Humanity Hallows Issue #7

Humanity Hallows

Issue 7 Autumn

.co.uk

Manchester Metropolitan University Student Magazine

HELLO FRESHER ANGELA RAYNER MCR MUSIC TIPS AND TRICKS ANNIE ZAIDI

ARGH KiD

Humanity Hallows #HumanityHallowsPhoto Winner:

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By Students. For Students.

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elcome to Humanity Hallows, Manchester Metropolitan University's official student magazine.

As September rolls around, so does a new term. It's a time for new diaries, experiences and making new friends. The autumn term brings new challenges, whether you're a bright-eyed fresher, or a hardened third year in dissertation hibernation, there's more to university than deadlines, lectures and seminars. It is also a time to explore the city and the delights it has to offer.

Manchester is beautiful, strong and resilient and this issue explores what makes it so. From a stunning feature on Manchester's response to terror, to celebrating the city's wealth of culture, art and talents, we have it all. This issue also includes interviews with the brilliant Manchester poet Argh KiD, actress and children’s author Isla Fisher and Labour MP Angela Rayner. We also have features on what to watch, tips on the best places to eat out in Manchester and advice on how to make your student loan last longer.

And that’s just some of what’s packed into our Freshers’ issue!

If you're a Manchester Met student looking to get involved in a new project this year, we are always looking for writers, illustrators, filmmakers, photographers, designers on an ongoing basis to help make Humanity Hallows an informed, inspiring, witty and opinionated collection of student voices and talents that make our city brilliant. All current students and alumni are invited get involved.

For more information turn to page 43.

Enjoy!

JACQUELINE GRIMA STUDENT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Humanity Hallows, Manchester Metropolitan University's official student magazine, is a Student Media Office project based in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

For information on upcoming features, advertising opportunities and more contact: N.Carragher@mmu.ac.uk NATALIE CARRAGHER STUDENT MEDIA OFFICER

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@HumanityHallows

@HumanityHallows

STUDENT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JACQUELINE GRIMA STUDENT MEDIA OFFICER NATALIE CARRAGHER PRINT EDITORIAL HELEN ADAMS, GRACE ATKINSON, DANIEL BROADLEY, ALEX BUTLER, NATALIE CARRAGHER, BENJAMIN CASSIDY, PIERANGELLY DEL RIO MARTINEZ, GELSICA GLORIA, SAM GOSLING, JACQUELINE GRIMA, NEIL HARRISON, GEORGE HAIGH, CHRISTIE LEIGH MARSH, DYLAN MCCALLUM, CALLUM MCLEOD, EMILY OLDFIELD, FRANKIE RICHARDSON, MIRIAM SABBAH, MARIA SALLING, JACK SILVERWOOD, MELIZA SESTITO, MELISSA SVENSEN ILLUSTRATION PARHAM SALIMY, WALDEMAR STEPIEN, JESSYE PERSSE, CATHERINE PLAYER, LE HA THU DESIGN NATALIE CARRAGHER, NICK STONE COVER PHOTOGRAPH TRUST FOX PHOTOGRAPHY

Student Photography Competition

Humanity Hallows .co.uk

SHOT OF THE ISSUE: Assan Begimov [Top] Ben Macwhinnie [Left] Jessye Persse [Right] To get involved and be in with the chance of winning a ÂŁ100 voucher, tag us in your images of our beautiful city on Twitter or Instagram using @HumanityHallows #HumanityHallowsMCR and email HumanityHallows.Editor@gmail.com.

A shortlist will be announced via social media, with selected images put to a social media vote.

The winner will be announced in the next issue of Humanity Hallows, out January 2018. This competition is open to Manchester Metropolitan University students only. Closing date 5 January, 2018. For full terms and conditions visit www.humanityhallows.co.uk

By Students. For Students.

Issue 7, Autumn 2017

Email: HumanityHallows.Editor@gmail.com Telephone: 0161 247 1951 Address: Humanity Hallows, Manchester Metropolitan University, Geoffrey Manton Building, M15 6LL Humanity Hallows is distributing 5,000 copies on Manchester Metropolitan University campus and across Manchester. A wide range of advertising packages and affordable ways to promote your business are available.

Get in touch to find out more.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without the explicit permission of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within this publication do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Manchester Metropolitan University.

Printed by MMU Print Services

Contents 6

Student Voice: “Ye are many – they are few!” Manchester’s message to the world.

8

Heads up: Things they don't tell you about in Freshers Week.

14 Meet ARGH KiD, a seriously

talented wordsmith sticking two

fingers in the face of ‘poetry as a privilege’.

17

MCR Spotlight: Introducing a spot of class to your social calendar.

18

MP Angela Rayner discusses life growing up and Labour's education priorities.

22 Music: HIVE Radio introduce

Manchester's best new music.

24

Inspirational coach Annie Zaidi talks language, learning and overcoming adversary.

26

We speak to Ollie Hynd, making his mark on the world of swimming.

27 Uniwide: Stories from students

exploring language and culture.

28

A student guide to... housesharing, finance and friendships.

31 Gothic Manchester: At a glance

guide to the events you shouldn't miss.

32 Fashion: Essential Freshers

picks to take you from day to night.

34

Swiping, ghosting and seeking validation: We speak to Dr Jenny van Hooff about the tangled web of dating apps.

36

We talk to alumni author Helen Steadman.

37

Isla Fisher introduces her latest children's book.

38

Student Voice: The Conflicts Surrounding Fanfiction.

39

Where the writers go... reading hotspots in the city and beyond.

40

Clubs: A Beginners Guide to...

Manchester’s Gay Village.

41

Film and Stage: What’s on guide.

42

Creative Collaboration: Home/Away.

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“Ye are many – they are few!” Manchester’s message to the world Frankie Richardson reflects on our city's strength following the tragic events at the Manchester Arena on 22 May, 2017.

WORDS: FRANKIE RICHARDSON

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anchester in the sun is beautiful. We don’t get it often, but when we do it’s perfect. This was one of those days, one of those days we wait for all year.

Except it wasn’t.

The day before had dawned to confusion, fear and grief.

Those who hadn’t been up all night woke to the news that something truly awful had taken place in our beloved city. A cowardly attack on children enjoying a concert, innocent lives taken away with malice and brutality. His name will not pass my lips. But what he did shook Manchester to it’s core. For a moment.

As soon as it became clear late that Monday night that something terrible had happened, the city sprang into action. The people of Manchester opened their hearts and their homes to total strangers, taxi drivers turned off their meters, and people responded to the fear and pain of the moment by meeting it head on, with a stubbornness and warmth that can only be described as truly Mancunian.

As more people woke to the breaking news; confirmed numbers dead and injured, the scale of the tragedy becoming clear, the decision to do whatever you could was instinctive. Matt and Hilary, a young couple who live five minutes from the Arena, told me how they responded. “We had a little cry on the sofa for ten minutes and we just said right then, let’s get on.” Matt works at Pot Kettle Black, a coffee shop near Deansgate, and they went down there, made as many sandwiches, teas and coffees as they could and began distributing them to the police stationed in the streets outside. “People talk about community spirit don’t they, but what’s the point in talking about it? You just do it.” You just do it.

That pretty much sums up the morning after in the streets of Manchester. Those that could help, just helped, those that had to go to work just went to work, exams at the universities went ahead as normal. We seemed to sleep walk through the afternoon in an odd limbo, completely normal and yet at the same time totally not in any way normal at all. People sunbathed, ate meals with friends, shopped, worked and lived, but we were a little subdued. Like someone had turned our colours down just a notch.

The people of Manchester were hurting, shocked and are

grieving. But we came together that evening in Albert Square and we stood together, side by side, unafraid and strong.

The talk on the streets was not of anger or blame, but of pride. Immense pride in the kindnesses shown by ordinary people, immense pride in our incredible emergency services, immense pride in our refusal to be cowed or intimidated, and most of all pride in this place, this city. There is a light here that never goes out. Hate will not tear us apart. Let there be love.

As Tony Walsh’s incredibly moving words rang out across Albert Square, we showed the world our strength and our defiance in the face of fear. Manchester will not be intimidated, we have faced hard times and we will come through this too, and we will come through it together. As another day dawned the world seemed to begin to turn once more as looked to the future with positivity and hope.

We will support the victims with all the characteristic warmth this cold wet city is famous for. We will continue to stand together, united in all that makes us different.

Manchester is the city that gave the world The Suffragettes, The industrial revolution, the computer. We innovate here and we keep moving forward no matter what obstacles are thrown in our path. We faced the full fury of Hitler during the Blitz. We faced the devastation of the IRA bombing, and we will face this horror in the same way. With a smile, a cup of tea and great soundtrack.

The dark forces that move in this world picked the wrong city to try to intimidate. As Tony Walsh put it: “We won’t accept defeat and we do not want your pity.” I am prouder of my home today than I ever have been before, and I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that my fellow Mancunians will continue to support each other through this with dignity and love.

Everybody is different here, but that’s what makes us all fit in here. Our very diversity is the glue that hold us together, and a handful of broken, cruel people attempting to spread panic, mistrust and division in our community will not succeed. A great poet summed us up beautifully, but I would like to add the words of another, great poet, inspired by the resolve of Mancunian people in the face of brutality in another century: “Ye are many – they are few!”

“People talk about community spirit don’t they, but what’s the point in talking about it? You just do it.”

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THINGS THEY DON’T TELL YOU ABOUT FRESHER’S WEEK So, you’re new to Manchester, and though you will likely be bombarded with flyers offering cheap things to do, nights out and socials, sometimes it’s nice to explore where the regulars go. Here is a compilation of Manchester’s best spots, which are unlikely to enter your usual Fresher schedule.

WORDS: GRACE ATKINSON ILLUSTRATION: WALDEMAR STEPIEN

EATING OUT Aladdin (Withington) A Withington landmark, take some mates to Aladdin and order their Middle Eastern mezze to share! Baked aubergine and chickpea dips, to fried meat pastries and grilled halloumi! Their stews are also amazing and it’s BYOB!

Kosmos Taverna (Fallowfield)

Akbar’s (Deansgate)

Greek food as authentic as you can get!

Kosmos is family-run and has been pleasing the masses for decades. The Moussaka is scrumptiously rich, and the falafel is like no other! It’s a great spot to take the parents.

So, you’ve been to Curry Mile, but Akbar’s conquers with its cheap, delicious curries and great atmosphere. Go with a large group and try the ‘family naan’, which is huge, baked to order, and is hung on a hook at your table.

Price: 4/5 Instagramable: 2/5

Price: 2/5 Instagramable: 4/5

Price: 2/5 Instagramable: 3/5

Mi&Pho (Northenden) Catch a bus from Oxford Road and get yourself to Mi & Pho! Serving up delicious Vietnamese soups, curries and papaya salads, it’s infamous in South Manchester, and well worth the trip.

Guess what, it’s BYOB too!

