LitSoc: JAGS students welcome to attend
by Nedu Odunze, JAGS, Year 12
means that LitSoc is somewhere they can come to appreciate literature without too much of a time commitment. LitSoc also gives students the opportunity to make their own presentations on literature they’ve enjoyed in the past, so it has a personal touch that students might feel is missing from their English lessons. The specification that has to be followed doesn’t necessarily encourage the passionate debate that can happen from discussing more controversial authors such as Nabokov and his most famous work, Lolita , both within LiteSoc and outside of it. But most importantly, I believe that engaging with art, especially art in the form of fiction, is one of the most important things a person can do if they want to develop into a wellrounded, empathetic and open-minded-person. Literature can be experienced completely alone in your own home or as a collective, discussing it and listening to other people. It simultaneously encourages co-operation, the sharing and valuing of other people’s ideas, and complete independence and freedom of thought and expression for your own. Books and poetry range from the most serious, to teach you something, to the most humorous, to help you forget something else. Authors them- selves are often inspirations, frequently defying persecution or societal norms to leave their own little stamp on the world. In an age when it can feel as if we’re encouraged to aspire towards impermanence — accumulating as much of some- thing, whether it’s fame, money or valuables, and having it all disappear after we’re gone — it’s refreshing to focus on an enduring part of the human experience — telling stories. ◎
I remember in September being asked by an- other English A Level student, “Why doesn’t JAGS have somewhere to go where we can talk about books without having to stress about writing about them?” Eerily, later on that day a post appeared on the Year 12 English Team. “DC LitSoc” it simply read. “JAGS students welcome to attend.” After panicked coordination to make sure none of us would have to walk in alone, we marched as quickly as we could in the dusty heat from JAGS to make the 16:00 starting time, and then pushed open the door with trepidation only to be transported into what felt like another world: the cool, airy Masters’ Library. Dulwich College LitSoc is a relaxed atmosphere for Year 12–13 students from both JAGS and DC to meet and discuss extracts from literature presented by fellow students or members of staff. With a completely new topic each week and no pressure to contribute out loud, LitSoc is a fun way to develop your interest in books even if (for some unknown reason) you haven’t chosen to study English for A Level. Although reading is an important part of learning more about our chosen fields of study, often read- ing for fun gets neglected with mounting work- loads, stress and more time being dedicated to revision. What makes DC LitSoc different from other schools’ book clubs is that the chosen extracts are given at the beginning of the session with all the necessary context, so you can have a comprehensive understanding of the text with out having to take time out of your busy week for extra reading. I found that students who don’t take English A Level personally really enjoy this as it
LitSoc has a personal touch that students might feel is missing from their English lessons
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THE ALLEYNIAN 713
OPINION, INTERVIEWS & FEATURES
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