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Israel-Hamas: How Did We Get Here?
On 7 October 2023, terrorist group Hamas launched a major offensive on Israeli communities: according to estimates by the BBC, over 1,200...

Will Grice
Feb 22, 2024


Embracing Balance – Simple Tips For a Healthier Mind
In the busy life of a student, it is easy to overlook the importance of taking time out of your day to focus on your mind and health. As...
Louise Colechin
Feb 20, 2024


Messy and Gay
‘Pageboy’ is a touching, tender and unflinchingly honest memoir. It’s the kind of writing that reminds me why I write. It’s also messy....
Tea Southwell
Feb 19, 2024


My Yearning, Melancholic Heart
This is a visually and lexically significant piece, the formatting of which our website cannot yet handle! Please use the link below to...
Hannah Tan
Feb 19, 2024


Without Her, Who Was I?
Orange light danced around and in between us. Her eyes met mine and her smile spread the warmth of a sunrise in Antarctica. I moved my...
Amelie de Casagrande
Feb 19, 2024


When Asked to Talk About Love
When asked to talk about love, I think of the purest love I know. Not between my parents or distant relatives that I speak to at weddings...
Tilly Healing-Perry
Feb 19, 2024


And the Winner Is…
For the first half of spring term, The Spark has been running a queer writing competition in which entrants were set to work on pieces...
Isaac Lomax
Feb 19, 2024


Ted Lasso: Football’s Coming Out
In the winter holidays, I watched all three seasons of award-winning football sitcom Ted Lasso with my mum. It became a nightly ritual, a...
Anonymous
Feb 19, 2024


The Fear and Joy of Loving Her
Is this what being in love means? I cannot stop thinking about her; her presence consumes my thoughts, and I can’t get enough of her....
S. Preet
Feb 19, 2024


The Spark’s Day Out: Inside the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Traversing cathedral-esque rooms of one of the UK’s largest scientific facilities is the last thing you’d expect to find yourself doing...
Isla Bailey
Feb 13, 2024


“I am fading away. Slowly but surely” – A Poignant Memoir of Locked-in Syndrome
In 1995, French journalist and editor, Jean-Dominique Bauby, suffered a severe stroke when driving his son to the theatre. He woke up in...
Louise Colechin
Feb 9, 2024


The Japan Prize 2024
Emeritus Professor Sir Brian J. Hoskins has been awarded the prestigious Japan Prize 2024, for science. Sir Hoskins is a professor at the...
Sibusisiwe Nyathi
Feb 6, 2024


The Virgin Suicides: Boys Watching Girls, Men Watching Women
This article contains spoilers The year is 1999. Sophia Coppola has just released her debut film, ‘The Virgin Suicides’. A film that...
Grace Wayne
Feb 5, 2024


Auburn Kisses and Frost Bites
Auburn kisses on the fingertips of branches Shine like the ribbon in a girl's frayed plait. They are the autumn stars of the reachable...
Fabergé Warland-Edge
Jan 25, 2024


Five New Year’s Resolutions Unrelated to Weight
TW - brief mention of weight & body image As we enter 2024, many of us are eager to make ambitious new year's resolutions, often with a...
Thea Burrows
Jan 19, 2024


Last Spring
I’m not sure if I will ever forget it, I’m not sure if I can. No matter how long I live it will always feel like it happened yesterday....
Willow Reid
Jan 12, 2024


‘Sound: Stories of Hearing Lost and Found’, Bella Bathurst - Reviewed
This book fascinated me and opened my eyes to a whole new community, and the challenges they face, along with the surges of grief and...
Louise Colechin
Dec 21, 2023


Pierre Poilievre: Canada’s Next Prime Minister
Canada has been led by Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party for the last eight years but after rampant mortgage costs, rising interest...
Finlay McPherson
Dec 12, 2023


#ShowYourStripes: The UoR’s Message in the Fight Against Climate Change
Do humanity’s greatest innovations and achievements have a cost? Since the Industrial Revolution, the arrival of climate change has...
Isla Bailey
Dec 7, 2023


A Coffee With Helen Belcher
Helen Belcher is the Lib Dem candidate for West Reading and Mid-Berkshire in the upcoming general election. If you’d like to know a bit...
T Southwell
Dec 5, 2023
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