Price: 3/5 Instagramable: 4/5

Crazy Pedro’s (City Centre) Not your ordinary pizza place, Crazy Pedro’s toppings vary from mini-burgers with Big-Mac Sauce, to fried chicken, waffles and maple syrup!

It also does a five pound lunch menu. Stay for a drink and catch the DJ sets that play till late.

Price: 2/5 Instagramable: 3/5

GOING OUT Hidden (City Centre)

Aatma (Northern Quarter)

One of Manchester’s best venues, Hidden holds themed nights with four kitted-out rooms. Think circus performers, face painting and light displays. They even have beds, and the courtyard feels like a festival!

Have a look out for Aatma’s offerings, from live bands to DJ sets, comedy and poetry events.

Set in the back-alleys of Northern Quarter, Aatma is gritty, casual and great fun.

Price: 4/5

Price: 3/5

Indigo (Withington)

The White Hotel (City Centre)

Indigo is an intimate basement bar made for cheap drinking and a good dance. You might be lucky to catch a band, but if not, expect a funky DJ set. It’s located opposite Fuel, so follows perfectly after a Friday night drink or dinner.

A generally secretive venue, The White Hotel is a club situated in a warehouse on an industrial estate. The bar is under a trap door on the floor and drinks are passed up to you.

Last time was a tropical theme!

Price: 2/5

Price: 3/5

Soup Kitchen (Northern Quarter) When you look it up, the first thing you will read is Soup Kitchen’s seasonal soups and sandwiches served during the day, but that’s not the only reason to go. Why not go for the live bands, DJ sets and wicked atmosphere!

Price: 3/5

HAVE A DRINK The Sedge Lynn (Chorlton) A Wetherspoons like no other, The Sedge Lynn is a grade II listed building with high-arched ceilings and stained glass windows. So if you’re looking for a change of scenery, get yourself down there!

Price: 1/5

Sinclair’s Oyster Bar (City Centre) Shambles Square is a great part of the city, with proper olde-worlde architecture and the cathedral right next door. Even though it’s so central, Oyster Bar is incredibly cheap, making it a great place to start for a night out in town.

Price: 2/5 Sandbar (Universities)

The Salisbury (Universities)

The Metropolitan (Didsbury)

You will probably end up at The Flour and Flagon (formally Pub/Zoo) at some point during your fresher’s week, but why not also pop nextdoor to the darker, moodier Sandbar. It’s the art department’s go-to, and sells great drinks and stone-baked pizza.

Tucked behind The Grand Central are the great real ales of The Salisbury. The interior decor is that of a proper, old-school pub, and if you’re into rock music then it’s the place for you.

The Met essentially feels like a huge country cottage, with multiple fireplaces and wood-beamed ceilings. Despite its size, it can get incredibly busy during weekends. If so, there’s always The Railway opposite for back up.

Price: 4/5

Price: 4/5

Price: 3/5

CHILL OUT Boho Utopia (Withington)

Nexus Art Cafe (Northern Quarter)

The perfect spot to take a laptop, have a cake, and unwind. Chapter One sells beautiful and quirky books so is great to find a new read. This is the perfect spot to escape the bustle of the city.

Run by best friends Gina and Whitney, this bustling café is crammed with colour and artwork.

Upstairs is the ‘utopia room’, with bean-bags, fairy lights and tie-dye wall hangings. Look out for workshops and vintage clothing fairs!

A café that holds an array of events, from film nights, to exhibitions and workshops, Nexus’ central focus is on community projects and it prides itself as a place to unwind, grab a coffee and get involved.

Price: 3/5 Instagramable: 2/5

Price: 2/5 Instagramable: 4/5

Price: 3/5 Instagramable: 3/5

Chapter One Books (Northern Quarter)

Pottery Corner (Chorlton) A café where you can paint your own mug, bowl, or whatever! The staff are great fun and sometimes hold pottery classes, but what’s even better are their evening events, where you can take a bottle of wine, some nibbles and get creative!

Price: 4/5 Instagramable: 5/5

(of your mug!)

The Art of Tea (Didsbury) The Art of Tea is the perfect spot to take a laptop and work, with a cup of their specialised tea, or just to read one of the many books on their shelves. It also has a bar, which is perfect for an evening chill.

Price: 3/5 Instagramable: 2/5

TREAT YOURSELF Sugar Junction – Northern Quarter

Dogs ‘n’ Dough – City Centre

Black Milk – Afflecks

Afternoon tea like no other, Sugar Junction piles scones, and treats to wash down with a pot of tea!

Their cakes change daily and if you can't decide on which to have, why not go for their platter, and try them all! And they do gluten free options!

Ok, so we know that hot dogs and pizza are Dogs ‘n’ Dough’s main feature, however we couldn’t go on without mentioning their dessert pizza! Smeared with Nuttella, toasted marshmallows and other classic treats, it’s a perfect sharer!

Where cereal is not just for breakfast, at Black Milk you can chow on Cookie Crisp, brownie and molten chocolate, with Nesquik to pour on top. The ‘Ooh-la-la’ hosts those continental treats you just cant find at home!

Price: 3/5 Instagramable: 4/5 Ginger’s Comfort Emporium – Afflecks, Northern Quarter A quirky ice-cream parlour, Ginger’s Comfort is situated in Afflecks and boasts an incredible selection of ice cream. From flavours such as Golden Syrup, Marmalade and Toast to Gin and Plum, there's something for everyone. Vegan options available!

Price: 2/5 Instagramable: 3/5 Home Sweet Home – Great Northern, Northern Quarter The Mother Land for a sweet tooth, Home Sweet Home offers mega milkshakes, cake shakes, American pancakes, churros, meringue pies and much more. You can order a piping hot ‘cookie skillet’, and their cake displays are works of art!

Price: 4/5 Instagramable: 5/5

Price: 3/5 Instagramable: 3/5

Price: 2/5 Instagramable: 5/5

ESCAPE Peak District

Heaton Park – Prestwich

Chetham’s Library – City Centre

Grab a cheap ticket to Glossop and you’re in some of the country’s most beautiful landscape! Have a stroll on the ground that inspired Wordsworth, a spot of dinner at one of the town’s pubs and just a thirty-minute train back home.

Go to Heaton Hall, which is a Grade I listed building, and pretend you’re in a Jane Austen novel. Or explore the gardens, lakes and other beautiful buildings that the 600 acres have to offer.

The oldest free library in the UK, Chetham’s Library is like something out of a movie. The beamed roof is dark and low, and the rooms are peaceful. This is the perfect spot to do a bit of uni reading, and they even have Karl Marx’s desk to look at!

Instagramable: 4/5

Instagramable: 4/5

Instagramable: 5/5

Rochdale Canal Tow Path – Universities You can turn off Oxford Road just up from the universities and walk along the River Medlock.

This is a great urban walk and a quick way to escape the sound of traffic. Take some mates, a picnic and you’ve got yourself a cheap day out.

Instagramable: 3/5 Tara Yoga – West Didsbury Tara stands out in how accessible she is to any ability level. She usually teaches in a school hall, which is dimly lit and quiet, but sometimes she will take the class outside to feel the grass on your feet! She even does student discount!

Instagramable: 2/5 ditch your phone!)

PHOTOGRAPH: TRUST FOX PHOTOGRAPHY

ARGH KiD

INTERVIEW: EMILY OLDFIELD

Rather than poetry, he pens and performs ‘Pub Toilet Sink Realism’.

For a refreshing two fingers in the face of ‘poetry as a privilege’ and a seriously talented wordsmith - meet ARGH KiD.

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RGH KiD is a Manchester-based writer and performer, born in Longsight and inspired by gritty city experiences. Pieces of his include ‘Nanna Calls Me Cock’ and ‘Tearaways’, covering themes as varied as family, identity, crime and growing up, expressed with wit and wisdom.

His connections run deep here, and, following the tragic events of the 22nd May Manchester Arena terror attack, his words on the city’s resilience ‘She Gives You Just Enough’ were used by the BBC. From humble beginnings after experimentally booking a Greater Manchester Fringe festival stage just over a year ago, he has since shot to street-lyrical stardom, with 2017 being his biggest year yet.

He’s performed at The Manchester Creative Collective, showing that writers can very much be part of sell-out gigs, supporting the likes of the Happy Mondays and The Charlatans earlier this year. He has also performed at Manchester Metropolitan University's Manchester Voices launch, worked with the Manchester Tourist Board, and as UEFA Cup Final Official Poet.

Festival appearances have also had audiences ‘eating out of his hands’ – as expressed by actor Steve Evets. Liam Gallagher even praised his ‘Nice coat’(!). So far he’s had appearances at Blackthorn Festival and was Kendal Calling 2017 Poet Laureate, plus he will be at Rec Rock Festival in September. Currently he’s working on an album set to be titled Heaven For Heathens, due to be released later this year on Strawberry Moon Records. The album features production from electronic music producer Dirty Freud, as well as Gav Monaghan, who has worked with Robert Plant and the band Editors. He’s also working with NSPCC and Alcoholics and Narcotics Anon on separate projects.

If you haven’t heard the streetsmart words of ARGH KiD yet, it’s probably about time you tuned in…

“The performing side was a revelation…it’s become my drug of choice; when it’s good you’re really flying, the comedown is crushing when the night is over.

If it’s a bad trip then it’s the worst experience in the world but every single day I can’t wait to get back up there and do it again.’’

Does your work challenge the stereotypical view of ‘poetry’ and is there another way you would describe it instead?

"I write content that’s true to my experiences in a style/ language that suits the subject.

If it challenges stereotypes then it’s unintentional… But, what is the stereotype? For the audience that listen to my work I imagine it’s more accessible than the poems that were dished out at school – I’m still alive, don’t wear a cravat and you’ll not hear about me running in fields in my work. If it challenges a stereotype, it’s that I studied poetry and still write in this style. I can write complex high-convoluted pieces and sonnets as intricate as a sudoku puzzle but I choose not to.

"However, the elitist self-serving literati view of this (my work) as “urban” – arguably the laziest tag known to man – tries to lessen or diminish its validity. But this argument is old; anything that doesn’t conform tends to be ridiculed or shunned, to be honest the day I start giving a toss about that I’ll stop writing. I’d rather write something that people relate to than have a Chancellor’s desk."

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Is there a piece of work you are particularly proud of – and why?

"Not really. What makes me proud is when I perform something and people tell me what a poem/line meant to them… The amazing thing is that it’s always different interpretations. Once I’ve written it down it’s sort of redundant, I know what it meant to me but when different people bring their opinions it adds something – it’s really bizarre to be told what your own work represents!"

Why would you encourage people to try their hand at writing? And how about performing?

"For the best part of three decades I wrote solely for myself. And still do, but just not as shy about showing it nowadays, I give less of an...ahem…It’s cathartic. I sell it to myself as a less-wimpy diary.

