Friday 13th June 2025

Culture

The Journal of a Chambermaid: The greatest novel you’ve never heard of

It is easy to suppose that the greatest authors of the 19th century have all already been discovered. Especially when it comes to French literature, one notices the same...

The Oxford Cinema & Café: A profile

"The opening of The Oxford Cinema & Café marks a new chapter in Oxford’s cinema scene: a move further towards independent cinema."

W.H. Auden at the Bus Stop: In Praise of Intellectual Delay

It’s a damp Tuesday afternoon, and W.H. Auden is waiting patiently at the bus stop...

The Case for Reincarnated Romances

"Reincarnation romance films are sometimes silly, mostly melodramatic, but always overlooked as a subgenre."

Assassination attempts amid the violence that tore Kingston apart

The first book written by a Jamaican to win the Man Booker Prize is an epic in the truest sense of the word, writes Jacob Cheli

Touch, tenderness, and technology in Cloud of Petals

Sarah Meyohas’ new exhibition embraces electronic form in its exploration of beauty, writes Eleanor Birdsall-Smith

More Slush than Snow – The Snowman fails to impress

Jonnie Barrow is severely disappointed by the new Scandi thriller

Andrew Graham-Dixon: Bridging the gap between high culture and mass media

Art history documentary maker Andrew Graham-Dixon talks contemporary art and BBC spending to Altair Brandon-Salmon

‘Random’ preview – “Convincing and jarring”

Izzy Smith is impressed by what she sees of this masterfully emotive performance

Five minutes with Markus Beeken, Light Entertainment Society’s Community Officer

We chat to Markus Beeken, a member of the Oxford University Light Entertainment Society (commonly referred to as “owls”), about his involvement with drama at Oxford.

Imagining the Divine review – engrossing and important

Lizzy Diggins is intrigued by the religious crossovers at the Ashmolean's new exhibition

A perfectly preserved corner of London speaks to modern Britain

Susie Finlay discovers the delights of still-life drama

Strong musical talent and an excellent script

Jacob Greenhouse declares 'Cyrano de Bergarec' a triumph.

TV memes for deadline-drowning teens

Becky Cook comments on the importance of film and TV shows in meme culture

‘Bacchae’ review – A focus on gender that isn’t reflected in the casting

Louis Morris finds this year’s Oxford Greek Play, Euripides’ Bacchae, aims high but fails to impress.

Exploring the poetry of the everyday world

Quiet, mysterious Haruki Murakami fuses local culture with global emotions, writes Lucy Enderby

Confessions of a Drama Queen: My University Career Begins

In our new satirical column, 'Confessions of a Drama Queen', Katie Sayer re-imagines the Oxford drama scene from the perspective of a very melodramatic fresher

Cyrano de Bergerac preview – “heartwarming and heartbreaking”

James Woodbridge previews exciting new musical Cyrano de Bergerac

Alain de Botton: “The university system is failing people”

Author Alain de Botton, founder of the School of Life, talks philosophy, mental health and the education system

Meet Woolf’s doll house inspiration

A miniaturised book which inspired Woolf's Orlando is to be published

Crete’s mountain musician of mystery

Jonathan Egid sheds light on one of Crete's most intriguing characters

Three Parallel Places review – “a bit all over the place”

Chloe Taylor leaves 'Three Parallel Places' with mixed feelings

Protests widen the rift between public and police

William Hosie challenges conventional notions about protests' effectiveness

A little creativity can change a lot about the way we protest

Anoushka Kavanagh reports on the art-activist collective creating playful new forms of direct action

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