“My generation was shaped by change and uncertainty. I do not have much memory of a sustained time of stability… We take nothing for granted.” – Kelsy Hillesheim, 22

Literature is too often perceived as a Western construct, and therefore we seem to solely study and read Western literature. This belief is surely a very Euro-centric model of what story-telling should be. Only about 3% of books in British libraries are translated books. In truth, stories have been in existence across the globe for nearly as long as humans. Its Darwinian perseverance through human time stands to prove that stories are a vessel to transport people to a liminal state of half-truth half-lie which can unite people behind an understanding which is greater than that which we can perceive in natural observations alone. Its transcending power in humanity serves as a powerful argument that literature should be studied from all realms of culture and society. Limiting our understanding of literature to solely that which is written in English is too comfortable and limiting to help us understand our world and humanity as a whole.

In honour of Heritage Week a selection of subject leaders have written about how their subjects have been influenced and inspired by the coming together of many cultures and nationalities.

It is widely acknowledged that colours have meanings. Green means go, and a teacher’s red handwriting means a wrong answer, to name a few examples found in everyday life. However, red can also signify passion, violence, anger, and love. If a colour can have so many wildly different connotations, surely, they depend on what we have been taught to think about them, as opposed to inherent association.

The South China Sea was described by Iain Palot as “the most important waterway in the world” suggesting that due to its problematic claimants it remains “the issue in global politics”. The sea carries tremendous strategic importance, whereby $5 trillion of commodities (approximately 33% of the world’s shipping) flow through the region. Moreover, it contains profitable fisheries that are crucial for the food security of millions in Southeast Asia as well as in global trade, and it is believed that extensive oil and gas reserves lie beneath its seabed. Thus, the sea is contested by a number of superpowers as well as other, smaller countries in the surrounding region.