"The performing side was a revelation…it’s become my drug of choice; when it’s good, you’re really flying, the comedown is crushing when the night is over. If it’s a bad trip then it’s the worst experience in the world but every single day I can’t wait to get back up there and do it again.

"If you are thinking about performing poetry or anything in general, just get off your arse and do it."

Can you name an unusual source of inspiration for your writing?

"Man, that’s a tough one…sources of influence, OK…Rum…Corona…and from everyone like comedians such as Bill Hicks, Chris Rock, Louis CK to Bob Dylan, Eminem to Morrissey to my kids...I love how language and wordplay can flip societal scenarios and be manipulated to express opinion and tell stories. And them lot are the best in the world at it."

What are your plans for the next couple of months?

"Next month I’m concentrating on the single and album which are due out very soon, working with a variety of different producers and sounds so really looking forward to hearing it in its entirety. Also coming up is The Rum 100 Festival, Rec Roc Festival and playing up and down the country on the run up to Christmas. Then working with Man Utd on a few new projects as well, one that’s to be released in the next couple of weeks, I think."

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PHOTOGRAPH: TRUST FOX PHOTOGRAPHY

arghkid.com

Celebrate in the city

MCR Spotlight

When it comes to special occasions you may feel like breaking free from the cheap ’n’ cheerful student nights and fancy exploring the more civilised options on offer in your adopted city...

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hether you’ve got your parents or friends from home making their first visit or joining you for a birthday weekend, you may have landed yourself the job of looking for a venue.

We plan to uncover the best that the city has to offer. In each issue we will highlight our favourite hotel, bar or restaurant that’s definitely worth a look and will make your preparations a little bit easier.

INNSIDE by Melia Manchester, located on the new First Street development, Manchester’s coolest new neighbourhood offers 208 stylish and contemporary guest rooms including suites, offering a unique style over ten floors.

All bedrooms feature complimentary Wi-Fi, a flat screen TV, safety deposit box, bathroom with rain shower and complimentary minibar with soft drinks and mineral water.

Major companies and organisations have trusted INNSIDE Manchester to deliver their most important events, celebrations, presentations and graduations. Their largest and most versatile event space is 300m2, bright, fresh and contemporary catering for up to 220 for a private dinner.

“We have worked with colleges and universities on graduation dinners and events,

and the hotel is always a big hit! A lifestyle hotel so centrally located, and on such a landmark development it proves popular with visiting families and locals alike,” comments Jack Appleton at INNSIDE. The Big Ideas room encourages out of the box thinking, with smart paint walls, HD projector and screen and soft, relaxing seating – it’s designed as a fun and imaginative meeting space.

Street on 1st is a concept restaurant designed for social dining, and the brand new

GINNSIDE Terrace is the perfect spot to enjoy al fresco dining in the sunshine, overlooking First Street.

They offer a full Wellness Suite with gym, Sauna, Steam room and Spa Treatment available on request – packages are available seasonally throughout the year and with close proximity to the University, INNSIDE is the perfect spot to enjoy some well-deserved rest and relaxation time. www.melia.com

COME AND HAVE A BALL WITH US

“

Education is a huma and should be free Angela Rayner has had an eventful start as a relatively new MP. From being the first woman to secure the seat of Ashton-Under-Lyne in 2015, to becoming the Shadow Education Secretary in just two years.

INTERVIEW: SAM GOSLING

C

oming from a non-traditional background, the 37-year-old mother of three is bringing a fresh voice to parliament with life experiences that other MPs have only read about. Growing up in Failsworth, Rayner was brought up on a tough council estate.

Her mother was bipolar and a manic depressive, and she was regularly bullied as a child for being “the hyperactive poor kid with ginger hair”. Pregnant at 16 with no formal education, it is a testament to her character that she has not only survived, but has put herself in the position to become the next leader of the Labour Party.

“It was a difficult upbringing. Even on council estates there is a hierarchy, we didn’t have a big family name or anything like that to protect me so I was regularly bullied. My mum was manic depressive and bipolar.

When I was ten years old, I remember she said she wanted to kill herself and I sat on her bed all night to stop her as I was convinced she would do it that night. I was a street kid, by 14 I was going out to clubs and socialising with adults, I needed to express myself in some way as school wasn’t doing it for me. Some people thrive in education, I wasn’t one of them.”

Rayner has been a big advocate for early years education in her time as the Shadow Education Minister. She feels it is vital to make children “school ready” and more importantly, to make sure they are being properly nourished at home and at school to allow them to reach their full potential.

“I wasn’t anywhere near school-ready when I went to school. I had never even seen a book; my mum couldn’t read or write. I was made to feel thick at school because I was behind all my fellow students and I was much more of a practical learner than one who can learn from a book. It is so important that we give early years education the attention it needs. Kids are going to school hungry and not schoolready and this has to stop. I was regularly hungry growing up, I felt actual pain from hunger. Our fridge was always empty and

Although many people would be fooled into putting Angela Rayner in the ‘Team Corbyn’ camp, due to her loyalty to the leader during the Labour Party leadership challenges, they might be surprised to hear that Rayner is not averse to praising Tony Blair and Gordon Brown for the work they did in government.

“Nobody agrees with everything any leader does. Tony Blair’s government started the Sure Start centres that changed my life. I was pregnant at 16 and had no qualifications and those groups saved me.

They taught me how to be a better mother than my own and helped me to keep my eldest son Ryan. I attended evening classes and gained my Level 2 in Care.

"Those centres are disappearing today and, as are a lot of courses, where are people’s second chances today? We are writing off a whole generation. I don’t agree with everything a leader does, Gordon, for example, introduced tax credits, which really did save me, but he did things I disagreed with like the PFI situation.”

The Labour Party, after electing Jeremy Corbyn as its leader, turned on him and mass resignation by MPs followed. Rayner was one of the few MPs who stayed loyal to her leader. We asked her why and what she thought of the people who rebelled.

“I didn’t vote for Jeremy. I voted for Andy Burnham, I believe he is the best leader we never had and I’m thrilled he is the Mayor of Greater Manchester now as he deserves it.

I was a relatively new MP at the time and I had to make a choice. I just felt the public

“When I was ten-years-old, I remember [my Mum] said she wanted to kill herself and I sat on her bed all night to stop her as I was convinced she would do it that night. I was a street kid, by 14 I was going out to clubs and socialising with adults, I needed to express myself in some way as school wasn’t doing it for me.’’

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I had to go to my friend’s houses and get them to ask their parents if I could stay for dinner. How many other MPs could say that? I’m not saying that I am the only one who has been through a tough upbringing but I certainly feel that I add something to parliament with my life experiences.”

an right e for all

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would think “how dare they not let us have the leader we chose, who do they think they are?”

Jeremy won fair and square. Twice. Whether you agree or disagree with him, you know that he wants to make the world a better place and he has integrity. I think the MPs who challenged him were wrong. It was a time when the Tories were on their knees, Cameron had gone and we had an opportunity to unite and progress. The infighting did not help. I genuinely feel that they did what they thought was right; they believed Jeremy was taking the party into a very dark place. The election results have vindicated him though.”

Making that stand for a new MP must have been a daunting prospect when senior MPs were all putting pressure on the MPs to follow them and step down. Rayner stayed loyal and, politically, it seems to have been a good decision for her, as she has had the opportunity to take one of the top jobs in the shadow cabinet.

“At the time, it felt like political suicide to be honest. I thought my career was over. We genuinely didn’t know whether he would hold on over the weekend. It was probably the most difficult period of my life. I had no staff left, no ministers, lots of work to do with grammar schools and SAT results. It was real sink or swim moment.

It came at a huge personal sacrifice for me too. I gained weight, I didn’t see my family and barely slept for 6 months! My new staff were brilliant though and I couldn’t have done it without them and the unions who really stepped up and helped me. We came through it and we now are on top of our brief and feel like we are in government, the way we are being attacked by the Tories.”

Being recognised as a public figure comes with its problems. As the TV appearances increase, so can abuse, particularly on social media. We ask Rayner how much abuse she gets and if she feels that more can be done to tackle the issue of online trolls?

“I dread doing any TV as I know it will follow. Regardless of whether it is Piers Morgan or Andrew Marr, it doesn’t make any difference. The comments I receive after these interviews are horrible. It is hard because it is public, my kids look at it.

I have to tell them not to reply but, to see someone calling your mum those things is difficult for them.’’

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“I get a lot of online abuse. I dread doing any TV as I know it will follow. Regardless of whether it is Piers Morgan or Andrew Marr, it doesn’t make any difference. The comments I receive after these interviews are horrible. It is hard because it is public, my kids look at it. I have to tell them not to reply but, to see someone calling your mum those things is difficult for them. The abusers hide behind anonymous accounts. This I feel is a huge problem. Twitter is great but something needs to be done about the anonymous accounts.”

Rayner faces people mocking the way she talks, and her lack of education, daily. We asked her if she is affected by this and if she feels there is a snobbery in Westminster and the media towards her?

“I get a lot of comments about the way I talk. They say I sound thick. This is just my accent and I don’t speak any differently to anyone around where I am from. There is a snobbery in the media.

It’s a case of “how dare she?”, they never took me seriously. That has changed a bit now. I am proud of who I am and where I come from, I spent years being ashamed of myself; when I was pregnant at 16, I was embarrassed and I didn’t do well at school and was told I was thick. I wasn’t; I just wasn’t school ready and I was hungry as a child. I wasn’t given the enriching environment to reach my full potential.”

It is clear that Angela Rayner fell through the gaps in the education system and that educators failed to spot that she wasn’t “school ready”. Is the situation any better today and can more be done to spot these cases?

“I think a lot more needs to be done. It is important to spot things early, as speech and language in those early years is vital.

We need investment in early years. That’s why I was so proud to be asked to author the Labour Party plan for a National Education Service. Free education from cradle to grave. It is a lot of money (over £20 billion) we are proposing be put into it, but it is costed and we will get the money from reversing the corporation tax the Tories put in place. Under Thatcher, it was at around 30% and it is just about to reduce to 17%. You can see the damage it is doing to our public services. The state should have a lifelong learning approach. Education is a human right and should be free for all.”

With Jeremy Corbyn recently under fire for supposedly backtracking plans to wipe graduate debt, we asked the Shadow Education Secretary if she believed the criticism was fair?

“Jeremy never committed to wiping graduate debt. It is not in our manifesto. He did say he would look at it and that is precisely what he is doing. It is a treasury issue and he and John McDonnell have set up a working group to see what can be done, but you have to be realistic. It is a much more complex issue than simply wiping the debt. What about people who have already repaid it? Would that be fair on them to forgive debt when they paid theirs back? The government and media are unfairly saying Jeremy said he would wipe it. Look at the election campaign; why didn’t they bring it up then? Because it never happened. As Shadow Education Secretary, I acknowledge that the debt is an issue; with the fees going up, you are looking at leaving university with over £57,000 debt and that adds pressure to a person starting a new career. We would scrap tuition fees from day one.”

