A society for English students and book lovers!
Durham University English Society may be an academic society, but it’s certainly not just for English students! We found out a little more about what happens in this long-standing Durham society.
What events have you got coming up?
On Thursday 26th February, we’re announcing the results of our first ever writing competition at Empty Shop at 7pm. The finalists have been invited to read from their entries and we will also be awarding prizes. It looks like it’s going to be a great evening!
What do your society events involve?
We put on a variety of events each term, including social events, theatre trips, author visits, academic talks and even a garden party in the summer.
When and where do you meet?
We have several events organised each term, usually taking place on a Thursday evening. The location varies, depending on the event – it could be a theatre in Newcastle, or it could be a lecture theatre in Elvet Riverside! We always publicise our events on Facebook and Twitter, as well as via email so everyone knows what we have planned for the term.
Do you have any annual events?
Yes, we have several long-standing events that we run every year, which are especially popular with our members. In the first few weeks of Michaelmas term, we organise a freshers’ social, an event where book lovers can mingle, drink wine and eat canapés. Around Christmas time, we also have our annual event, FROST (Festive Reading of Seasonal Tidbits), where members are invited to read Christmassy poems and extracts, accompanied by mince pies and mulled wine, of course! There’s also the very popular garden party, which takes place in the gardens of Hallgarth House every year after exams are over.
Do you have to be an English student to join?
Absolutely not! A lot of our members obviously happen to be English students, but we welcome anyone! Some of our members are Science students who just love reading. We’re categorised as an academic society, but there really are events for everyone, from the most casual reader to the wannabe academic.
What has been your best event so far this year?
We’ve had some really good events this year, but one of the most popular was a panel discussion we organised last term, entitled ‘Can Literature Still Be Dangerous in the Western World?’ It was a fascinating discussion led by lecturers from Durham and Oxford Universities, and was very well-received by our members. Another great, but very different, event was our Sherlock Holmes-themed bar crawl that we held at the beginning of this term. We followed literary clues to work our way around the bailey bars!
Why should we join English Society?
If you love reading, whether you study English or not, this is the society for you! We put on such a variety of events so there’s something for everyone’s tastes. We’ve got some amazing events planned for this term and the next!