Beacon for rare diseases • 1st September 2025

Building Rarely Social: Rare Disease Support for Young People

"Rare diseases are in their essence quite isolating, because a few people have them, but collectively, there are a lot of us… and when you bring young people together, we just feel a sense of community."

Madison’s Substack • 27th July 2025

Review: Mix Tape - an ode to first love that struggles to strike a chord

Mix Tape is a series steeped in nostalgia, not just for the better decades of music, but for the forgotten traditions of romance lost to time.

Shorthand • 14th June 2025

Alone, Together: Generation Z's loneliness epidemic

In the UK, 70% of young people between the ages of 18-24 experience loneliness. They, not the elderly, are now the loneliest generation. This crisis is the result of the unique societal pressures that come with being a young person in Britain today.

Madison’s Substack • 29th April 2025

The healing power of art

Ella MacQueen-Denz is an artist based in Vancouver, Canada, who is currently in training to become an art therapist. As we mark the centenary of Surrealist art, the 28-year-old discusses her artistic process and how creativity can lead to healing in vulnerable communities.

Madison’s Substack • 29th April 2025

“This is a matter of life and death”: the hidden dangers of AI in translation

At a time in which the threat of generative artificial intelligence looms forebodingly over countless livelihoods, the event seemed to be the ultimate manifestation of the battle between human and machine.

Beacon for rare diseases • 28th March 2025

Nick Sireau: Beacon Co-Founder continues fight for better patient outcomes - Beacon for rare diseases

At the end of 2024, Beacon’s co-founder and Chair Nick Sireau stepped down from our Trustee Board after twelve years with the charity.
This blog is written by one of our volunteers, Madison James, who recently interviewed Nick to hear more about his story and his connection to rare diseases.

Islington Now • 20th March 2025

Number 19 bus route turns vintage

Londoners will be able to ride vintage buses on the number 19 bus route – Finsbury Park -Battersea Bridge – for free on Saturday, 29 March.

Islington Now • 19th March 2025

David Nicholls in Conversation with Islington Now: “It’s hard not doing something you love”

Author David Nicholls on the anxiety that comes with finding your calling.

Madison’s Substack • 27th July 2025

Review: Mix Tape - an ode to first love that struggles to strike a chord

Mix Tape is a series steeped in nostalgia, not just for the better decades of music, but for the forgotten traditions of romance lost to time.

Madison’s Substack • 29th April 2025

The healing power of art

Ella MacQueen-Denz is an artist based in Vancouver, Canada, who is currently in training to become an art therapist. As we mark the centenary of Surrealist art, the 28-year-old discusses her artistic process and how creativity can lead to healing in vulnerable communities.

Madison’s Substack • 29th April 2025

“This is a matter of life and death”: the hidden dangers of AI in translation

At a time in which the threat of generative artificial intelligence looms forebodingly over countless livelihoods, the event seemed to be the ultimate manifestation of the battle between human and machine.

Islington Now • 19th March 2025

David Nicholls in Conversation with Islington Now: “It’s hard not doing something you love”

Author David Nicholls on the anxiety that comes with finding your calling.

scribbled. • 15th December 2024

Essay: Friendship, Loss, and The Final Dialogue Between Michel de Montaigne and Étienne de La Boétie

This essay investigates the implications that the loss of La Boétie had for Montaigne’s perspective on the philosophical question that most occupied and haunted him: can a man ever make peace with his own death?

Madison’s Substack • 1st December 2024

"I love this part of the work": David Nicholls gives talk at Oxfam Books and Music, Islington

It has been a busy year for David Nicholls. Early spring saw the revival of his 2009 book, One Day, in the form of a hit Netflix series. Not only that, but the author landed yet another number one bestseller after his highly anticipated sixth novel, You Are Here, hit the shelves.

La Dépêche • 19th March 2024

Comment la musique peut vous faire tomber amoureux de la langue Française

Parmi tous les musiciens populaires que l'on présente habituellement aux étudiants en français, tels que Stromae ou Angèle, -M-, nom de scène du musicien Matthieu Chedid, n'est pas le premier qui vienne à l'esprit.

