Penned In

Who are you really writing your journal for? Explore the three types of diary audiences—yourself, loved ones, or the public—and how it changes your writing.
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My husband and I got married last year. This made time feel as though it was going by incredibly fast. Faster than I wanted it to. This sensation of speed seemed to happen at different levels. On...
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Oxford's Best Writing Spots Revisited
We return to complete our sojourn into the best writing spots in Oxford. Our selections this week take us northward, through the bustling streets of Jericho. These locations prove, beyond reasonab...
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Welcome to the Wykeham’s Culture Desk. In this new series – released once a month – we recommend one book, one poem, one podcast, and one exhibition or event for our culturally curious readers. Ou...
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Oxford's Best Writing Spots Unveiled
Oxford has always harboured deep literary associations. Now the home of Wykeham’s Journals, we are proud to situate ourselves within the city’s long lineage of literature lovers. From Matthew Arno...
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Right On Cue: Laughter & Diplomacy In Congress
Whatever you think of King Charles’s speech at Congress, it was a masterclass in timing. He has received criticism for remaining overly-cooperative. Some saw this as a missed opportunity to make a...
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“Few die well that die in a battle” | Henry V Review
I realise, as I finally sat down to write this, that I’d been putting it off. When approaching Shakespeare, I’ve always been on the deferential side. Knowing a lot about Shakespeare is not a clai...
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There is a particular kind of light that exists for about twenty minutes after sunrise. It arrives low and unhurried, moving across surfaces at an angle that ordinary daylight never finds. It catc...
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Phone vs. Pen: a zero-sum game?
A common complaint made against pen and paper is that they are less ‘efficient’ than phones. In the eyes of many they are anachronistic forebears of the devices which now do it all for us. The gen...
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I hadn’t expected to come across Don McCullin on a farm in Somerset. I was on holiday to escape from things; nothing in particular, just the responsibility and concomitant stress of the everyday. ...
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