Today, the 13th of November, is World Kindness Day – a day, established in 1998, to celebrate and embody kindness in all its forms. I truly believe that above beauty, above talent, above success, above wealth, above anything else, one should always strive to be kind. It is the most important trait to nurture, cultivate and value within oneself, and to project outwards into the world.
Many of the world’s most famous authors (more…)
As a Gothic scholar and long-time lover of all things eerie, spooky, and supernatural, I was honoured to chat recently about some of my favourite scary texts and traditions for a new Halloween-themed episode of From the Lighthouse, the podcast run by the English Department at Macquarie University in Sydney. The timing was perfect. A chill has blown over the North of England lately, and as the days grow shorter and the nights longer, it is easy to turn one’s thoughts to what may lurk in the shadows. Pumpkins have sprouted on doorsteps, cobwebs are draped in foggy shop windows, and the last of the golden leaves cling to the spindly fingertips of trees in the woodland graveyard across the road. (more…)
As someone who grew up watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer (my Dad would stay up to record it for me when it was aired too late on a school night), I’ve been enjoying the resurgence of Buffy nostalgia around its 20th Anniversary this year (apart from the accompanying shock that, yes, it really has been two whole decades since I would rush home from school and plant myself in front of the TV with my bowl of cereal, eager to watch the episode taped from the night before). With its double-barrelled premise of Gothic Supernatural and a strong female lead, how could I not love this show? But it soon (more…)
If you’re a fan of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, then today is a rather special day – Mad Hatter Day! In some parts of the world (not any part I’ve ever lived in, but hey, I’ll take any chance for a bit of Carrollian fun!), the 6th of October corresponds to 10/6 – the number on the Hatter’s iconic hat in the original John Tenniel illustrations to Lewis Carroll’s classic book. To celebrate today (and as a wonderful way to unwind after marking essays) I dug out my sketch book and pen, and sketched this quick little portrait of the Hatter. (more…)
As the crisp London days grew shorter, and Christmas rolled ever closer, I found myself on a train trundling towards the outskirts of London to visit one of the most unique and magical houses in the country. ‘Strawberry Hill’ is an intricate bauble nestled within Twickenham on the banks of the Thames (of whose waters the gardens once boasted picturesque views, though they are now curtailed, juxtaposed instead with surrounding surburban houses). Leaving the street and stepping through the gates is like stepping through a magic portal – not only back in time to the late eighteenth century when the villa and gardens were designed and built (they’ve been beautifully preserved and are currently being expertly, painstakingly restored), but also off into a magical, otherworldly space straight off the pages of a fairy tale (or a Gothic novel). That’s because (more…)
One of my favourite things is when my artistic and academic worlds collide, and I get to delight in my passions for drawing, books, photography and academia all at once! This year I was excited to be asked to design a logo and photographic material for ‘From the Lighthouse’, a new literature podcast from the Department of English at Macquarie University in Sydney (where I also teach). Of course, I jumped at the chance, and so between classes I soon found myself with my sketchbook and a hot chocolate in (more…)
Kirstin Mills is an Australian artist, writer, lecturer and researcher following her endless curiosity into realms of imagination and wonder. Read more about her life & projects here.