Originally published in La Dépêche

Photo by Chris Molloy on Pexels

La Dépêche • 19th March 2024

Paris, ville Marmite - On l'adore ou on la déteste

Ayant passé la majeure partie de l'année à vivre dans la ville de Paris, me retrouver de nouveau dans le bar Bristolien, le Bag of Nails, par une froide soirée de décembre, entourée par des chats endormis et les tasses de cidre chaud, a été une expérience presque surréaliste.

Originally published in La Dépêche

17th March 2024

Review: Lime Garden @ The Fleece, Bristol, 06/03/24

True to their name, Lime Garden has cultivated a growing following with their refreshing twist on the well-trodden ground of the indie genre and a not-so subtle edge of bitterness.

Freshered • 31st August 2022

Review: Muse, 'Will Of The People'

The grandiose, elaborate and patently dystopian has always been what Muse does best. Supermassive Black Hole and even earlier songs like Sunburn gave us short, sharp bursts of pure energy, a dark, sensual cacophony of electric guitars punctuated by Matt Bellamy’s soaring vocals.

Empoword Journalism • 26th June 2022

In Defence Of Waif Girl

*Voted top article of 2022 by Empoword Editors-In-Chief
Throughout media history, female characterisation has been carved up into a neat set of identifiable tropes, served with a generous pinch of the male gaze.

Epigram • 14th February 2022

A Briscrush Love Story…

In light of all things love on Valentine's Day, Epigram investigated the best success stories from Bristol University's most popular crush confessional page, Briscrush.

Epigram • 13th February 2022

Epigram issue 362

A Valentine's feature on "Briscrush" success stories (p9).

Epigram • 27th October 2021

Epigram issue 359

A spotlight on societies at Bristol (p11) as well as a piece on music streaming and its financial implications (p24).

Epigram • 26th March 2021

Review: of Montreal, 'I Feel Safe with You, Trash'

Long-time cult favourite of Montreal’s newest output marries recent forays into synth-pop experimentalism with a prescient undercurrent of anxiety.

Epigram • 8th February 2021

Review: Tom Grennan - Interactive Livestream

Few artists can claim to have quite literally broken the internet with a single live performance. Smashing the limit of 20,000 participants, Tom Grennan’s virtual gig at Brixton Academy was initially beset by technical difficulties, perhaps indicative of the problems that this new format can experience.

Epigram • 31st October 2020

'Music, in all its colourful, ostentatious glory': I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME: RAZZMATAZZ Review

Defying COVID-related pushbacks, I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME’s hotly anticipated debut album RAZZMATAZZ follows their promising EP 1981 Extended Play.

30th July 2020

Interview with International Product Manager at Partisan Records

Interview with Ellie Rumbold, International Product Manager at Partisan Records (IDLES, Fontaines D.C.)

New England Writers' Society • 3rd May 2020

Sweet Sorrow

In talking about the past, we lie with every breath we draw. So begins David Nicholls’ 2019 coming-of-age novel, Sweet Sorrow. This quote from William Maxwell stuck with me, as it eloquently sums up the themes of transience and memory which are at the heart of the narrative.

Marlborough News • 19th January 2020

Review: The Big Moon - at Movida

Despite the arrival of Storm Brendan on Monday, Movida was packed upstairs for the arrival of London-based punk-pop band, The Big Moon.

Marlborough News • 15th August 2019

Marlborough Rising Talent: an afternoon performance by young local talent - real talents

Saturday (August 10) saw the return of Marlborough Rising Talent at the Town Hall – a free event showcasing the musical ability of various performers from the Marlborough area.

Marlborough News • 15th August 2019

Marlborough Rising: Review of Wilding and Flyte at The Town Hall

On Saturday evening Marlborough Rising welcomed up-and-coming alternative pop quartet Flyte to the Town Hall. They were supported by the local group Wilding.

Marlborough News • 14th August 2019

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO NAPOLEON BONAPARTE! Author to present new view of France's onetime Emperor - & long time British bogeyman - at Marlborough LitFest

Thursday, 15 August 2019 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of Napoleon Bonaparte. That’s almost 250 years worth of theories and stories about the very famous ‘Little Corporal’ from Corsica who ruled over much of Europe.

