation will be followed by a forum of teacher training providers, giving you more opportunities to find your best route into teaching.

Google Skills: Writing for Social Media | 14 November | 6 – 8pm | QMUL

Social media skills are essential for so many marketing, publishing, pr & comms roles… this is a fantastic opportunity to increase your skills AND useful for the CV/applications!

Theatrecraft | Monday 19 November | Waldorf Hilton Hotel | Free

A great way to meet theatres and organisations and find out about careers in the theatre industry.

SED EVENING: What are We doing with our English degrees? 22nd November 6.15 – 8.00pm.  Arts One, 1.28. 

Booking now open:  come along to listen to & meet recent QM English graduates guests and discover what they are doing with their English degrees.   Drinks & Snacks will be served.

If you are still wondering what you will do with your English degree, come for an entertaining and interesting evening and discover opportunities in a range of possible careers.  If you already know you are interested in a career in one or more of the sectors covered, this is a fantastic opportunity to get some insider tips on how to successfully access these roles.

Our guests will all talk about what they do and there will be a chance to meet them in small groups and ask your questions directly to the guests.

Confirmed so far are:

  • Lucy Furneaux – Philanthropy & Events Co-ordinator, Crisis
  • Kate Turner – Media & Public Affairs Manager, FIA Foundation
  • Claudia Catelin – EU & Trade Analyst, Institute of Directors
  • Danniella Hart – English Teacher, Harris City Academy
  • Natalie Jaaskelainen – Project Manager, Dennis Publishing
  • Nilufa Yasmin – Graduate Trainee/Development Manager, QMUL

4 out of the 6 guests confirmed have also gained a Masters since graduating from QM, so we will also explore what they did & why.

RESERVE YOUR PLACE HERE:  https://qmul.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=5399&service=Careers+Service Login with

Womxn in Tech | 27 November | Roundhouse

Looking to build a career in tech? Hear from a panel of womxn making headway in the sector on building confidence in a male dominated industry.

Work in Publishing Week | 19-23 November | Online

Follow online and discover ways into the world of publishing with this campaign from…

Using Social Media to Campaign for Cause | Saturday 17 & 24 November | Roundhouse

Get to know how to use social media to spark a movement around something that matters to you.


Jobs, Work Experience and Internship Opportunities

Barclays Marketing Internships – 8 weeks in Summer 2019 – APPLY NOW:

Spend your summer helping Barclays promote its services and win new business. Working on diverse projects with this fast-paced team, you’ll learn how to communicate effectively and creatively across a range of marketing channels.

https://qmul.targetconnect.net/leap/jobs.html?id=40255&service=Careers+Service

QTaster – Deadline Friday 16 November

QTaster is a programme which allows you to learn about different careers by visiting a variety of graduate employers – experience different working environments, learn about sectors and roles, and network with employers.

6 sessions take place between 16th January and 20th March – this includes 4 visits and 2 training sessions.

Previous employers have included: ASOS, British Heart Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Investec, UBS, Springer Nature, FDM and Microsoft. The schedule for Semester B is currently being confirmed – follow Careers & Enterprise on social media for updates.

Applications are open until 10am Friday 16th November.

Reuters Journalism Training Programme – apply by 30 November for September 2019 start

Reutersthe news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest independent news provider, reaching more than one billion people every day.

Prerequisites: Clear commitment to a career in journalism; Drive to build sources, break news and deliver deeply reported stories; Strong interest in issues that affect companies, markets and economies; Ability to generate original, relevant story ideas; Ambition to deliver journalism with real impact; Fluency in written English; Fluency in a second language beneficial but not compulsory; An international outlook

Find far more info here: https://qmul.targetconnect.net/leap/jobs.html?id=42141&service=Careers+Service

SKY: Marketing Summer Internship

Support the Marketing team, helping to educate people about our products and services. Get stuck into various marketing projects in a dynamic, exciting environment. Impress us, and we could well offer you a full-time position once you graduate – starting summer 2020.

You will: Craft ad campaigns: Handle customer relationships; Deliver strategic insights; Promote TV shows; Plan, prioritise, research and juggle multiple projects

More info & applications: https://qmul.targetconnect.net/leap/jobs.html?id=42421&service=Careers+Service


Performance Platforms

HYG Nights | 30 November

Performer Callout!!