Can anything can be done about the current student debt?

"It’s about priorities. At the moment, my focus has to be on children who are going to school hungry and making sure teachers

have the resources to teach our children. I can’t make any promises on graduate debt but it is being looked at. The government could do things to help immediately if they wanted to, like reducing the interest rates. It will be 6.1% come September; they could make it the same as the Bank of England base rate which is 1.25%. The threshold for paying back is £21,000 when average earnings are £26,000. Things can be done. Labour will make education free from day one of being in power.”

Some people within the Labour Party believe that Rayner is going to be the next leader. She pleases the left with her loyalty to Corbyn and she pleases the right with her refusal to condemn Blair and the things his government did. We asked her if she holds ambitions to be the next party leader?

“Ha-ha, I have seen what it has done to Jeremy! In all seriousness though, I became an MP because I wanted to help people and to make the lives of the people around me better. I still feel like I am punching above my own weight to be honest. When I was a carer, I wanted to change things as the treatment of our elderly was terrible. Every road led to the Government so I decided to become an MP. If I felt like, by becoming leader of the Labour Party, I could change things for the better and make an impact on the people of this country then, yes, I would happily do that.”

Angela Rayner is undoubtedly a rising star in British politics.

She is bold, brash and unafraid to speak her mind she brings a real personality with real experiences to the table. Whether she will become the next leader of the Labour party one day, only time will tell, but one thing is for certain, Angela Rayner is here to stay.

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Music

Best of Manchester Whether you’re moving to Manchester for uni, or just looking for new artists to enjoy, you’re in for a treat.

While it’s virtually impossible to whittle down – or even keep track of – Manchester’s thriving music scene, Hive Radio's Station Manager Melissa Svensen, has chosen five new Manchester bands to keep your eyes on this year…

WORDS: MELISSA SVENSEN

PINS If Iggy Pop likes a band enough to record with them – “They sent me a good song and they're looking for a narration in it, and I liked their music and their picture, so I'm doing that,” he said of the collaboration – it’s got to be good. And PINS certainly don’t disappoint.

The Manchester quintet make unapologetically brash indie rock; the kind that you can’t help but yell along to. Having recently released a visual EP, a short-film so to speak that accompanies their new EP Bad Thing, the past year has seen them go from strength to strength, and I imagine it’s only going to get better. facebook.com/wearepins

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NO HOT ASHES With shimmering riffs, hard-hitting vocals and live shows that never disappoint, Stockport four-piece No Hot Ashes are without a doubt one of the most exciting bands of the moment. Gracing the world with their unique brand of ‘post-pop-discofunk,’ No Hot Ashes are a healthy, youthful dose of something completely new. Having sold out a recent gig at Sound Control, and with another announced for Club Academy in December going the same way, now’s the time to get on board with No Hot Ashes. They’re about to blow up. facebook.com/nohotashesband

KASHMERE Another Stockport band - it seems the talent dwells on the outskirts - Kashmere are fast becoming a name on everyone’s lips this year. Having built up a crowd tirelessly gigging in and around Manchester, which reached a high this summer with a massive gig at Gorilla, Kashmere blend electro influences with your favourite noughties indie bands to create something hugely fun, danceable and fresh. Get involved, or get left behind. facebook.com/kashmereband/

PHOTOGRAPH: MELISSA SVENSEN

PHOTOGRAPH: DEADBOLT

DEADBOLT FESTIVAL 2017

HIVE RADIO INTRODUCING: AFFAIRS

Though having met in Hull, AFFAIRS reside in Manchester – found most frequently in the bars of Oldham St, as Manchester’s greatest bands are.

AFFAIRS are best enjoyed live.

Having drawn comparisons in the past to everyone from The Smiths, to Foals, to The Courteeners, AFFAIRS’ electro-influenced doom-pop has blossomed into something else; a fully immersive, transcendent listening experience. With epic performances to match, AFFAIRS are a force to be reckoned with. facebook.com/Affairsband

HOLY MATRIMONY Having recorded their most recent EP Dearly Beloved: Part One in a flat in Salford, Holy Matrimony are committed to doing it themselves. Yet they’ve taken something usually associated with raw, garage bands and given it a sparkling sheen. Creating sparkly alt-pop, Holy Matrimony are bringing some sun to Manchester. With glistening riffs and vocals that are reminiscent of Morrissey if he weren’t so miserable, Holy Matrimony are set for nothing other than greatness. facebook.com/holymatrimonyuk/

WORDS: NEIL HARRISON

The Manchester punk and hardcore festival returns with a packed line up on Saturday 30th September and Sunday 1st October 2017, featuring: Martyr Defiled, Carcer City, Junior, Borders, Coast to Coast, Carbine, Kamikaze Girls, Better Than Never, Veridian and many more.

Manchester’s Deadbolt Festival is returning to its spiritual home this September with a staggeringly ambitious selection of the best up-and-coming and established bands in punk, hardcore, metalcore and rock.

Taking place across five venues in and around the city’s Oxford Road corridor, Deadbolt 2017 will see a total of over sixty bands perform across a hectic weekend of distorted decadence.

With stages at Gorilla, Factory, Underdog, Zombie Shack and (the home of Deadbolt’s already well-established club night) Zoo, there will be more on offer than anyone with a penchant for punk or a hard on for hardcore can handle.

Deadbolt founder, Liam Connolly, says, “Deadbolt Festival is a chance for us to take the chaos of our club night and amplify it. Deadbolt Festival 2015 was the biggest thing that we have done to date and we can’t wait to make it even better this year, with bigger bands, more brand collaborations and even more chaos!”

Sponsored by Fireball Whisky, Live Without Regret Clothing and Level Phase Audio, bands announced so far include Martyr Defiled, Carcer City, Junior, Borders, Coast to Coast, Carbine, Kamikaze Girls, Better Than Never, Veridian, Highlives, Valliers, You Know The Drill, Black Coast, Home Wrecked, Everyday Sidekicks, Cascade, Autumn Ruin, Lotus Eater, From Inside, Illusions and many more.

Once the live music stops, festival venues will be hosting a series of exclusive after parties, including a very special instalment of Deadbolt’s regular party club night at Pub/Zoo (now Flour and Flagon) with interactive games and giveaways. Don’t miss out on the mayhem, get your Deadbolt Festival tickets now.

Weekend tickets for the festival are available online for £26 and will include entry to the after parties for over 18s.

Deadbolt Festival 2017, Saturday 30th September redcardinalmusic.com

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GOTHIC MANCHESTER After the great success of last year’s Gothic Manchester Festival on ‘The Gothic North’, our attention turns this year to the topic of Gothic Style(s).

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t the start of the 21st century, the Gothic is everywhere. Fiction and film, television and graphic novels full of vampires, zombies and their hunters - have brought the Gothic into the mainstream.

As Victorian Gothic architecture looms large over cities such as Manchester, Goth fashion and music reference the mode whilst enlivening our streets, bars, clubs and homes with new Gothic styles of their own.

This year’s Gothic Manchester Festival will be full of such delights, offering everything from body-beautiful horror in The Neon Demon to real North West street style in a catwalk devoted to extraordinary goths and steampunks. Here's a few highlights we are looking forward too.

Film Screening of The Neon Demon (2016) Film screening with introduction

by Jennifer Richards 25 October 2017, 6pm - 8.30pm Set in the modern Gothic world of fashion, Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon is a tale of beauty, narcissism, betrayal, and death.

The film itself uses many of the traditional modes akin to horror and gothic films but reframes these themes within a contemporary setting for a 21st Century audience.

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Gothic Styles: In Conversation with John Robb October 26 2017, 6.30pm - 8pm Join music and gothic culture aficionados John Robb (Membranes, Louder Than War) and Dr Claire Nally (Northumbria University) for a full and frank discussion on the Gothic past and Goth in the 21st Century.

Rosie Garland: The Night Brother Reading and book signing 27 October 2017, 6pm - 8pm Tagged ‘literary hero’ by The Skinny, Rosie

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Garland is an award-winning poet, novelist and singer with post-punk band The March Violets.

Her latest novel The Night Brother (Borough Press) was reviewed in The Times as, "A rich and ambitious tale set in late Victorian Manchester... Garland's prose is a delight: playful and exuberant. There are shades of Angela Carter in the mad world she creates...

Full marks."

For booking and more information about the full Gothic Manchester Festival schedule, visit mmu.ac.uk/english/gothic-studies

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STUDENT FINANCE: HOW TO LIVE WELL AND SAVE MONEY ON A BUDGET Falling into the trap of having no money and pot noodles every night for tea seems inevitable when you go to uni but trust me, it doesn’t have to be this way. Here’s a list of top tips for helping your money stretch just a bit further when the student loan drops...

WORDS: MELIZA SESTITO ILLUSTRATION: LE HA THU

Budget

Travel

Now this may seem an obvious one, but you need to budget and actually stick to it. You don’t want to blow all your loan within the first month and then have to rely on your overdraft to feed yourself.

Work out your income (not including your overdraft!) and make a list of your expenses. If lists don't work for you, try downloading a budget app for free.

A bus pass should be first on your list, unless you're in walking distance of campus or you plan to cycle in. Even if you do live close by, look out for the best offers for you. If you’re going to be travelling by train to go home for weekends regularly, then a 16-25 Railcard is a must have! It costs £27 for a year and gives you 1/3 off all rail travel, it’ll have paid itself off in no time. Another tip is to buy your train tickets as early as possible.

Advance train tickets can be half the cost of normal tickets once you add a Railcard.

Cut small costs Small things like having your morning coffee at home or taking it with you can make a big difference to your finances. All those Starbucks add up. Make a effort to do a weekly food shop and look out for discounted food at the supermarket. If you don’t end up using it before the use by date, freeze it. Never shop while you’re hungry or hungover, you’ll buy things you don’t need!

Student discount Make the most of your new found discount opportunities as a student, you’ll be surprised at how many places offer student discount! Don’t be afraid to ask!

Download the free Unidays app, which gives you codes to use on almost every website that offers discount, it’s free to sign up – you just need your university email address!

Study Try to avoid buying new books at all costs! Look out for second-hand books or borrow/rent.

If you’re a second or third year student, sell your old books. This will give you more money to buy your next year of study materials!

Most universities (including Manchester Met) offer Microsoft Office 365 free with your university email address, this can save you almost £100 per year!

Got a student tip of your own? Get in touch and share your words of wisdom! Join the conversation over on Facebook and Twitter @HumanityHallows

A student guide to... housesharing

WORDS: GELSICA GLORIA

ILLUSTRATION: JESSYE PERSSE

Gelsica Gloria shares some tips for surviving and thriving in your new home.

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et’s be honest, moving home is tiring and scary. I bet you are scared, aren’t you? Just a tiny little bit? Guess what? It’s totally normal! I was scared too when I moved to Manchester four years ago. Here are some tips that will improve your housesharing experience.