Marlborough News • 12th August 2019

From chocolat to strawberries - the rich world of Joanne Harris' best-selling stories

When Joanne Harris first published Chocolat twenty years ago, she never thought that a novel about a chocolate shop and a small French village would achieve worldwide success and acclaim.

Shorthand • 14th June 2025

Alone, Together: Generation Z's loneliness epidemic

In the UK, 70% of young people between the ages of 18-24 experience loneliness. They, not the elderly, are now the loneliest generation. This crisis is the result of the unique societal pressures that come with being a young person in Britain today.

SPIN Research Network • 8th March 2024

Essay: Artificial intelligence, disinformation, and state secrecy: Challenges to the legitimacy of the upcoming 2024 United States presidential election

The 2020 United States presidential election was unprecedented in terms of the implications it posed for the legitimacy of elections and for the future of democracy itself.

Her Campus | Created for Gen Z, By Gen Z. • 1st March 2023

“I have to sacrifice my grades or my mental health” – how the cost of living crisis is impacting young people

Speaking earlier this month, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s announced that the UK has narrowly avoided a recession, seeing zero economic growth towards the end of 2022. The situation remains precarious.

Her Campus | Created for Gen Z, By Gen Z. • 14th February 2023

Strikes in France : Why Are The Retirement Reforms So Controversial?

On the 10th January, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne set out the key aims of the French government’s proposed retirement and pensions reforms at a press conference.

Her Campus | Created for Gen Z, By Gen Z. • 19th December 2022

Street Harassment Ban: What It Means For Women’s Safety

With 71% of women reporting that they have experienced sexual harassment in public spaces last year, the government’s recent proposal that street harassment should be specifically criminalised is perhaps long overdue.

Epigram • 6th June 2022

Blair calls for 70% of school leavers to go to university

Covid, strikes, scarcity of accommodation and now a cost-of-living crisis – over the past few years, life has been particularly tough for students, and it is only getting more difficult for people trying to access higher education.

Her Campus Bristol • 20th October 2021

Should Pro-Life Societies be Allowed on Campus?

Last month, a law which equates to a near-total ban on abortion was put into effect in Texas, ensuring that millions of women will no longer have the right to choose whether to terminate a life-changing unwanted pregnancy outside of an unforgiving time scale.

Epigram • 28th July 2021

Opinion | Stop being poor! – Bristol needs to stop ignoring the necessity of part-time work

Every student with a part-time job knows how it feels. That sinking feeling of colleagues airing your message in the group chat, forcing you to pull an eight hour shift the day before an exam.

Marlborough News • 21st May 2020

Lockdown: The student's perspective

The day that it was announced that our A-Level exams would be cancelled was a very surreal one. My college was holding its annual fancy dress day to raise money for charity. By the end of the day, everyone in my year and I were standing around a television screen in complete shock.

Marlborough News • 29th August 2018

Are Exam Pressures Affecting Young Peoples’ Mental Health? A considered comment from the front line

Thousands of students across the country received their A-Level results a week ago, with GCSE results following shortly after. Nationally students performed well, despite Michael Gove’s various education reforms; a new 9-1 grading system was introduced for most GCSE subjects and more difficult exams were implemented.

Islington Now • 20th March 2025

Number 19 bus route turns vintage

Londoners will be able to ride vintage buses on the number 19 bus route – Finsbury Park -Battersea Bridge – for free on Saturday, 29 March.

Islington Now • 19th March 2025

Islington Council launches proposal to stop locking parks

Islington Council has launched a proposal to stop locking park gates at night in a bid to save money.

Islington Now • 11th March 2025

Liverpool Road residents say LTN will make ‘dangerous’ traffic worse

The problem of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) funnelling traffic into Islington’s residential streets has resulted in “off the scale” congestion on Liverpool Road in Barnsbury, according to locals.

Boutique Hotel News • 21st January 2025

Miiro names general manager for Templeton Garden hotel

Nicola James has been appointed general manager of the luxury hotel Templeton Garden ahead of its opening in Earl’s Court, London, this year.

