Category: Features
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Playing for Influence: The Role of Jazz Diplomacy During the Cold War
Edie Christian discusses the role Jazz Ambassador tours played during the Cold War in illustrating how U.S. foreign policy exploited Black musicians as tools for propaganda and cultural diplomacy, while promoting an image of racial harmony abroad.
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Whitewashing the Moors: How Casting Choices Reveal Our Discomfort With Literary Otherness
Kayla Greer examines the controversial casting of Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s upcoming adaptation of Wuthering Heights, and how this prioritises marketability over Emily Brontë’s original portrayal of the character as racially ambiguous.
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Collaboration, Productivity, Resistance: Differing Reactions of Jewish Councils under occupation
Connie Greatrix explores the moral complexity of Jewish leadership under Nazi rule. From secret child rescues in France to the “productive ghetto” of Lodz, the article reveals how councils balanced survival, welfare, and resistance, challenging simplistic views of collaboration during the Holocaust.
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The King of Spin – How Alastair Campbell went from the Dragon of Downing Street to revered Centrist Dad
Sam Mackenzie follows the career of ‘spin doctor’ Alistair Campbell, exploring how he was able to change public perceptions towards him.
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King Alfred’s Victorian Millenary
Fleur O’Reilly explores Alfred the Great’s legacy as a unifier and educational reformer and how his reign shaped England’s identity and history.
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Scotland, 1093-1097: An Aptly Tumultuous End to Eleventh-Century Scotland
The tumultuous Scottish succession crisis from 1093-1097 saw multiple kings perish amid violent conflicts. Harry Child highlights how this was an apt end to the eleventh century in Scotland.
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‘Century of Humiliation’: The Opium Wars and the legacy of British imperialism in China
Edie Christian explores the historical impact of the Opium Wars and the role of the East India Company in shaping China’s vulnerabilities and attitudes towards the West. The legacy of British imperialism continues to influence China’s foreign relations, reflecting deep-rooted distrust towards colonial powers today.
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‘We Are The Daughters of the Witches You Couldn’t Burn’; Modern Paganism and The Paradox of the Contemporary Witch
Daisy Gillam explores the historical and cultural transformation of what a witch is.
Retrospect Journal 