Research the area Is it close to uni? Can you walk in to uni? I cannot emphasise enough how important this step is. Although it seems boring, when you move to your new address, you should know where the nearest amenities are located. For instance the bank, GP, shops and bus stop. This will make life a lot easier.

Leave your bedroom door open Okay, I know what you are thinking! Let me explain it to you. I had the same reaction

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years ago when someone advised me to do this. By leaving the door open, you are giving a clear message that you are approachable and willing to get to know your flatmates. I didn’t leave my door open though, I was way too shy. However, my friend Chelsea did, and my first impression of her was that she was confident and friendly. My first impressions of Chelsea were right, she was the best flatmate I could ever ask for, from watching Harry Potter all night long to crazy nights out, she was always there for me.

be disagreements about the house, and it is best if you all have at least a cordial relationship.

Establish rules for the house

Get to know ALL of your flatmates

Rules are vital when you are living in a group because everyone is different and has had a different upbringing. Write down a list of chores and rules and stick it in on the fridge. You can do this in a funny way with all your flatmates, like during a pizza night or something. Just make sure that there are rules and that everyone in the flat knows them.

You will live almost a year with them and you should at least make an effort to know their names. Plus you all can hang out together during freshers’ week. Make plans, go to the movies together, eat together. Try your best to establish a relationship with them, because at some point there might

Have fun Yes, have lots of fun. Don’t forget you are all human beings who probably come from different cities or even countries, so housesharing is a great way to make new friends that can last you a lifetime. Go out together, eat

5 ways to maintain your long-distance friendship and why it's important Friendships can take some knocks when you start university and move away from home, but the best ones are worth fighting for.

WORDS: MARIA SALLING ILLUSTRATION: JESSYE PERSSE

S

olid friendships are crucial to your mental wellbeing, and they are important to nurture; much like romantic relationships, platonic ones need a bit of love too. Maybe you’ve moved across the country and your best friends have moved in the other direction. Or maybe you’re like me and you have moved to a foreign country to study and left all your friends behind. I’m lucky though, Denmark is only a short flight away, so I have the possibility to go home fairly often if I want to. Here are some tips to help keep you going between visits.

Schedule, re-schedule, then schedule some more One thing I wish I’d done is schedule time with my friends. Your life is going to be up in the air and your friend’s lives won’t automatically pause just because you’re busy. Sit down and put times in your diary to talk, or set alarms for yourself at a certain time when you know they will be available. Sometimes, as bad as it sounds, I almost declined calls because I was engrossed in Netflix. However, in the end, I have never regretted choosing a friendly chat over the TV. Keep up-to-date on important events Granted, the schedule is hugely helpful for keeping in touch. But if something big happens, share it with your friends! If they are too busy to answer, just text them a short overview of what has happened, then you can always give them the full story during your scheduled catch-up date.

Don’t sweat the small stuff, write it down Keeping each other up-to-date on big stuff is important, but don’t text all the gory details!

The worst feeling in the world is running out of things to say on the phone. For me all my iPhone notes have been so useful, especially in stressful times as my memory shuts down when I’m not at my best physically or mentally.

I usually write down a funny thing I see or that someone said, a controversial topic I’ve been mulling over, one that will get a lot of discussion or simply stories I know my friends will appreciate.

Less texting, more meaning Cut down on the quantity of texts, it’s all about the quality of the content. If you are constantly in conversations with all of your long-distance friends, you are sure to go crazy from trying to keep track of everyone and everything all at once, so much so that you might actually forget to live your real life. I know this from experience. ‘Live in the now’; clichés are there because they work.

Accept and adapt Last but not least, you need to accept that your friendship will change. Usually friendships and relationships change over time. When you all

go your separate ways, it’s going to be a bit difficult. That’s okay! You need to accept that your friend is probably as busy as you are and that their life moves on without you there to observe it. Take walks while talking, do chores or even FaceTime during a concert you both love. New shared memories are crucial, so maybe even start a video chat book club.

Some friendships might not withstand the distance, but friends will always walk in and out of your life, so just appreciate the ones who stay.

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AN N I E ZAI D I MOTH E R TONG U E OTH E R TONG U E WORDS: JACK SILVERWOOD

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nnie Zaidi, widely considered the most prominent presence for South Asian women in professional football, and winner of the 2015 Helen Rollason Award at the Sportswomen of the Year Awards, is an exceptionally driven professional football coach. She was honoured in the Queen New Year 2017 honours list British Empire Medal for her services to football coaching and is passionate about language.

Annie presented as a keynote speaker at this year’s Mother Tongue Other Tongue Awards, a multilingual poetry competition hosted at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Annie speaks to us about her own experiences as a multilingual speaker as well as her experiences pursuing her goal of becoming a premier league football coach.

What languages do you speak?

"My mother tongue is Urdu and my mum and Dad are both from Pakistan. I’ve just started speaking Spanish because, as an aspiring football coach, it would add another string to my bow in the football world."

Tell us about your upbringing in an Urdu household in Coventry. Your mother pushed you and your five siblings into embracing your mother tongue, despite living in the UK. "We weren’t allowed to speak English at home! My mum knew that we would go to school and that we would speak to friends

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in English. She always felt that it was important to understand her in Urdu so that we could have that relationship with her and our grandparents in Pakistan.

"Mum would say that as soon as we got home, we couldn’t speak English. If we did, she would give us the look of death - I think that happens with all mums. My mum has nurtured us to speak our mother tongue and I’m glad, because I can speak to anyone and everyone in our community – more so to the elders. My granddad is my best mate, so to have that privilege of speaking and understanding has given us a special bond over the phone - I think it’s so important.

It’s your identity coming from a South Asian background."

Do you think your mum feared losing that bond and that connection?

"Yes definitely, some of my mum’s peers weren’t that disciplined with their children and it meant that they couldn’t communicate with their grandparents.

It’s like reading the book Anita and Me

by Meera Syal about second-generation migrants. Her Grandma came from India and she couldn’t understand Punjabi and I really felt uncomfortable. I felt close to my grandma but not as close to her because of the lack of language."

"I think reading that book really made me appreciate my Mum’s discipline. In the narrative, she reflects on wishing she took time to learn Punjabi and you need that

language and it’s about being proud of your culture as well, while appreciating everyone else’s."

How important do you think it is to celebrate languages and multiculturalism in the UK? "We live in a multicultural society where anything and anyone is accepted and welcomed with open arms. We need to embrace that, and use it to our advantage.

I was at the hospital not long ago and an Asian gentleman couldn’t speak English and wanted my help to translate to the doctor. Me having the ability to speak another language became his only form of communication between him and his doctor and I thought, ‘wow, it is powerful!’

“There's a dream that no-one else sees. It keeps me awake at night, itching my feet and moving me forward.

It’s not been easy; being successful is not easy anyway.’’

Have you faced any barriers in your career as a football coach?

"I wouldn’t say barriers. I don’t see them as my own barriers – people try and put up barriers for you but I don’t see any of them as my own. People have given me more labels than a jar of jam, which is quite funny in some respects but also quite scary today when people are judged by their gender.

There are too many labels going on and I’m not about it - I’m organic. Everyone puts up a barrier and I just get back up, jump over it. If I allowed those barriers to be significant, I would not have achieved what I have achieved. And that has come from my own motivation and resilience… being arsy works. I think people put barriers up because they fear change or they know that they can’t do something. I’m one of those people that likes to prove other people wrong and that’s the hunger; that’s the fire in my belly. I don’t see barriers. I see the finishing line. Every time I climb a mountain, I’m on to the next one. Just smile, grit your teeth, chest out, head up and do the walk.

That’s what I do and it works for me."

How old were you when you decided what you wanted to do and did you have support along the way?

"Especially for the older generation, it limits everything. It’s like food, if you embrace other people’s cultural food as much as you embrace everyone’s language – it’s like a marriage made in heaven. It’s part of your identity. I wouldn’t have appreciated everything I’ve achieved if I didn’t appreciate where I come from and the sacrifices made for me. I think you appreciate it more because you get to know yourself more."

What is the importance of languages within professional football?

"Overseas players are willing to learn but when some national players go out, they take time out to learn. I think it should be embedded into the Academy Programme to learn. If players get scouted to go to Real Madrid – like David Beckham and Gareth Bale – they’ve already got that skill set in place, rather than that possibly affecting them to make the decision on whether to go and question whether, because they can’t speak the language, they might not fit in. I think language is just as important as English, Maths and Science these days."

"Ten years old. It’s always just been me, myself and I. It’s always been me against the world – until four years ago, when I met my mentor – but even then, it’s still hard work even with that support mechanism. If you believe in yourself, no-one can hinder it.

No-one can take it away from you. It’s been a big gamble for me. I was at that stage, post-grad and earning money, and I gambled it to pursue my dream. There’s a dream that no-one else sees. It keeps me awake at night, itching my feet and moving me forward. It’s not been easy; being successful is not easy anyway. Success means if I can inspire young girls to do whatever they want, then so be it."

Would you consider yourself a role model?

"I hope I’m a role model. I didn’t set out to get the awards and accolades but I’m blessed and I appreciate them. But for me to get my pro license now is my focus and I’ve just accomplished being the only one that looks like me in England and in Europe. It is quite powerful, but scary. Not many people like me in this profession – so you have to ask where is it going wrong? - but that is my unique selling point. I just want to show girls that you can do anything. I’ve always had a dream that has kept me going, through my lows, my highs, really-really lows, my really-really-really lows, and when you have that vision, that dream that no-one else can see but yourself - that is what keeps you going."

Mother Tongue Other Tongue is a Laureate Education Project that celebrates cultural diversity and the many languages spoken in UK schools. For more information visit, mmu.ac.uk/mothertongueothertongue

Mother Tongue Other Tongue Project Manager Yasmin Hussain with Annie Zaidi

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Grand Slam Ollie preparing to defend his golds - and he's hungry for more At the age of just 22, Ollie Hynd has already left a significant mark on the world of swimming – but he’s striving for more success.

INTERVIEW: CALLUM MCLEOD

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e’s won more than thirty international and national medals, most recently at the Rio Paralympics with two world record golds in the S8 400m freestyle and S8 200m individual medley. Also, Ollie is part of an elite group of swimmers to hold the ‘Grand Slam’: simultaneous Paralympic, World, European and Commonwealth titles.

Now his aim is to take more gold medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, being held, appropriately enough, on the Gold Coast. His immediate focus has been the British trials in Sheffield this summer, to qualify for this year’s World Championships and next year’s Commonwealth Games.

“I went to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and really enjoyed it and managed to win gold.

I want to go again and defend my title, that’s my medium-term goal - but of course, the World Championships are very important and I want to win gold there too.”

While competing in the Commonwealth games, Ollie is looking forward to seeing the country for the first time.

“I’ve never been to Australia. To go to that side of the world and be able to experience the culture of Australia will be great.”

Ollie began swimming at an early age, introduced by his parents aged two.