Our final show for the year will be a DELUXE edition, meaning
– More performers!
– Shorter fast-paced performances
– jam packed fun

If you would like to perform, please get in touch, or email hygnights@gmail.com


SED Networking Events

Queen Mary Writers: Nikesh Shukla and Bidisha | Tuesday 13 November 2018 | 18:30-20:30 | QMUL | Free

Queen Mary University of London and Wasafiri invite you to a reading and conversation with Nikesh Shukla and Bidisha. This is a chance to engage in lively discussion with some ground-breaking writers of the moment.

 

Salon: An Age of Schadenfreude | Thursday 15 November 2018 | 19:00—20:30 | Wellcome Collection, Euston | Free

Inspired by the ‘Schadenfreude’ book, this Salon will bring together artists and performers (and you) to offer a distinctive perspective on this most morally conflicted of emotions. Come along and join the conversation.

Featuring our very own…

Tiffany Watt Smith
Curator: Cultural historian Tiffany Watt Smith will curate the evening. She is author of ‘Schadenfreude: The Joy of Another’s Misfortune’ (Wellcome Books, October 2018).

Lois Weaver
Artist: Lois Weaver is an artist, activist and Professor of Contemporary Performance at Queen Mary University of London.

 

 

3 Must-See Drama Alumni Shows: Chutney, Brainfart Cabaret & Je m’appelle diabetic

Chutney | 6 November-1 December 2018 | The Bunker, London

Written by our BA Drama alumnus Reece Connolly, his show Chutney is having a full run at off-West End venue The Bunker.

“The world’s shaking. I’m seeing the murder in everything. A cat crosses my path, I fantasise about throwing a grenade at it.”

Gregg and Claire are a power couple. Well-to-do and up-and-coming. They’ve got the house. The car. The careers. They’re living out their parents dreams in blissful suburbia.

They also have an insatiable desire to murder animals.

This mutually discovered urge threatens to gut their world to its very core.

CHUTNEY is a pitch black comedy about love, happiness, and unleashing the beast within. Watch the fur fly.

Brainfart Cabaret | Friday 9 November 2018 | Poplar Union, London

An alternative cabaret night hosted by our very own PhD Drama graduate Daniel Oliver celebrating neurodiversity, featuring performers whose minds work a little differently…

Line up

Daniel Oliver: The cabaret night will be hosted by Daniel Oliver, a performance artist who makes participatory performances that aim to embrace dyspraxia.

Mawaan Rizwan: Mawaan is an actor, writer and comedian. He’s written for the New York Times and his comedy videos on YouTube have amassed over 18 million views.

Vijay Patel: Vijay Patel will present Asperger’s Question Time. A space where you (the audience) will be able to ask him any questions you like, any questions on your mind, think everyday, not any questions about his Asperger’s. He will have some things in place for his access, such as a respite, some care in case he might leave.

IndoorGoblin: ‘A solo project performed on keyboard, IndoorGoblin hopes to present the imagination clouds through a mixture of musical creations, combining spoken word with story-singing, hypnotic piano loops and glittery glockenspiel melodies.’

Don Biswas :Award winning ‘left wing conspiracy theorist with dyspraxia!‘ Twice winner of the London Comedy Store Gong Show.

Khia Spencer: Khia is a dancer and artist who has been identified with dyspraxic mind and ADD…

Je m’appelle Diatabetic | Thursday 15th November | 6.30pm |  Rosetta Arts, London

Join Rosie Vincent a BA Drama Gradutate to celebrate her identity as a Type 1 Diabetic as she attempts to transform the mass of her medical waste from the past 2.5 years.

On 14th November millions of people will come together to raise awareness of living with Diabetes for World Diabetes Day.

Rosie Vincent has been a Type 1 Diabetic for over 14 years. Je m’appelle Diabetic combines ritual, object, and projection to present the challenges of living with diabetes as well as celebrating the resilience of Rosie’s diseased body.

This piece reconnects the medical waste that is produced by the condition with Rosie’s own body to honour it as the means to keep her alive despite its hostile appearance.

