Swastika Night by Katharine BURDEKIN (written under the pseudonym Murray CONSTANTINE) If it had been written after 1945, it would have been an alternative story, but K. BURDEKIN wrote this novel in 1937, so we’re dealing with a dystopia. Seeing the rise of Nazism and the threat of a world war, she imagines that Germany wins and extends this deadly ideology to half of the world, the other half being conquered by a fascist Japan. At the contrary of others stories of this kind, the novelist does not give the priority to action, but to description and reflection. A narration set between George ORWELL’S 1984 and Margaret ATWOOD’s The Handmaid’s Tale.
Swastika Night, written by Katharine Burdekin under the pseudonym Murray Constantine in 1937, is a powerful dystopian novel that imagines a world where Nazi ideology has triumphed and become the foundation of global society. Set seven centuries into the future, the book depicts a world in which Adolf Hitler is worshipped as a god and women are reduced to powerless, subservient roles. Burdekin’s narrative anticipates themes later explored by George Orwell in 1984, particularly the manipulation of history and the erasure of truth. What makes Swastika Night remarkable is not only its early criticism of fascism but also its sharp feminist perspective, which exposes the destructive consequences of patriarchy and authoritarianism. The novel challenges readers to reflect on the fragility of democracy and the dangers of unchecked ideology. Today, it remains a significant and unsettling warning about the consequences of totalitarian thought and the silencing of individual freedom.
Katharine Burdekin (1896–1963) was a British novelist best known for her groundbreaking dystopian and feminist works. Born in Derbyshire, England, she was educated at Cheltenham Ladies’ College but largely developed her literary voice outside academic institutions. During the 1920s and 1930s, she published several novels, often exploring themes of gender, power, and politics. Her most famous work, Swastika Night (1937), was released under the male pseudonym Murray Constantine to protect her identity and to give her critiques of fascism greater authority in a male-dominated literary world. Burdekin’s writing was ahead of its time, addressing issues of totalitarianism, the manipulation of history, and the systemic oppression of women. Although much of her work went unrecognized during her lifetime, modern scholarship has rediscovered her contributions to feminist and speculative fiction. Today, Katharine Burdekin is remembered as a visionary writer who dared to imagine dark futures in order to challenge the injustices of her present.
• 📅 Born: c. 672/673, Northumbria – Died: 26 May 735, Jarrow.
• ⭐ Anglo-Saxon monk, historian, and theologian.
• 📌 Author of "Ecclesiastical History of the English People," a key work for understanding the conversion of the Anglo-Saxons to Christianity. He was a scholar of chronology and biblical commentary. He spent his life in the monasteries of Wearmouth and Jarrow. Doctor of the Church (1899).
• ⭐ Daughter of Henry I, Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, and claimant to the English throne.
• 📌 Protagonist of the civil war known as The Anarchy against her cousin Stephen. She was proclaimed Lady of the English but never crowned. Mother of Henry II, the first Plantagenet king. A central figure in medieval English succession.
Links:
England's Uncrowned Queen | Mother Of The Plantagenet Dynasty | The Formidable Empress Matilda
• 📌 Author of "The Canterbury Tales," considered the foundational work of English literature in the vernacular language. He traveled to Italy and France on diplomatic missions and absorbed literary influences. Buried in Westminster Abbey, inaugurating "Poets' Corner."
• 📅 Born: c. 1527 (probably Mauritania) – Active until after 1548.
• ⭐ African salvage diver in Tudor England.
• 📌 Led the recovery of treasures from Henry VIII's Mary Rose. First known African person to testify in an English court. Although accused of being a slave, he received a salary and was recognized as free to testify.
•📌 Last Tudor monarch. Her reign saw a flourishing of the arts (Shakespeare, Elizabethan theater), maritime expansion (Drake, Raleigh), and the defeat of the Spanish Armada (1588). Known as "the Virgin Queen." She consolidated the English Protestant identity.
•⭐ Court dwarf of Queen Henrietta Maria (wife of Charles I)
•📌 Presented at a banquet inside a cake, he became a court celebrity. He participated in the English Civil War. After a duel in France, he was exiled. His life reflects the excesses, spectacles, and hierarchies of the court.
•📅 Born: 1722, South Uist, Scotland – Died: March 5, 1790
•⭐ Jacobite heroine
•📌 Helped "Bonnie Prince Charlie" escape after the defeat at Culloden (1746), disguising him as a servant. An iconic figure of Scottish courage, celebrated in popular memory and the Jacobite cause.
•📅 Born: September 29, 1758 – Died: October 21, 1805, Battle of Trafalgar
•⭐ British admiral, naval hero
•📌 Victorious in decisive battles of the Napoleonic Wars. He lost an arm and partial vision in one eye in combat. At Trafalgar, he defeated the Franco-Spanish fleet, securing British naval supremacy. He died in action, becoming a national hero.
