James Walsh
“Studying English is an exploration into the minds and lives of a diverse range of characters. Literature is the greatest of artistic forms because it is capable of incredible subtlety in portraying human behaviours, desires, and dreams (as well as those of unicorns and Jabberwocks). Reading gives me peace. Engaging with a book (that ancient piece of technology), in a silent room, is my own form of meditation. Reading is healing. This is not to imply that English is a simple discipline: it is not. It can be a frustrating endeavour, as anyone who has ever wrestled with putting their thoughts onto paper (or a word processor) is aware. Improving one’s grammar is a never-ending process. As is trying to get to grips with the most challenging of poems. But the pay off is worth it; and in those fleeting moments of clarity that one sometimes stumbles across in the midst of an 800-page novel, I am thankful that English is my life.”