Book online:  https://rosettaarts.org/event/je-mappelle-diabetic/

English and Drama Newsletter – November 2018

Welcome to the November 2018 edition of our School of English and Drama newsletter.

Our main photo is from The Last of the London, a project led by Nadia Valman (English) as part of Being Human festival 2018. She is collaborating with projection artist Karen Crosby for ‘The Last of the London’  an event reanimating the derelict Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel Road with the ghosts of its past, using archive texts and spectacular photographic projections on the building’s facade.

As we celebrate the birth of the NHS 70 years ago, ‘The Last of the London’ remembers the struggle to provide health care to East Enders in the nineteenth century. See glimpses of the figures, illustrious and ordinary, that haunt its corridors; the doctors and nurses from across the globe who worked at the London; the impact of war and epidemic; and the patients whose lives began and ended here.

Read our blog post to see all of our events in the festival including:

EVENTS | NEWS | LINKS

Events

Applications now open

UCAS and Postgraduate applications are open for 2019 so please do apply. If you have applied we will be in touch regarding future events you can attend to get to know us better.

Apply to our programmes

Ask a question

POSTGRADUATE OPEN EVENINGS

PhD Open Evening

Wednesday 7 November 2018, 16:30-19:00
QMUL – Mile End

Applying for a PhD can be a long process and most funding opportunities close for applications in Janaury. So come along to our open evening to help plan your application and maximise your chances of finding funding.

Book a place

MA English Literature Open Evening
Wednesday 28 November 2018, 18:00-20:00
QMUL – Mile End

Join us for a nevening reception with drinks to find out about our English Master’s offering.

Book a place

NOVEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

Is ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ really a feminist text? – Panel for Year 12 & 13 Students
Wednesday 21 November 2018, 15:15
QMUL- Mile End

Experts from our School of English and Drama come together to discuss Margaret Atwood’s famous dystopian novel. This panel discussion will explore the extent to which we can describe The Handmaid’s Tale as a feminist text.

It will challenge many opinions that readers hold regarding the novel, as well as placing it within the current political climate in the UK and USA. You will have the opportunity to question our experts, as well as having the chance to speak with undergraduates about what it is like to study literature at university level.

Book a free ticket online

NOVEMBER LISTINGS

S A L O N – LONDON presents Carla Harryman in conversation with Redell Olsen
Saturday 3 November 2018, 19:00
Fyvie Hall, University of Westminster

Our Centre for Poetry will co-host this event where Carla Harryman will read from her recent works including Sue in Berlin and Hannah Cut-In. Redell Olsen will be discussing and showing extracts from her recent performance and film works.

New Suns: A Feminist Literary Festival at the Barbican
Sunday 4 November 2018
Barbican, London

Inspired by African -American author Octavia Butler’s epigraph New Suns: A Feminist Literary Festival is a day of talks, workshops, screenings and feminist discussion at the Barbican features our very own Nisha Ramayya (English).

Writers, artists, academics, poets and publications will explore contemporary feminism through the lens of mythology, discussing topics as varied as the #MeToo movement, occult poetry, bodies and sex work.

Tristram Hunt (V&A) and Paul Nurse (Francis Crick Institute) in Conversation The Two Cultures Debate: Science and the Arts in the Twenty-First Century
Wednesday 7 November 2018, 18:00
People’s Palace (Great Hall), QMUL – Mile End

Sir Paul Nurse, Director of the Francis Crick Institute, and Tristram Hunt, Director of the Victoria & Albert Museum, revisit the “Two Cultures Debate” and set out the future of the arts and the sciences.

The Tragedy of King Richard II

Friday 9-Sunday 11 November 2018, various times
The Rose Playhouse, South Bank

The Centre for Global Shakespeare at Queen Mary, in association with the Rose Playhouse and Anərkē hosts a revival of The Tragedy of King Richard II, performed in a directorless, race and gender-blind production inspired by the working conditions in which Shakespeare conceived his plays.

Stage 3 at The WriteIdea Festival
Saturday 17 November 2018, 13:00
Ideastore Whitechapel

People’s Palace Projects’ new student theatre company at Queen Mary University of London performs Stage 3, a theatre experience that looks at the bureaucracy and power of the naturalisation system. A mock citizenship process generates discussion about migration, discrimination and belonging and challenges the process of being categorized based on race, age and class background. The production is strongly linked to young people’s sense of belonging and citizenship rights. Read more in this blog post.