Islington Now • 24th October 2024

Barnsbury restaurant owners fear road restriction will be 'bad for business'

Nick Collin, a member of the anti-LTN group, Keep Islington Moving, said he lacked confidence that Islington Council will listen to residents’ concerns. He described the current plan as “disastrous for local businesses.”

Her Campus | Created for Gen Z, By Gen Z. • 14th February 2023

Strikes in France : Why Are The Retirement Reforms So Controversial?

On the 10th January, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne set out the key aims of the French government’s proposed retirement and pensions reforms at a press conference.

Her Campus | Created for Gen Z, By Gen Z. • 19th December 2022

Street Harassment Ban: What It Means For Women’s Safety

With 71% of women reporting that they have experienced sexual harassment in public spaces last year, the government’s recent proposal that street harassment should be specifically criminalised is perhaps long overdue.

Beacon for rare diseases • 1st September 2025

Building Rarely Social: Rare Disease Support for Young People

"Rare diseases are in their essence quite isolating, because a few people have them, but collectively, there are a lot of us… and when you bring young people together, we just feel a sense of community."

Beacon for rare diseases • 28th March 2025

Nick Sireau: Beacon Co-Founder continues fight for better patient outcomes - Beacon for rare diseases

At the end of 2024, Beacon’s co-founder and Chair Nick Sireau stepped down from our Trustee Board after twelve years with the charity.
This blog is written by one of our volunteers, Madison James, who recently interviewed Nick to hear more about his story and his connection to rare diseases.

OK Talk Counselling • 7th March 2024

‘I became a psychotherapist not just to support people, but to find answers.’ An interview with Marina Sabolova, founder of OK Talk, Portishead

Marina Sabolova had wanted to become a psychotherapist since she was a teenager. Determined to better understand herself and those closest to her, she left her home in Slovakia to study in Manchester, spending eight years in training.

“I could see my mum struggling, and I always wanted to help. Once I got qualified, I found out that she lives with OCD.”

EURORDIS • 21st August 2023

Pushing for Improved European Policymaking: An Interview with Kateřina Konečná MEP

In a conversation with MEP Kateřina Konečná, who represents the Czech Republic within The Left group in the European Parliament, we delve into recent EU policy strides on rare diseases.

EURORDIS • 31st July 2023

From Awardee to Board Member: An Interview with Graham Slater

As we look towards the 2024 edition of the Black Pearl Awards, we have been catching up with some of our past Black Pearl Awardees. In an interview with Graham Slater, elected to the EURORDIS Board of Directors in May, we discuss his journey into advocacy, the development of effective holistic care pathways, and the importance of volunteers in the rare disease community.

EURORDIS • 19th July 2023

Meet the young advocates making a difference for our rare disease community

To shine a spotlight on Europe’s own young rare disease advocates, we have spoken to some inspiring advocates about their experiences, their achievements, and hopes for a better tomorrow for people living with a rare condition.

EURORDIS • 15th June 2023

'Yesterday’s science fiction is tomorrow’s clinical service improvement': An Interview with Alastair Kent OBE

In an interview with Alastair Kent OBE, former Executive Director of Genetic Alliance UK, we discuss his path into advocacy, the EU’s progressing legislative reforms to the Orphan Medicinal Products Regulation, mental wellbeing in the rare disease community

EURORDIS • 28th May 2023

Mental Wellbeing in the Rare Disease Community: An interview with ALAN - Maladies Rares Luxembourg

In an interview with Daniel Theisen, Director of ALAN – Maladies Rares Luxembourg, we discuss what his organisation has been doing to combat the mental wellbeing challenges facing the rare disease community.

EURORDIS • 18th April 2023

A look at #EMM2023: Exchanging views and ideas for a better future

The 2023 EURORDIS Membership Meeting taking place on 25-27 May in Stockholm will bring together people from across Europe’s rare disease community.

Freshered • 1st July 2022

Ben West Launches First-Ever University Mental Health League Table

Activist Ben West has launched the first-ever university mental health league table to help school leavers make fully informed decisions about where they attend higher education.