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Television wasn’t the death knell for cinema – and that holds lessons for the creative industries and AI

Television wasn’t the death knell for cinema – and that holds lessons for the creative industries and AI

As television grew rapidly in popularity in the second half of the 20th century, many people assumed it would cause a knock-on crisis for the film industry. After all, it meant that viewers no longer had to leave their sofas to enjoy onscreen entertainment, says Mark Fryers, Lecturer in Film and Media. But the reality […]

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A young woman is pictured smiling with her husband and four children.

“I wanted to show my kids that there isn’t just one path to education,” says mum of four

Ellie, 34 from Somerset, studied her BA (Honours) Arts and Humanities degree at The Open University (OU) alongside her busy life as a mum of four. What started as a route to a new career became a lifeline when her family were hit with challenging times. She not only gained a qualification but also a […]

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Five vampire books to read if you enjoyed the film Nosferatu

Five vampire books to read if you enjoyed the film Nosferatu

Oscar-nominated film Nosferatu has rekindled the love of all things spooky in this new version of the 1922 classic that manages to mix elements of Frankenstein and The Exorcist (1973), deftly demonstrating that vampire films can go in new directions. So too can these five contemporary vampire novels, which play with conventions as well as […]

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red theatre chairs

Athol Fugard: the great South African playwright who captured what it means to be human

I was shocked to learn that the famous South African writer Athol Fugard had passed away. I had known his age to be 92 but somehow I never expected him to die. He was always a survivor, says Dennis Walder, Emeritus Professor of Literature at The Open University. When I think about Fugard, the first […]

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Five books to read if you love Nordic/Scandinavian noir

Five books to read if you love Nordic/Scandinavian noir

You know the drill: In a cold and dark place, perhaps at the frontier of human civilisation, a murder has taken place. With fading light and a small community of suspects, our hero must find the killer before the community is driven apart by suspicion in these so-called Nordic-noir films. Samuel Sargeant, Lecturer in Creative […]

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Five poetry books to inspire your winter wanderings

Five poetry books to inspire your winter wanderings

Whether you love poetry or are new to it, dip into the collections suggested by Dr Wanda O’Connor, Lecturer and Staff Tutor in Creative Writing at The Open University. These books can help us explore the way we live and respond to nature, enhancing our walks and rest stops along the way. As poet Philip […]

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Michael wearing graduation gown and blue glasses, looking at the camera with a background of plant leaves.

‘The OU gives you the tools to embrace who you are, and how you connect with the world’

When celebrated historian and Arts and Humanities graduate Michael, 72, received an invitation from The Open University (OU) to become an honorary graduate, he was so stunned he thought it was a prank! Now a proud Doctor of the University he regards as one of the “greatest British institutions”, Michael describes what the OU means […]

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Five books to help if you are dealing with death and bereavement

Five books to help if you are dealing with death and bereavement

CONTENT WARNING: This article contains references to death, bereavement and loss Dr Bethan Michael-Fox is a Staff Tutor in English Literature at The Open University and co-host of The Death Studies Podcast. She researches cultural representations of death, dying and loss. In advance of National Grief Awareness Week [2-8 December] Bethan gives her book recommendations […]

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Spooky Halloween picture

Five spooky stories that will have you dropping your paperback in horror

If you’re looking for something to send a shiver down your spine this spooky season check out the five book choices of The Open University’s Jennie Owen, Lecturer in Creative Writing. These tales include ghosts, ghouls, monsters and horror, and are guaranteed to have you checking under your bed as the nights draw in. 1. […]

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Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker: a tumultuous examination of the impact of domestic abuse on motherhood

Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker: a tumultuous examination of the impact of domestic abuse on motherhood

Sally O’Reilly is an Honorary Associate in Creating Writing at The Open University and here she gives her review of a new book just out by US writer Chelsea Bieker on Madwoman – about the long-term effect of domestic abuse on motherhood. Clove is a young woman with a seemingly good life. She has an […]

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