Jerry Brotton: Raleigh in the Americas
Thursday 29 November 2018, 19:00 – 20:30
British Library, London

Having recently travelled across Guyana in Raleigh’s footsteps, Jerry Brotton (English) offers a new perspective on Raleigh’s colonial adventures, situating him at the heart of a global network stretching from Munster to London’s livery companies to Munster, the Orinoco, and ultimately his execution at the Tower of London in October 1618.

Image: Walter Raleigh trading with the King of Aromaia. Expedition to Guyana in search of Eldorado, 1595. Image taken from [America.-Part VIII.-German.] Originally published/produced in M Becker: Frankfurt, 1599. © British Library.

See more events coming up

News

Serena Ceniccola (MA in Victorian Literature) from the School of English and Drama- successfully presented her paper “Nobody/Nowhere: the alienation of the Hybrid in Sui Ishida’s Tokyo Ghoul” at the two-day student conference “Exploring alterity in fantasy and science fiction” at the University of Freiburg, making QMUL the only one London based University to take part in the event.

Read more about her trip here

Matthew Ingleby and Shahidha Bari (English) hosted Frankenreads x QMUL to celebrate 200 years of Mary Shelley’s seminal gothic horror novel on Halloween 2018. Pic from left to right: David Duff (English), Shahidha Bari (English) and Cousin Itt i.e. Rupert Dannreuther (Marketing). See the Frankenreads x QMUL photo gallery

Tiffany Watt-Smith (Drama) has been awarded the Philip Leverhulme prize, which recognises all of her past work and supports her future project on the performance of sleep. Philip Leverhulme Prizes recognise the achievement of outstanding researchers whose work has already attracted international recognition and whose future career is exceptionally promising. Every year the prize scheme makes up to thirty awards of £100,000, across a range of academic disciplines.

Caoimhe McAvinchey (Drama) was in conversation with Clean Break’s former CEO Lucy Perman MBE to talk about the women’s theatre company changing lives and changing minds – on stage, in prison and in the community.

Hetta Howes (English PhD graduate)‘s BBC New Generation Thinkers programme featuring the stories of the Passion as dreamed by medieval devouts is available on iPlayer now.

Contemporary Theatre Review 28.3 special issue on feminisms co-edited by Jen Harvie (Drama), Sarah Gorman, and Geraldine Harris came out in October including Jen Harvie (Drama)‘s article on Caryl Churchill’s Escaped Alone and Split Britches’ Ruff, co-written by Lois Weaver and Peggy Shaw, starring Shaw, and directed by Weaver.

Press from last month

26/10/2018    Shahidha Bari (English)    BBC 2
Front Row with Mike Leigh (pictured above)

26/10/2018    Jerry Brotton (English)   BBC Radio 4
In Search of El Dorado

24/10/2018    Di Beddow (English)   British Library Blog
The Cambridge Love Letters from Ted Hughes to Liz Hicklin 

21/10/2018    James Vigus   Coleridge blog
Coleridge and Plato’s Luminous Gloom

20/10/2018    Jerry Brotton (English)   Aljazeera
A portrait of Othello as a black Muslim tragic hero

18/10/2018    Aoife Monks    Times Higher Education  Top tips on how to make your lectures interesting

10/10/2018    Lois Weaver / Jen Harvie (Drama)    Contemporary Theatre Review
Review: The Only Way Home is Through the Show: Performance Work of Lois Weaver 

05/10/2018    Lara Mills  (English student)  On History
Walking and Talking Feminist History in the East End

01/10/2018    Bridget Escolme (Drama)   The Lancet
Community, context, recovery: Edinburgh Fringe Reviews
See more news on the SED blog

Links

Jen Harvie (Drama)‘s recently published book on Scottee: I Made It has some eye-popping (book porn) visuals see the book in all it’s glory in this blog post.

Pippa Sa (Drama graduate) is one half of Bechdel Theatre  see their amazing work here: https://bechdeltheatre.com/

James Vigus (English) is giving a talk on 28 November at Senate House, ‘Henry Crabb Robinson and the Diffusion of German Literature in Britain’.