“My parents wanted me to swim, just as a life skill. I went through all the badge schemes until I was seven years old, when I joined my local swimming club, Sutton, and got into the competitive route from there.”

Watching his brother Sam win gold at the Beijing Olympics inspired Ollie to swim too.

“At that age, I was 13; a typical kid off doing everything and not really wanting to put in the hard work. But that was the moment where I knew I wanted to do this properly and really make a go of it.

“If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have been as successful in the pool. He was definitely a role model.”

As an international athlete, Ollie has a vigorous training regime and schedule, with

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plenty of early starts.

“I get up at 5.20am to be in the water about 6 am, stretch off, then swim for an hour and a half. From there I’ll go straight to the gym for another hour and a half.

Then I recover and rest, to be back in the water again at 5pm.”

“Even though it sounds obvious, the

best advice I could give is to make sure you sleep enough. Also, when the alarm goes off get moving straight away!”

Ollie’s neuro-muscular myopathy makes every part of training and competing more difficult.

“I have weakened muscles, mainly in my legs but also in my hands as well. It affects my co-ordination a bit. So, when I’m swimming I’ve got less muscle power and less muscle mobility. I don’t have much of a kick; it’s more for balance than propulsion.”

This elite athlete is the first to

acknowledge the team helping him prepare for success in the pool.

“Yes, it’s a team effort; not just me,” he laughs. “My coach in the pool is Glen Smith and Tim Stevenson and David Jackson are my strength and conditioning coaches.

My parents are the nucleus of my support system. When I was younger they drove me every day and got up at silly hours.”

To stay in top shape, Ollie has to stick to his nutritional plan, but he has a guilty pleasure.

“Ice cream! I’m a big fan of ice cream; my favourite is vanilla. I can’t eat much of it, but if you never ate anything bad you’d probably go insane and you wouldn’t want to do all those hours in the pool.”

Away from training, he likes to relax by listening to music, watching football, horror films and The Simpsons.

“I’m a big football fan. When I’m off travelling the world, and at events, I look forward to sitting down and watching the football.

I’ve always been a big fan of The Simpsons: it’s classic.

“I’m a massive Kanye West fan too, I listen to his music before any race. I’m very much into fashion, sneakers and things like that; he’s big in that world too.”

As Ollie prepares for an 18-month period of competition that may add significantly to his medal haul, he reflects on his success so far and is thankful that his career has been relatively injury-free.

“Probably the worst injury I’ve had was in 2012 when I fractured my wrist at the trials. I had to recover in just six weeks for London. In the end I did, but that was a point when doubts began to creep in: I thought maybe it wasn’t meant to be.”

Having hit that moment and emerged both wiser and very successful, Ollie has this advice.

“Never give up! Think about the goals you’ve set yourself and why you set out to do this in the first place. That will help you get through the tough times.”

Uniwide Languages mmu.ac.uk/uniwide Enhance your CV, become a global citizen, and train your brain through languages

Uniwide Awards 2017 We are holding our first ever Uniwide awards this year. This is the perfect opportunity for you to tell us about your Uniwide experience and be in with a chance to win some fantastic prizes.

Award Categories: •

Creative Writing — Submit a written piece e.g. diary entry; timeline of your Uniwide experience; a review; newspaper article. Maximum 400 words.

•

Social Media — Publish a creative Tweet about Uniwide within Twitter’s 140 character count. (Remember to tag @MMULangCent!)

•

Audio/Video — Record a short audio or video about any aspect of your Uniwide experience (maximum 6 minutes).

•

Study Abroad — Tell us about your experience of living and studying in the country of your target language. This could be a blog, video diary, journal, postcard or photo book.

•

Text in the language learnt — This can be either hand-written or digital but it must be a creative submission.

Entry Deadline: 24th November 2017 Prizes will include: • • • •

1-2-1 language sessions in the language of your choice 1⁄2 price course of Evening Language Classes (10 weeks) MetCard credit Fred Aldous vouchers (Art shop in the city centre)

* See further details on our website & Facebook group and to keep up-to-date with the Uniwide Awards 2017.

Remember to join the Uniwide Languages 2017 Entrants group on Facebook!

Fashion

Fashion in Film: On screen icons and how to replicate the look Fashion Editor Miriam Sabbah looks to our favourite films for style inspiration.

WORDS: MIRIAM SABBAH

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he film industry has the ability to create not just a star of its leading lady, but also a fashion icon.

Whether your movie-obsessed or a fan of fashion, get ready to spice up your wardrobe with our beloved fashion looks from your favourite movies. We’re going to show you where to bag that iconic on-screen style from stores on the high street.

To kick-start the term, we are going to focus on none other than Cher Horowitz and Dionne Davenport from the fashionista favourite Clueless. Cher and Dionne's magnificent wardrobe was every '90s girl's dream! They are now probably most women in their twenties’ fashion idols to boot. One thing's for sure, every girl will love at least one item in their wardrobe, so why not take a leaf out of their style bible and recreate some of their signature looks?

The style in Clueless is very ‘back to school’ which is perfect for the upcoming fall term. Replicate the look for your self with our signiture picks below.

Black Checked Mini Skirt, £22, Misguided; Woven Yellow Tartan Scarf, £15, ASOS; Crushed Velvet 90's Dress, £22, ASOS; Fishnet Socks, £4.50, ASOS

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New term, new wardrobe!

FRESH

trends

You’ll have enough on your plate during the first few weeks of uni without thinking of what to wear and what to bring. We break down our favourite looks to kick-start your year.

WORDS: CHRISTIE LEIGH MARSH TAKE IT EASY This comfy loungewear set is perfect for moving in day and will keep you looking stylish in front of your new friends throughout A/W.

FRESH NIGHT OUT What happens in Fresher’s Week, stays in Fresher’s Week.

You might not always know the dress code in new venues, so an LBD is an excellent style choice that is perfect for dressing up or down.

GET ORGANISED

INVEST IN YOUR FEET Starting uni means lots of finding your way around and exploring your new city. Keep nice and comfy with these trainers. Worth the investment!

A cute diary is a must to organise all your studies and the fun events and nights out you will be enjoying.

Pair it with a cute backpack for you books (and all your Fresher’s freebies!).

New Balance 520 Trainers, £65, ASOS; Ripped Front Joggers, £18, Missguided; Holographic Agenda, £30, ASOS; Wrap Front Mini Dress, £38, ASOS

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ILLUSTRATION: PARHAM SALIMY

Swiping, ghosting and seeking validation: The tangled web of dating apps Benjamin Cassidy talks to Manchester Met sociologist Dr Jenny van Hooff to find out more about why we behave the way we do when it comes to online dating.

INTERVIEW: BENJAMIN CASSIDY

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ost people would agree that dating has changed in the last ten years. Smartphone apps have influenced the experience without a doubt. But have they really altered the dating scene as much as we think, or just created a platform for existing behaviours?

Humanity Hallows consults Dr Jenny van Hooff, a sociologist of personal life to find our more. Jenny's work looks closely at relationships, monogamy, the single life and dating apps, and the various aspects surrounding them.

The chances are that most students starting university today will have used dating apps, or, at the very least, be familiar with them. A lack of knowledge surrounding them is problematic in understanding them.

One fear might be whether they are centred around, or cater for, a specific gender.

Jenny shines some light on this.

“Dating apps were first driven by gay men. Tinder is now being perceived as largely heterosexual, those who identify as men and women use them. Reports show concerns of a commitment phobic model of intimacy.

I’m not sure these equate truthfully, in practice, but fears appear to genuinely exist. Women use dating apps to seek, and have, casual sex. Individuals use them differently. Individual genders do too. I don’t think, for example, Tinder is not specifically designed around men; it’s more likely news reports have created this fear. Apps facilitate certain types of behaviour already inherent within people.

Tinder created neither casual sex, nor misogyny, but it’s certainly enabled it.”

Other concerns include dangers and concerns about people using apps to gain a sense of self. It turns out the issue isn’t as cut and dry as it may seem.

“Seeking external validation can be dangerous. I’ve spoken with people, during my research, that have told me they enjoy talking to others on apps, to get a boost. They do not always plan to meet up with them. These apps are a consumer product. A sense of self gained from their uses and features can bring with it fragility, as there’s no guarantee

of it being sustainable. Ricocheting from one match to another brings a sense of danger, as there’s no pause to even contemplate rejection.”

Discussing her work, Jenny reveals how she explores embedded patterns of behaviour.

Once more, her findings provide a fascinating insight into the human mind.

“People have become extremely skilled at branding themselves, seeming to know how to appeal to those they are seeking. This includes the way that the men I’ve spoken to, who have had great success in finding matches, talk to women. People sort of convert themselves into consumer goods, in a way resembling online shopping. It can be a little soulless. One guy told me that he started out seeking love, but Tinder very quickly hardened him up.”

doesn’t seem to be any consequences for ghosting. The anonymity of meeting online seems to make this expected by users and largely acceptable.”

Another well document adverse effect of online dating understandably focusses on the safety of users as a frequent concern.

“The focus always seems to be on women to stay safe, when in fact the onus needs to be on men not to attack women. Again, I think this is a societal wide issue and not something created, or even specific to, dating app culture.”

There are those who deride the entire concept of dating apps and mourn for ‘traditional romance’. Perhaps this seemingly new concept already existed in what we commonly thought was “traditional dating?”

“I don’t feel it has liberated us, particularly.

To think we are can be quite problematic. There’s pressure on people to have certain types of sex – casual sex – exciting sex. I think we have a long way to go to become free of expectations and the potential constraints they bring.”

Jenny explains that she feels there is less to worry about than many reports suggest.

“There are claims that Tinder brought about the death of dating, in the traditional sense. But, I think the concerns of this generation are a little unwarranted. Every generation has had casual sex, the ways it’s being facilitated has just altered. The behaviours are typically human, and just have a new expression-method now. Research shows that most young people still aspire to typical monogamous, long-term relationships. They’re just doing what many young people have always done. Experimenting and exploring their sexualities. There are also those who use Tinder to seek long term relationships.

“There’s always negatives and positives, as with anything. Ultimately, maybe traditional romance didn’t exist in the way it is thought of, and Dating Apps haven’t altered culture; culture has just adapted, as is usually the case.”

“Apps facilitate certain types of behaviour already inherent within people.

Tinder created neither casual sex, nor misogyny, but it’s certainly enabled it.”

The internet has changed the way people interact. As a cultural tool, it has given rise to a phenomenon: a language. The term ‘ghosting’ describes the sudden disappearance of a person who was communicating, and possibly in a relationship of sorts, with someone else. In her research, Jenny has spoken with those who have experienced this first hand.

“Dating app culture doesn’t encourage taking time to seek or give closure. In one conversation I had, a guy told me that when he started out on Tinder he used to take a long time to end a relationship, but increasingly he found that women had no or little expectation of this. In lots of cases, there

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5 Helen Steadman minutes with...