•📅 Born: October 25, 1784 – Died: October 2, 1850.
•⭐ Miniature painter.
•📌 Born without functional arms or legs (phocomelia). She learned to paint with her mouth and shoulder. Exhibited at fairs as “the child without limbs,” she later received patronage from the nobility. She exhibited at the Royal Academy. Her art challenged prejudices about disability.
•📌 Discovered key fossils (ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, pterosaurs) on the cliffs of Lyme Regis. Contributed to the nascent field of paleontology, though without formal recognition during her lifetime due to being a woman and of humble origins. Today she is an icon of science.
•📅 Born: April 9, 1806 – Died: September 15, 1859.
•⭐ Civil engineer and inventor.
•📌 Designed innovative bridges, tunnels, railways, and ships. Among his achievements: the Great Western Railway, the Clifton Suspension Bridge, and the first iron steam-powered transatlantic ships. An emblematic figure of the British Industrial Revolution.
•📅 Born: August 16, 1864 – Died: November 26, 1917.
•⭐ Doctor, suffragist, and philanthropist.
•📌 Founded hospitals for women and led women's medical units during World War I, providing care in Serbia and Russia. A pioneer in opening opportunities for women in medicine.
Links:
Who was Elsie Inglis? Scotland's trailblazers, legends, creators and innovators
•📌 An aristocrat, lover of Virginia Woolf (who was inspired by her to write Orlando). She published poetry and novels and was famous as a garden designer, especially of Sissinghurst Castle Garden. An icon of creative and sexual freedom in her time.
•📅 Born: November 29, 1898 – Died: November 22, 1963.
•⭐ Writer, academic, Christian apologist.
•📌 Author of The Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity. Professor at Oxford and Cambridge. His work combines fantasy, theology, and literary criticism. His childhood nickname was “Jack,” which he used throughout his life.
•📌 Her X-ray diffraction images (Photo 51) allowed Watson and Crick to deduce the double helix structure of DNA. She also researched viruses and coal. She died young from cancer. Today she is recognized as a pioneering scientist and a victim of gender bias in science.
Profession/importance: Welsh actor of stage and film, famous for his powerful baritone voice and his intense performances—especially in Shakespeare and in dramatic film roles. He was one of the great British stars of the 20th century.
Notable Films and Roles: His film debut was in The Last Days of Dolwyn (1949); memorable performances in My Cousin Rachel (1952), Becket (1964), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), Cleopatra (1963), Where Eagles Dare (1968), Anne of the Thousand Days (1969), and Equus (1977).
Wikipedia
Awards and Recognition: He was nominated for an Academy Award several times (seven nominations throughout his career) but never won; he did receive other awards (BAFTA, Golden Globe, Tony, etc.).
• 📌 A key figure
in punk and alternative fashion of the 70s. She popularized the rebellious
aesthetic, associated with the Sex Pistols. She founded her own brand,
influencing decades of fashion design. Political and environmental activist.
Loxton says : I set out to write this book hoping to get to know the eighteen-year-olds of Britain. To discover who they are, who they have been for the past thousand years. I hope you’ll all come to your own, different conclusions (especially with the inclusion of Chapter Eighteen!). But here is what has stuck out to me.
Loxton brings the history of the United Kingdom to life with wit, humor, and a modern perspective, making history feel fresh and accessible. From monks in the 7th century to the social reforms and political changes of today, she highlights the events and figures that shaped not only Great Britain, but also the world. What makes "Eighteen" so fascinating is Loxton's ability to connect past and present, showing how the issues and transformations of the past continue to resonate today. His engaging narrative transforms history into a story full of drama, emotion, and humanity.
This isn't a dry, academic text, but rather an entertaining and inspiring journey through the lives of many individuals who reached the age of eighteen.
The Author
Wikimedia
Alice Loxton is a British historian, writer, and presenter known for her vibrant and accessible approach to history. Passionate about bringing the past to wider audiences, she has built a career on blending serious scholarship with humor and creativity. Educated at the University of Edinburgh, where she studied History and English Literature, she quickly gained recognition for her engaging style on social media, television, and print. Loxton has contributed to numerous historical programs and platforms, making her a recognizable voice in the field of public history. In addition to her work as a presenter, she is a successful author, with Eighteen being her debut book, published in 2023. The book reflects her mission: to make history exciting, relatable, and entertaining for all generations. Whether on screen, online, or in print, Alice Loxton stands out as a historian who turns complex historical events into captivating stories.
I came across "Swimming in Paris" by Colombe Schneck while browsing Natalie Portman's book club. Although it is not the kind of book I usually read, I want to step out of my comfort zone, and I knew I had to give it a try. The fortuitous nature of this discovery added to the magnetism of the book. Often, it is in these unplanned moments of exploration that one encounters hidden gems.