Julie Rose Bower (Drama PhD researcher) presents her show Foley Explosion at Hackney Showroom, 12-13 November.

Barbara Taylor (English): ‘Solitude and Loneliness in the Academy’ is the first event in ‘Pathologies of Solitude, 18th-21st century’ a major Wellcome-funded project hosted by the Schools of History and English and Drama at Queen Mary on 29 November in the People’s Palace. To RSVP email Clare Whitehead.

QMUL Student company Stage 3 at The WriteIdea Festival and on tour with their show about migration and citizenship

As part of the Write Idea Festival in Whitechapel, People’s Palace Projects (PPP) will be staging Stage 3 at the Idea Store Whitechapel, 321 Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1BU on the 17 November 2018 at 13:00.

Performed by People’s Palace Projects’ new student theatre company at Queen Mary University of London, Stage 3 is a participatory experience that uses a mock citizenship process to discuss migration, discrimination and belonging, challenging the process of being categorized based on race, age and class background.

The performance brings together young people, other members of the community, and council members and is currently touring across the country as local leaders unite to persuade councils to make pledges as part of Safe Passage’s national “Our Turn” campaign, whose goal is to resettle 1,000 children a year in the UK from Europe and other regions where refugees are at risk, over the next 10 years.

Stage 3 is a student theatre company of People’s Palace Projects at Queen Mary University of London, harnessing the power of participatory theatre to support citizen activism and community engagement with decision makers. It is supported by the Peace Development Fund and National Lottery Awards for All.

The performance is free to attend, but tickets need to be booked through Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/peoples-palace-project-stage-3-tickets-50527812046

Take a look at some of the other brilliants events over the weekend here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/writeidea-festival-2018-14917965862

The company Thanks has presented in Brighton, Dover (20th Oct), Gate Theatre (23rd Oct) and has engagements in Hastings (3rd Nov), Watney Market (17th Nov) and Harwich (1st Dec).

Follow Stage 3 on Facebook

2019 Year and Semester Abroad Opportunities with English and Drama

A year abroad can really open up new opportunities and give you valuable life experience to take into your future career. 

According to the UK Universities International Report (March 2017):

  • Graduates who were mobile during their degree were less likely to be unemployed (3.7% compared to 4.9%), and more likely to have earned a first class or upper second class degree (80.1% compared to 73.6%) and be in further study (15% compared to 14%).
  • Those in work were more likely to be in a graduate level job (76.4% compared to 69.9%) and earn 5% more than their non-mobile peers.

The study abroad experience is intense, and because of this special quality and the quality of emotional investment in this period students are likely to make particularly strong friendships and have particularly memorable experiences. There are all sorts of opportunities that students will find access to because of location or circumstance that they wouldn’t necessarily get in London- one former student was offered a role in a professional production in New York, students on exchange with Howard University have inbuilt work experience and opportunities on Capitol Hill with the US government, students in New York might seek out opportunities with the UN.

We’re delighted to announce that as from 2018 the following undergraduate BA (Hons) degrees can include a year abroad:

Our Current Year Abroad Partners

  1. Columbia University, New York, USA
  2. University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
  3. University of Miami, Florida, USA
  4. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
  5. University of Melbourne, Australia
  6. The University of Toronto, Canada
  7. The University of Auckland, New Zealand
  8. The University of Monash– Melbourne, Australia Semester 1 and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Semester 2

Semester Abroad

Please note we are still offering our Semester Abroad in the second year of all of our courses with the following institutions:

Columbia University, New York; Howard University, Washington DC; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; The George Washington University, Washington DC; University of Miami, FL; University of Richmond, VA; The University of Texas at Austin; University of Melbourne; University of Sydney; The University of Toronto; University of Ottawa, Canada; The University of Auckland, NZ; University of Hong Kong; Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Seoul National University; Waseda University, Tokyo; Renmin University, Beijing.

New opportunities for semester abroad and/or year abroad are being developed at universities in Europe, North America, New Zealand and elsewhere. These will be offered as they become available.

Advice and Guidance

If you would like any advice on Study Abroad opportunities within the School of English and Drama please contact:

Visit the QMUL Global Opportunities website for more information

Please note study abroad is subject to availability, application and the host University’s own terms and conditions.