Alumni in Print
Bird Lore: The Myths, Folklore and Meaning of Birds
Bird Lore: The Myths, Folklore and Meaning of Birds by Sally Coulthard (1994 Archaeology and Anthropology) takes to the skies for its inspiration, examining our beloved birds and the stories they carry. The book journeys through the common sayings and ideas that have permeated our language. One doesn’t need to look far before stumbling upon doves bringing peace, storks carrying newborns, blackbirds heralding the dawn and owls welcoming the night. Sally also outlines our strange superstitions, ancient beliefs and modern celebrations that are bound up in bird mythology. Paired with endearing illustrations of the 50 different featured species, Bird Lore guides its readers through the ways birds have shaped customs, language and symbolic meaning around the world and throughout human history.
C P Cavafy in the English and American Literary Scenes
C P Cavafy in the English and American Literary Scenes by Foteini Dimirouli (2009 DPhil Medieval and Modern Languages; Keble Research Fellow in English and Access Fellow) is Foteini’s first book, exploring how Greek-Alexandrian poet C P Cavafy rose to prominence aided by key writers of the 20th century. The book explores how Cavafy's poetry intersected with Forster's modernist life writing, Durrell's cosmopolitanism, Auden's and Spender's post-war explorations, Brodsky's meditations on exile and Merrill's queer aesthetics. It also explores how Cavafy wasn’t only helped by literary influence, but by the mutually beneficial advocacy from these authors as well, aiding Cavafy’s rise to fame and these writers’ identities as authors and cultural arbiters. Foteini enlists published works, correspondence and previously unseen archival material to reveal so far unexplored aspects of the texts and personalities involved in Cavafy's legitimation across languages, genres and historical contexts.
Poems from a Witch's Pocket
Poems from a Witch's Pocket by Laura Theis (2015 MSt Creative Writing) is a collection of charming letters, lists and notes lost from the cloak pockets of a junior witch, navigating through her world. The pages, featuring the thoughts and musings of Laura’s main character, are accompanied by beautifully playful illustrations by Kate Lucy Foster, together exploring themes of magic, nature, environmental awareness, identity, friendship and family. Poems from a Witch's Pocket is written with older children in mind but perfect for anyone who enjoys the quietly whimsical, a fresh perspective on the magical in the everyday or stories with a balance of imagination and insight.
The Bishop and the Baptized
The Bishop and the Baptized by Justin Pottinger (2000 Theology) uses liturgical theology to explore the way the Church of England is structured, how dioceses are run, and the role of bishops. Focusing on the Church of England’s ordinal, Justin argues that baptismal ecclesiology has shaped it more deeply than is often recognised and that the ordinal deliberately places episcopal ordination within a Eucharist, showing both who a bishop is and how a bishop should act in the daily life of the Church. The book also sheds light on the model of leadership envisioned in the ordinal, that of a shepherd whose ministry is marked by pastoral care and humble service and is not simply managerial.