Swimming in Paris is a memoir divided into three short stories. First one, adolescence, this story is magnetic, a page-turner, talking about sexual identity, familiar relationships and abortion. The second one, titled "Friendship," specifically explores how she sometimes envies and compares her friends, believing their lives are better than hers, until an event occurs that changes her perspective. And the last story, "Swimming in Paris: a Love Story, she narrates the intricate relation between her, her lover and the city.
Schneck's narrative is characterised by its directness and eschewal of unnecessary embellishments, thereby rendering the profound and occasionally taboo themes she explores in an accessible yet potent manner, beckoning readers to introspection and meditation.
To sum up, I highly recommend this book. I feel compelled to voice a criticism of the book, yet I find myself unable to do so. As I see, this book is perfect for a book club session, I know the members of the club would spend several hours arguing about sex identity, abortion rights, loss and love.
Swimming in Paris by Colombe Schneck is a delightful memoir that captures the author’s youthful years in the French capital during the 1980s. Schneck portrays Paris with honesty and nostalgia, blending her personal story with the cultural and social atmosphere of the time. Her narrative is intimate yet universal, offering readers a glimpse into the search for freedom, love, and identity. The prose is elegant but accessible, filled with vivid descriptions that transport us directly into cafés, libraries, and swimming pools. This short but memorable book leaves a lasting impression, celebrating the joy and challenges of self-discovery.
Colombe Schneck is a French writer, journalist, and documentary filmmaker born in Paris in 1966. She studied at Sciences Po and built a career in television and radio before dedicating herself fully to writing. Schneck has published several acclaimed novels and autobiographical works, often exploring themes of family, memory, and women’s experiences. Her style combines sensitivity with sharp observation, allowing her to create stories that resonate deeply with readers. With Swimming in Paris, she offers a personal reflection on youth, independence, and the meaning of belonging. Schneck continues to be an important literary voice in contemporary French literature.
This novel tells the story of a group of boys on a remote island after the plane they were traveling in crashed. First, I appreciated the rich language describing the abundant nature as well as the portrayal of the characters who are so different from each other. At first glance, the story doesn’t seem original, but without a doubt, it should rather be taken as an allegory of social relations. If we limit ourselves to reading it as the story of the adventures and misadventures of a group of boys, it is also very captivating. I won’t tell you more, but I strongly encourage you to discover it.
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies (1954) remains one of the most striking allegories of human nature in modern literature. The novel tells the story of a group of boys stranded on a deserted island who attempt to govern themselves, only to fall into violence and chaos. What begins as an innocent attempt at democracy quickly unravels, exposing fear, cruelty, and the fragile veneer of civilization. Golding suggests that darkness is not imposed from the outside but lies within every human being.
The book has generated intense discussion since its publication. Critics have interpreted it as a commentary on the brutality of war, a reflection on the failure of rational order, and a warning about unchecked instincts. It is often taught in schools because of its accessible narrative and deep symbolism, particularly in its treatment of power, morality, and the loss of innocence. Though sometimes controversial, Lord of the Flies has secured its place as a classic, shaping how readers and scholars think about human behavior under extreme conditions. Its haunting vision continues to resonate today, reminding us of the thin boundary between civilization and savagery.
The Author
William Golding (1911–1993) was an English novelist, playwright, and poet best known for his deeply symbolic fiction. Born in Cornwall, he studied English literature at Oxford and later became a teacher. His experience in the classroom, combined with his service in the Royal Navy during World War II, profoundly influenced his view of humanity and the themes that would define his writing.
Golding’s literary breakthrough came with the publication of Lord of the Flies in 1954, which established his reputation as a major voice in postwar literature. He continued to explore the complexities of human nature in novels such as The Inheritors (1955), Pincher Martin (1956), and The Spire (1964). His works often confront moral dilemmas, the tension between civilization and barbarism, and the destructive impulses hidden beneath social order.
In 1983, Golding was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, recognized for his ability to illuminate “the human condition in the world of today.” He was knighted in 1988 and remained a respected figure in English letters until his death in 1993. Golding’s legacy endures through his novels, which continue to challenge readers to reflect on the depths of human behavior.
The novel was adapted into a film in 1990. Lord of the Flies is an American survival drama film directed by Harry Hook. You can watch it in the attached YouTube video.
.jpg/250px-E-codices_bke-0047_001v_medium_(cropped).jpg)
.jpeg/250px-Chaucer_manuscrit_portrait_(d%C3%A9tail).jpeg)
_(cropped).jpg/250px-Alice_Loxton_at_10_in_Downing_Street_(53045606933)_(cropped).jpg)