Writer Helen Steadman recently graduated from Manchester Writing School’s MA in Creative Writing. Her first novel Widdershins came out in July.

Humanity Hallows caught up with Helen to ask her about how the novel came about and what inspired her to write it.

INTERVIEW: JACQUELINE GRIMA

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iddershins tells the story of the 1650 Newcastle witch trials, during which at least 15 suspected witches were hanged in one day, the highest number for a single day of trials in England. What drew you to these themes?

“I was shocked to find that there were witch trials in Newcastle because I’d never known this, despite living nearby for most of my life. There was also a detail about the conduct of the trials that shocked me so much it lodged in my mind and I knew quite quickly that this would be the story underpinning my novel.”

The novel is meticulously detailed with your research showing through on every page. Was it difficult to make the writing authentic?

“I wouldn’t say it was difficult, but it was certainly time consuming. I carried out lots of different types of research. I examined archive material, and I read lots of books on witches and witch hunting, including the diaries of Matthew Hopkins and John Stearne (the Witchfinder General and his fellow witch pricker), which made for grim reading. I spent hours each day walking the countryside where the book was set, taking photos and making notes to capture the nature and weather. I also took some herbalism courses to

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learn a little about plant medicines and how to make them.”

The novel is narrated by Jane Chandler, an apprentice healer, and John Sharpe, who eventually becomes a witch finder. Was it difficult to choose who should tell the story?

“In the beginning, I had seven third-person narrators, which I came to accept (grudgingly) was too many and I whittled it down to three (Jane, John and Tom) and then set it in first person. I liked this better, but it struck me that Tom’s story was slowing the pace. Now, Tom was my favourite character (you’re not meant to have favourites, I know), and it was a painful decision to cut his point of view. But when I’d rewritten it as two people, I knew it was better. In my head, when writing the story, I’d always had this image of the caduceus, which is the rod carried by Mercury, and it has two serpents entwining it, so it came to me that the two stories should intertwine in this way, and then it finally felt right.

The injustices and abuse the women suffer in the novel are often shocking, with the male characters going to great lengths to prove the women are witches. That must have been difficult to write about.

“It was generally difficult trying to see women as they were seen at the time and resisting the urge to give them a fairer and more modern experience.

Of course, many men and children were also persecuted, tortured and killed as witches, but the vast majority were women, and it was important to be true to this.

Sadly, persecution continues and misogyny is ever-present, so I think these women’s experiences sadly still have meaning for women today.”

The novel began life as your portfolio for your Creative Writing MA. Did the course have a huge impact on your writing?

“I think the MA was instrumental in my writing a novel. Because it was then a requirement of the MA to write a novel of at least 60,000 words, signing up for it was a big commitment to myself to complete a novel of

publishable quality. The single most important thing I’ve taken away from the MA is the value of criticism. I was very fortunate to fall in with a great group and we set up our own DIY workshops quite early on so that we could get even more criticism, and while we drop in and out as life gets in the way, the group is still going strong!”

Any advice for current students looking to get their work published?

“Get as much criticism as you can from people whose opinion you trust. Rewriting is vital. I spent about 120 hours writing the first draft over a period of three or four months. But I spent twenty times that on rewriting and editing. Never be satisfied with early drafts. Put your writing away and forget about it and then approach it with fresh eyes, ready for rewriting. Once you’ve reached a point where you really cannot make it a better book, start submitting. Nerves of steel are necessary for this part. Accept that rejection is going to be a feature of your life for the near future and brace yourself for it.

Take Stephen King’s advice and buy a hook to hang your rejections on. When the hook gets full, buy a bigger hook.

Keep going. Even if you ignore all the other advice, just keep going.”

Widdershins is available now from Impress Books.

Isla Fisher on the power of children's books Jacqueline Grima talks to Isla Fisher about her writing and role as a Save the Children Ambassador.

T

his summer, actress and children’s author Isla Fisher launched her new book Marge and the Great Train Rescue, the third book in her Marge in Charge series.

Described as ‘the mischievous babysitter with rainbow hair, who loves to make a mess’, Marge has some great adventures when she’s looking after her friends Jakey and Jemima. We asked Isla to tell us about some of them.

“Things do sometimes go off the rails when Marge is around but Jakey and Jemima don't mind that. After all Marge does all the silly things that kids would secretly like to do, such as cooking chocolate soup for dinner.

“The Marge stories are a bit like The Cat in the Hat meets My Naughty Little Sister. Kids are so aware of rules and are constantly being told them so, when someone in a position of authority like Marge breaks them in a silly fun way, the kids immediately feel superior and find it funny.”

Is it also important to create good role models in books?

“Reading is the best kind of escapism. I think books take tiny people to places they can’t go - on a pirate ship, inside a peach, through a looking glass. They help children find quiet time, provoke thoughts and discussions, and educate them. They are such an important part of growing up!

“Books also help children to develop wider vocabularies which means they have more words to draw on, which helps them to communicate precisely and clearly when

writing and talking! Children also learn to respect and understand people who are different to them, through different characters.”

We all have special books that we remember from childhood and many children might one day remember the Marge series fondly. Are there any special books from Isla’s childhood that have influenced her writing?

“Nothing that directly influenced the Marge books, but I loved Winnie the Pooh.

He is just adorable. When I read Pooh’s lines, I still laugh, no matter how many times I have heard them. He’s a loveable idiot which is a staple of much good comic fiction.

“I also loved Jane Austen and any horse stories. I was horse mad as a child so any tale involving a pony was an instant favourite.”

What advice would she give to anyone thinking of writing a children’s book?

“Read, read, read! And don’t judge yourself when you are being creative. I am an actress first and not a professional writer but I never compare myself to real writers or I would give up. I started to write the Marge books because I felt that there weren’t that many funny books for emerging or reluctant young readers. I felt like there was a missed opportunity during this transitional phase of reading.”

As well as being a successful actress and author, Isla dedicates much of her time to her role as an ambassador for Save the Children. She recently visited Sao Paolo in Brazil to promote the benefits of

breastfeeding for new mothers and babies.

“I learned so much from visiting Sao Paolo, where breast feeding rates have improved thanks to education, support and milk banks where women volunteer their own milk for babies who don’t have access to breastmilk. When a baby receives their mother's milk within an hour of their birth, their immune system is kicked to life and it helps provide protection against diseases like pneumonia and diarrhea.

“However, around the world, the formula milk industry continues to falsely claim their products have superiority over breastmilk in their marketing. This undermines the confidence of some new mothers who then don’t think breastfeeding is even an option. For those who don’t have access to clean water to wash their bottles with or to make up their formula with, this creates a life or death situation. Right now, Save the Children is part of a coalition of NGO’s in the delivery of a global campaign Babies Before Profit which is aimed at calling out the aggressive marketing tactics milk formula companies use to encourage mothers to spend their money on manufactured food they don’t need.”

Will we be seeing more of Marge in the future?

“Absolutely, I want Marge to live forever!”

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The Conflict Surrounding...

WORDS: HELEN ADAMS ILLUSTRATION: PARHAM SALIMY

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nce restricted to fanzines and mailing lists, fanfiction is something that’s becoming more and more prevalent in contemporary society. But is it really a good thing?

Picture the scene: you’ve read the last page of a book, watched the last episode of a TV show, or watched the final credits roll on a film and find yourself unsatisfied with the ending. You’re disappointed – perhaps you didn’t get the closure about a certain subject you thought you would, or those two characters didn’t end up together like you wanted them to. You walk away from the cinema, turn off the TV, put the book back on the shelf, and move on with your life. Or do you?

Fanfiction, for those unfamiliar with the term, is defined by Dictionary.com as “a fictional account written by a fan of a show, movie, book, or video game to explore themes and ideas that will not or cannot be explored via the originating medium”. It’s also referred to as fanfic or simply just fic, and can take on pretty much any genre.

However, fanfiction does not come without its issues. Anne Rice, author of The

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Vampire Chronicles amongst many other books, writes that “I do not allow fan-fiction.

The characters are copyrighted. It upsets me terribly to even think about fan-fiction with my characters. I advise my readers to write your own original stories with your own characters. It is absolutely essential that you respect my wishes.” Rice is not alone in her thoughts, with Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin saying that “using someone else’s world is the lazy way out.”

On the other hand, some authors have a more liberal stance when it comes to fanfiction written about their work, such as J. K. Rowling, who would prefer for Harry Potter fanfiction to remain PG: “The books may be getting older, but they are still aimed at young children. If young children were to stumble on Harry Potter in an X-rated story, that would be a problem.” Despite this, the Organisation for Transformative works who run 'Archive of our Own', the biggest fanfiction archive with over 25,000 fandoms listed on its site, fights to protect the fans. Their legal FAQ states that “Copyright is intended to protect the creator’s right to profit from her work for

a period of time to encourage creative endeavour and the widespread sharing of knowledge. But this does not preclude the right of others to respond to the original work, either with critical commentary, parody, or, we believe, transformative works.” Therefore, it doesn’t take long before you find the 15,000 works based on Game of Thrones, or the 700 Vampire Chronicles fanfictions, or the 40,000 Mature or Explicit rated Harry Potter works on AO3.

Fanfiction, is, in essence, just creative writing about your favourite characters.

The vast majority of fanfiction writers write because they love it, publishing their works online for free and gaining only people leaving kudos and comments on their work in return. To an outsider, it may seem an odd practice, but to those within fandom, it’s an integral part of everyday fandom life. Whether you’ve never read fanfiction before or you read it every day, one thing is for sure: despite what the original producers of the source material may wish, fanfiction isn’t going away any time soon. It’s here to stay.

WHERE THE WRITERS GO

Book Corner The Word Is Murder

By Anthony Horowitz

The detective novel has been a staple of the fiction world since Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. Things can become stale, over time, when you use and re-use tried and tested formulae. Anthony Horowitz offers something different, placing himself at the centre of the action. A refreshing idea, pulled off brilliantly.

Basket Of Deplorables

By Tom Rachman

Whether it’s for your studies, a project, or just for fun, a writer’s space can be an important and unique part of a creative process. We asked some of Manchester Writing School’s team to tell us the spots that inspire them most.

WORDS: GRACE ATKINSON

2. Mary and Archie on Burton Road, West Didsbury, or The Art of Tea on Barlow Moor Road, Didsbury Village.

3. My desk at home, in my bedroom, is our old dining table from when I was a child.

Until recently I was actually doing more writing at my kitchen table than at my desk, but I’ve just acquired a new, much better writing chair, which means I’m now spending more time at my desk (although most of it not writing).

3. Laynes Espresso, Leeds: I finished the first draft of my novel here.

4. A greyhound bus in Canada: 12-hour coach journeys put me in a bittersweet, creative mood.

ADAM O'RIORDAN 1. The carrels at Central Library.

