Alumni stories

English BA, 2009

Booker Prize long-listed author and English alumnus, Gabriel Krauze, discusses the themes of morality, beauty and trauma in his debut novel, Who They Was, the challenges of being labelled a “gangster” in the media, and how his passion for literature made him realise he needed to do something constructive with his life.

English and Drama BA, 2010

I never thought I would live in Switzerland, learn how to speak French, or really enjoy a career as an investment professional! I made plans but I was open to deviations along the way. In the words of Joseph Campbell, “we must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”

English BA, 2018

Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses and are often misunderstood and misrepresented in society and the media. I really wanted to be part of a charity that was dedicated to helping everyone regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity or background. 

English and Film Studies BA

Characters are what matters the most when you’re writing a book. If you don’t understand your characters deeply, feel and care for them, then no one else will.

English MA

My current research is very much informed by and carries on from my MA dissertation. Following on from my research into literary linguistic and formal experimentalism, I am now exploring the limits of discourse and language, and am interested in novels that have silences, gaps, or absences at the centre of their narrative – the expressive potential of this but also its limitations.

English MA

One of the best things about studying in London, and specifically in the East End, is that I was studying with, and being taught by, a diverse group of people. East London has a rich history of migration and revolutionary resistance which makes it an exciting and inspiring place to live and explore. 

English BA, 2018

[My book] is a critique of a tendency to conflate the experiences and cultures of the black British population with the black American population. Obviously, there are instances when comparisons are valid, but the assumption, which I found pervasive after the Black Lives Matter protests last year, that we can analyse black Britain through an American lens, is reductive.

English and Drama BA, 2011 

My book is a beacon of hope for Autistic individuals and their carers, as it promotes the message that individuals with long-term health conditions can achieve great things in society.

English BA

On any given day, I might be traveling to Silicon Valley to interview a humanoid A.I. robot, typing furiously on my laptop, testing out the latest virtual reality headset, or taste testing a $900 bite of lab-grown meat. My work is a mixture of interviewing, researching, writing and rewriting, with product testing, world travel, and drones thrown in. 

English and Drama BA, 2008

With my brand, the mission is that regardless of where you're from, what your background is, what your race is, what your hair type is, it doesn't matter, there's a place for you.

English with Russian BA, 2003

I joined the London Ambulance Service in 2007 after assisting with a medical emergency outside my home. I realised that a paramedic’s job and a broadcast journalist’s job had many similarities. Both professions had to be skilled at questioning people to find out exactly what happened, they were both fast paced jobs that involved highly emotional scenarios, and both involved being constantly out talking to people. I was good at looking after people and dealing with emergencies, which I hadn’t realised was a skill not all people have.

English and History BA, 1997

I’ve always loved writing. Whether it was essays at university, the features when I was a journalist, or copywriting for PR, writing has always been the most enjoyable part of any work.

English BA, 2014

Keep an eye out on how brands market themselves to you whilst you are at university and take note of what has the biggest impact on you. A wide range of degrees lend themselves to marketing, if you can research, creatively persuade, and measure.

English BA, 2014

My main role is sourcing and creating images for Sky’s programming guide on the box. I maintain strong relationships with our partner channels, such as Netflix, Amazon etc. to source their best images for our Top Picks area.

English BA, 2014

In this special blog post for South Asian Heritage Month, Policy Professional for the Department for Education, Anum Ahmed (English BA, 2014), reflects on her experience of her South Asian culture through visits with family in Lahore and Johannesburg as a child, and shares how she strives for diversity through her work, for example through amplifying the voices and experiences of young people from the Global South and Global North in the planning of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).

English BA, 2016; English Studies: Writing in the Modern Age MA, 2019

Maansi Kalyan (English BA, 2016; English Studies: Writing in the Modern Age MA, 2019) shares what South Asian Heritage month means to her, why she is proud of her heritage, historical events we all need to be aware of, and how she is taking action via her Brown Girls Don't podcast.

English and Drama BA, 2000

To this day, when speaking to my students I use Lois Weaver’s slogan, “if they don’t get it, that’s ok”, which is an absolute cornerstone of the way I approach work – and I’m very thankful for that.