BLOT Magazine

02/06/2023

Quickfire questions with author Jacqueline Crooks

Quickfire with: Jacqueline Crooks, author of Women’s Prize nominated, Fire Rush by Maddy Burgess | Jun 2, 2023 | Identity | 0 comments Ahead of the Women’s Prize for Fiction being announced in two weeks, BLOT sat down with Jacqueline Crooks, author of shortlisted book Fire Rush.   Is it right f...

02/06/2023

"I think anybody can write anybody in a meaningful way providing they're not doing it in a stereotype. They're a common mistake some new white authors make when they first start writing."

In this article BLOT explores whether its right for authors to write characters from another culture.

How white is the publishing industry? And can white authors ever write culturally diverse characters accurately?

02/06/2023

Ahead of the Women's Prize for Fiction winner being announced in two weeks, BLOT sat down with Laline Paull, author of shortlisted book 'POD' to talk about fighting the environmental crisis through fiction.

Ahead of the Women’s Prize for Fiction being announced in two weeks, BLOT sat down with Laline Paull, author of shortlisted book POD to talk about fighting the environmental crisis through fiction.

02/06/2023

BLOT interviewed the creator of Little Box of Books Lynsey Pollard about the need to have range of representation in the books we read.

When children’s books are six times more likely to contain an animal as a main character than a character from an ethnic minority, diversifying children’s bookshelves is more important than ever.

01/06/2023

To Celebrate the start of Pride Month, BLOT has put together a list of five LGBTQ+ authors you should definitely check out.

June marks the start of Pride Month, a time to celebrate all the incredible contributions from the LGBTQ+ community.

01/06/2023

"From alcoholic detectives to homicidal murderers and victims with amnesia, crime fiction is a genre full of characters with mental illnesses. In fact, out of all the crime books I've read this year, I don't think I could name a single one where none of the characters had some sort of problem with their mental health."

As society’s understanding and acceptance of mental health disorders continues to grow, is it time for crime writers to retire the trope of mentally ill murderers?

01/06/2023

Subscribe to PLOTs June Newsletter here to access our interview with Garry Kilworth: https://shef.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=66dedf851b7ada605ec16499b&id=a3ac3a8b14

01/06/2023

Indigenous groups are the most in-touch with the earth of any humans, so it should come as no surprise that their literature is some of the best for exploring the connection between mankind and the natural world.

Indigenous communities are the most in touch with nature of any humans, with climate fiction from authors of this background reflecting this.

01/06/2023

BLOT spoke to Dr. Janina Scarlet about why people turn to fiction to learn about their mental health.

From Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar to Meg Mason’s Sorrow and Bliss, depression has featured in fiction for generations. But is this representation helpful, or harmful, for people going through it?

01/06/2023

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01/06/2023

After the huge success of Dune's film adaptation in 2021, a sequel is set to be releases in November 2023.

In anticipation of the second Dune film, the BLOT team tested themselves on how much of the first film in the series they could remember.

Ahead of the Dune sequel release in November, The BLOT team took the ultimate quiz to test their knowledge of the Dune book and its first film adaptation.

01/06/2023

The tale of Gilgamesh is the oldest written story on record, with it centring around the friendship between the King and the beast-like man Enkidu

The tale of Gilgamesh is the oldest written story. At its core its a bromance that humbles and humanises its main character.

31/05/2023

The UK is one of the biggest producers of e-waste in the world. In the fourth quarter of 2022, almost 111,400 metric tons of household waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) were collected in the United Kingdom.

The more books you buy the worse it is for the planet right? But are e-readers really a more environmentally friendly option?

31/05/2023

Chronic illness representation in fiction is almost non-existent, but author Lillie Lainoff has set out to change that with her book 'One For All', which tells the story of a chronically ill musketeer.

Based in 17th century France, One For All tells us a story of a chronically ill musketeer - Tania de Batz

31/05/2023

BLOT asked our followers over on Reddit if they had ever tried mindful reading, and if so what had been the benefits.

We asked our readers over on Reddit, what they thought about mindful reading, here's what they had to say!

31/05/2023

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31/05/2023

BLOT spoke to author Luna McNamara about her love for Greek myths, and why they are perfect for feminist retellings.

We spoke to the author of the new feminist retelling of the greek myth Eros and Psyche about her reasons for choosing this myth in particular to adapt

31/05/2023

"How one Jacqueline Wilson book taught me my Mum was more than 'mental' and why we should treat the 'maddened mother' trope with more nuance."

How one Jacqueline Wilson book taught me my Mum was more than ‘mental’ and why we should treat the ‘maddened mother’ trope with more nuance.