2. The Portico Library.

3. The Refuge at the Principal Hotel.

4. North Tea Power in the NQ. NIKOLAI DUFFY

4. I get more writing done when I’m away from home, so sitting under a sun umbrella in a garden in the South of France or on the terrace of a bar facing a beach somewhere on the Mediterranean.

HELEN MORT 1. Stanage Edge, Derbyshire: I like to get away from a desk whenever I can.

2. The train between Chesterfield and Manchester Oxford Road.

The Sixteen Trees of the Somme

By Lars Mytting

NICHOLAS ROYLE 1. Seat 48A in Coach A (the so-called Quiet Coach) on the Virgin Pendolino between Manchester and London.

This collection of five inter-linked stories deals with life in the “Post Truth” era.

It questions our increasing reliance on technology; the angle this book takes, is the fluidity of identity construction, and how it appears to be something that can be moulded, with relative ease. A clever piece of modern sci-fi fiction.

An adventure novel, this latest work by the Scandinavian writer sees Edvard Hirifjell attempting to discover his family’s secrets, which include his Grandfather fighting on the German side in WWII. Mytting breaks from convention, using vivid descriptions of various types wood to shape his narrative, characterising them. Interesting, different and very clever.

The Good Daughter

By Karin Slaughter

1. The spare room at home.

2. My office at work.

3. While travelling (particularly on foot, sometimes on bicycle, in my head, then stopping to note it onto my phone).

4. Anywhere solitary!

Karin Slaughter’s latest work concerns protagonist, Charlotte Quinn, following a recent violent attack, in a small town. It’s the same small town that another attack, 28 years earlier, was carried out, leading to the death of her mother. This stirs up old memories and new mysteries.

WORDS: BENJAMIN CASSIDY

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Culture

Gay Village: A Beginner's Guide

PHOTOGRAPH: Robbin Banks (Johnny @ Night Capture Manchester)

Stumble too short of Piccadilly Gardens, turn the wrong corner for Fifth, or simply play hot or cold using Grindr's dreadful distance measurements, and you may find yourself on the corner of Canal Street and Princess Street. Bathed in the glow of the sign G-A-Y, you have now entered the twilight zone, a street that seldom sleeps, The Gay Village.

WORDS: ALEX BUTLER

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ow, as any veteran Village socialite will advise you: Do Not Mess With The Bouncers. This is a place to leave your 10th Budweiser and teen angst behind you (no matter how upset you are about Busted splitting up). A second rule to adhere to: Know Your Drag Artists. No matter who they are, ranging from the Bar Pop Queens, to the Haus of Filth, these are the people to know.

"But what about my massive student overdraft", I hear you cry! Fear not my thirsty friends, I shall tell you where to party, and attempt to save you a few pennies too.

Monday Your best bet is Bar Pop's 'Skint'. This night draws a youthful crowd and good music. They do periodic Drag performances with varying queens and artists. Hosted in Bar Pop’s delightful basement, Skint features drinks at £1 from 11:30pm with £2 entry.

Tuesday A personal favourite of mine is Filthy Gorgeous at Void, the sister bar to KIKI. Walk down those steps and you will enter a themed world of drag and dance, one that will result in

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you getting covered in something. The music only adds to the intimate atmosphere and makes for a truly fun night. With entry from £2, drinks from £1.50 all night and staying open until 4am, it’s really not something to miss. The ever-relevant rival would be Poptastic, Bar Pop's own special student night at Cruz 101 for £2 entry and £2 doubles with drag acts and pop music of the ages. Just make sure you have nothing going on the following day!

weekend started the right way.

Wednesday A quiet day on the village, but still an important one. Sync or Sing at G-A-Y is a competition offering £100 cash prize up for grabs. The event boasts a small stage and a chance for you to sing, or sync, to your favourite song for the cash prize. Go live your West End dreams.

KIKI is undoubtedly the place to be on a Saturday night. With varying drinks prices and a different event every week, the place is ever changing, with extra focus on the bank holidays, when they deck the whole place out. Then after, it’s a trip to Void, where you can end the night at 10am, for those who are brave enough.

Thursday

Sunday

This Pop and Chart night is a fun night out.

Even with the weekend looming, Sassy at Cruz 101 brings you in early with £3 student entry. The village is often busier on a Thursday than it is on a Friday, so this is definitely a night to look out for if you want to get your

Friday Cha Cha Boudoir’s night is a monthly premier drag night is hosted by Cheddar Gorgeous, Anna Phylactic and other queens. This drag extravaganza is not for the faint of heart.

With a different theme every month and door discounts for dressing up, you won’t believe your eyes.

Saturday

Crucifixion is a monthly classic house night in Void, starting the party late and ending even later. End your weekend with a bang, open later than anywhere else and £3 in before midnight, this night will make your Monday lectures feel so far away.

Film

In Cinemas Films hitting the big screen this autumn WORDS: PIERANGELLY DEL RIO MARTINEZ

Thor: Ragnarog

Director: Taika Waititi Released: 27 October, 2017 In the third installment of the Thor saga, the Nordic god finds himself imprisoned and without his hammer in the other side of the universe. He must get back to Asgard and save it from Hela, a mighty being who threatens to destroy it all. In the meantime, he must survive a gladiator contest against his friend and Avenger teammate, the Hulk.

Call Me By Your Name

Director: Luca Guadagnino Released: 27 October, 2017 In 1983, Elio spends the summer with his family in Lombardy, Italy.

There, he meets Oliver, a doctoral student and his father’s guest.

Both of them are drawn towards each other in a time that will change them forever.

Murder On The Orient Express

Director: Kenneth Branagh Released: 3 November, 2017 Agatha Christie’s famous detective, Hercule Poirot, is

brought to life in this adaptation of one of her most famous stories. A luxurious journey through Europe turns into a race against time to solve a murder aboard a train. Poirot must act before the killer strikes again.

Justice League

Star Wars The Last Jedi

Director: Zack Snyder Released: 17 November, 2017 The DC comics universe is brought together once more.

Bruce Wayne, inspired by Superman's sacrifice, teams up with Diana Prince, to recruit a bigger army and face an even greater threat.

Director: Rian Johnson Released: 15 December, 2017 After the success of Stars Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015, the eighth installment of the galactic franchise follows Rey’s epic journey with Finn, Poe and Luke Skywalker to defeat the first order.

Wonder

Pitch Perfect 3

Director: Stephen Chbosky Released: 1 December, 2017 Based on the New York Times bestseller, Wonder follows the life of August Pullman, a boy with a facial difference that hasn’t allowed him to go to school.

When he finally enters the local fifth grade, his classmates, family and everyone around him will embark on a journey to discover acceptance and unity.

Stage: What's On

Director: Trish Sie Released: 22 December, 2017 Having won the World Championships, the Bellas are split and struggling to make careers in music. But when the opportunity to reunite for an overseas USO tour presents itself, the group will come together to make music and have new adventures one last time.

Darkest Hour

Director: Joe Wright Released: 12 January, 2017 Another drama focusing on Winston Churchill, this time with Gary Oldman incarnating the politician. In his early days as Prime Minister, Churchill faces the threat of an invasion by the Nazi forces and must explore the possibility of a peace treaty or fight for the nation’s ideals.

The Greatest Showman

Director: Michael Gracey Released: 5 January, 2018 Inspired by the life and imagination of P. T. Barnum, founder of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, The Greatest Snowman is an original musical that celebrates showbusiness. Stars Hugh Jackman, Zendaya and Zac Efron.

WORDS: PIERANGELLY DEL RIO MARTINEZ

Contact Manchester has a packed season lined up, with a variety of shows ranging from dance and theatre to poetry.

Aakash Odera Company: #JeSuis (In Progress) 10-12 October, 2017 What makes 'home' when millions are on the move? The Aakash Odera Company incorporates young Turkish contemporary dance in a fusion of dance styles and the exploration of stories about conflict, media manipulation, displacement, and identity.

Young Identity: Hatch

Raw (Rhythm And Words)

Climate Of Fear

25–27 November 2017 Calling on poets, vocalists and MCs! This is an open-mic night to showcase new talent.

Also an opportunity to win quirky prizes in the Freestyle Pyramid Competition. It’s free to attend, but booking is recommended.

2-6 October 2017 Are the fates of the world and the people that live on it connected? What happens to our physical and emotional state when the environment is threatened? These are the questions that this spoken-word show aims to explore.

18-21 October 2017 Eight diverse young poets in Manchester reflect on the spirit of the times and topics of politics, gender, war, xenophobia, the state of the arts and more. A spectacle full of lyrical whit from the city’s most articulate voices.

Forced Entertainment: Real Magic 29 November – 1 December, 2017 Optimism, individual agency and the desire for change explored in a compelling performance: part mind-reading feat, part cabaret act and part chaotic game show.

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Creative Collaboration

Home/Away ILLUSTRATION: LE HA THU

Humanity Hallows How to get involved Humanity Hallows is Manchester Metropolitan University's official online and print student magazine.

We are currently recruiting for a number of volunteer roles and welcome applications and submissions from all Manchester Metropolitan University students.

By Students. For Students.

Humanity Hallows is a platform run entirely by student volunteers with a passion for journalism and a passion for Manchester. We aim to provide a safe and supportive space in which student volunteers can be creative and have their voices heard, while boosting their confidence – and their CV – with skills in journalism, editing, publishing, social media, design and more.

Freelance Contributors

We are looking for student writers, editors, social media marketers, illustrators, designers, filmmakers and photographers on an ongoing basis to help make Humanity Hallows an informed, inspiring, witty and opinionated collection of student voices and talents that make our city brilliant. If you have an idea for a submission, register your interest online and get in touch.

Editorial Team

We have a number of exciting opportunities for Manchester Met students to become members of the Humanity Hallows Editorial Team. Joining is a great opportunity for students to gain an insight into the world of media, to pick up genuine employability skills and contacts and meet new people.

Apply Online To register as a Freelance Contributor or apply to be considered for a Humanity Hallows Editorial, Design or Social Media Team position, visit www.humanityhallows.co.uk/work-with-us

Get in touch Online: www.humanityhallows.co.uk Email: HumanityHallows.Editor@gmail.com Telephone: 0161 247 1951 Facebook: facebook.com/humanityhallows Twitter/Instagram/Snapchat: @HumanityHallows

JOIN US L I S T E N AT H I V E R A D I O . C O . U K / fa c e b o o k . c o m /Hi v e R a d i o

@ H iv e R a d io M C R

@h iv e r a d io _ mc r

Short Courses in English and Creative Writing

Creative, Literature & Film, Gothic

Postgraduate units taught by practising writers and world leading researchers that can be taken as stand-alone courses or with assessment for formal Masters accreditation. Courses include: Teaching Creative Writing Media Skills Crime Fiction Historical Fiction Writing About Relationships Creative Writing Summer School

Time Space Body Rise of the Gothic Twentieth-Century Gothic Post-Millennial Gothic

For further details, dates and costs, and to apply: mmu.ac.uk/english/course/short or contact: postgradenglish@mmu.ac.uk