Our Writers Recommend...(1/12/20)

PODCAST: You're Wrong About: Princess Diana 

With the release of season 4 of The Crown on Netflix, the tumultuous relationship of Prince Charles and Princess Diana has been thrust into the spotlight once again. While The Crown does admit to being (partially) dramatised and exaggerated, there is certainly lots of truth in how it characterises The People’s Princess. The 'You’re Wrong About' podcast covers her life and sets the facts straight in an exhaustive and entertaining 5 parts - from her rocky upbringing to her tragic demise, and includes every infidelity in between.

Mica Anderson

DOCUMENTARY: Knock Down The House

Available on Netflix.

In the wake of the 2020 U.S Presidential election, Netflix have begun to promote their 2019 documentary that follows four women running for Congress in the 2018 midterm elections, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Cori Bush. It shows their struggles in mounting their grassroots campaigns against the well-established, corporate-sponsored existing Congressman, and gives a great insight into the struggles for up-and-coming candidates to break through onto the U.S political scene.

Angus Muir

ACTIVITY: Shopping independently this Christmas, in order to save small businesses from the mouth of COVID

It’s going to be a tough Christmas for many. Local shops in Edinburgh have already had to close due to COVID. Big businesses will certainly not feel the impact as much as small, family run ones. I can only imagine how terrifying it must be for those who aren’t sure if they’ll make it through the next few months. We as consumers need to do our bit to help them. Try not to shop with large corporations, and if you can, shop with local, independent businesses. You could be saving the livelihood of a struggling family.

Molly Pearce

BOOK: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

With the run up to Christmas well and truly underway and university deadlines looming, it's definitely tricky to find the time to relax and pick up a new book. However if you were looking to do just that, then I can't recommend All the Light We Cannot See more. Set during World War II, it follows two stories: one is of a young, blind French girl called Marie-Laure, and the other is of an orphaned German boy named Werner. As the book unfolds, we see how their paths cross as they both try to navigate life in war-torn Europe. It is a beautifully written story about friendship and family, and the perfect book to get immersed in if you're looking for a much-needed distraction.

Ellie Williamson