The sea, again
It has been ages since I last spent so much time in the water. When I was a kid, we used to pack up our things the day after school was over and move to our house near the sea. We would pack up again for the city just a
What spring doesn’t tell us about change
It’s the season of renewal and rebirth, they say. Well, spring has come into my life this year with a bang. Change is the theme. It gets me thinking. Birth, rebirth: we have all gone through it. No exception. Most of us have wanted a metaphorical rebirth in one
The rise of the British coffeehouse
Few drinks are as closely tied to English identity as tea. However, it wasn't always so. Believe it or not, England was one of the first countries outside the Levant to embrace the coffeehouse and make it its own. The history of the English coffeehouse is so fascinating
Why reading still matters
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that the art of reading is in decline. According to a major new survey by The Reading Agency, only one in two adults in Britain now reads regularly, and over a third have given up entirely. When asked why reading for pleasure has dropped,
Mischief in the Twelve Days
A few days ago, I came across an article in The Guardian about Charles Dickens and Christmas. A mighty combination, I admit. The article explored some of Dickens’ inventions that didn’t ‘make the cut’. These, I've learned, include ghosts, stories of failure and goblins. This last one,
Rethinking winter
The longest night of the year is at our doorstep. As cold seeps in and early morning light becomes a fading memory, I catch myself contemplating the upcoming season. I’m not a winter person. The humdrum of winter does not ring my bells. It’s too long, it’s
Swifterature: where pop music meets English literature
Yesterday evening, I jumped on a train to the city of Ghent. It was dark and cold, the full moon shining so brightly against the night sky that it almost felt like a small spotlight guiding me to the university library. A good omen, I told myself rather optimistically, choosing
Does our obsession with crime stories make us bad people?
It’s a typical week in the heart of November. Days are getting shorter and darker. Cold is seeping in. The pitter-pattering of the rain is here to stay. And so are crime stories. Because what’s better than curling up in bed with a good murder mystery after
Before the magic: the real story of tarot’s origins
I was racking my brain for an interesting topic related to Halloween when the idea of divination came to mind. Fortune-telling has long been a part of Halloween traditions, and I immediately thought of tarot cards. Yet, as I started researching, I realized there was no mention of tarot
The birth of the coffeehouse
I have finally decided to undertake an arduous yet fascinating task that I had been putting off for quite some time. No, I won't be reading Proust or powering through Tolkien’s masterpieces; I am undertaking another formidable journey. I gave myself permission to indulge in the history
Autumn in Brussels
If you love autumn and you happen to call Brussels your home, look no further. This is your guide to the thrills of the autumnal season in the heart of Belgium. From bookworms to nature freaks, there is something here for everyone. For the book lovers For the fans of
A Brontë walk in Brussels
It was one of those grey, sluggish Sunday mornings. All I wanted to do was to stay in bed, safely tucked under the warm blankets, lost in a good book and pampered by a steaming cup of tea. But the alarm went off at 7 am and I didn’t