A lesson in personal essays, shilling your pain and living with it. — It’s a cold night at the end of January. You’re in your last year of University, back at the house you live in with six — then five, then suddenly six again — housemates, and you’re not well. You haven’t been well for a long time. Over the Christmas break…

Imagine the best sundae your childhood can offer, with deep red veins of strawberry sauce. Dig your spoon in and come out with a slab of melt-in-the-mouth kidney. A gummy-worm intestine. An eye. — You think it’s going to last forever. …

I have likely met God, but was too caught up in an otherworldly cup of hospital coffee at stupid-o’clock in the morning. — The Good Lord might have tried a second time to get my attention, taken the form of a kindly steward or spelled out a message in flickering lights – but I am taking five minutes luxuriating in the salty stretch of a halloumi focaccia. He might have given up by…

A short story about casting off your skin, fish-fingers, old carpet and a dog called Dennis. — There is a Selkie in our bathtub. She’s quiet now, but usually, you can hear her moving about because the water splashes over the rim and Dad goes mad about the floor. “Fish don’t pay the deposit,” he says. “Miss McColl says seals are mammals, not fish,” I explain. We…

Mothers and daughters, strawberry juice and pomegranate seeds. — TW: allusions to assault and mild gore. This is a very loose retelling of Demeter and Persephone’s story, originally told as part of my ‘Mythstake’ newsletter series. It aches to love her. In every breath, in each day that passes, I think about our fates — rooted in flesh and…

A lesson in connection, horror, and fishing wire. — I haven’t read manga in a long time. My early teen years were spent feverishly tearing through shōjo series, such as Fruits Basket and Tokyo Mew Mew, all borrowed from my secondary school’s library. …

When you lose a parent, your face can carry them with you. — Growing up, I took the inherited traits from my family for granted. The features I loved on them were apparently not available for passing down via genetic selection; my Mum’s sea-glass eyes and Dad’s strong jawline becoming things I’d envy from a distance. Instead I got my Dad’s nose and…

They say that music speaks for itself, but visuals are often one of the most crucial - and painstakingly created – aspects in the industry. — The best-loved albums of all time only seem to stand out in our memories (and the shelves) when they are wrapped in bright and beautiful album art. Think Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors, depicting Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks in black-and-white chiffon, en-pointe and tight-trousered underneath a swirling album title. …

The binge-watch formula has consequences for those of us who love TV but struggle with mental and chronic illnesses or even sheer tiredness. — Share on Pinterest Gif by Dana Davenport The way we consume media has changed dramatically over the past 5 years. Long gone are the days of waiting week by week to find out what happens next on your favorite show — now streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and…