On World Book Night 2016

For the past five years (I started before university!) I have been a giver as part of World Book Night. This is an event that happens every year on the 23rd April. Chosen people all over the UK give out 16 copies of one of 20 different books to their friends, families, strangers, people that don't have great access to books or don't read very often. 

The books themselves are always a special edition of the book that varies each year and can be passed on to whoever you like once you're read them or kept as a special memento. As they read on the front, these books are a gift. World Book Night is a great cause and I'm so proud to have been a part of it for so many years and to have given out so many different books.

This year my book is Whispering Shadows  by Jan-Philipp Sendker. Now I know that this is going to be a pain and probably sound, but I never read blurbs. So other than this one involves Hong Kong (where my sister used to live and part of the reason why I chose it), I know very little about it! The few books that I have however given out thus far have gone down well!

Even if you aren't directly involved, the whole motivation behind World Book Night is to get everybody reading. So wherever you are and whatever you're doing today, make some time to sit down with a cup of tea and a book. Even if it's only one chapter.
You can also find out more here.

Happy World Book Night!

xoxo

The #NoMakeUpSelfie Campaign

Within a week, in fact, maybe less, #nomakeupselfies were covering everyone's Facebook timelines, all with the intention of raising money and awareness for Cancer Research. After these first started showing up, I was highly sceptical about them; they couldn't really be used for grabbing attention as the point is that we aren't looking good in them. But were they really raising money?
Yet, after seeing more and more of the selfies being posted alongside screenshots of their donations, my mind had been changed. The news also started covering the new trend and the awareness for Cancer Research grew by a huge amount. By nominating who you think should post the next unfiltered photo, there is sense that everyone wants to involve everyone else and that we all do actually want to help raise money for a good cause. I have even seen some which have donated to different charities, stating that it is a great campaign, but don't feel pressured to donate only to Cancer Research, but to a charity of your choice.
The fact that it is also so simple to donate, (just by texting), the money raised has been incredible. So far a total of £8 million has been raised for Cancer Research. The newspapers are struggling  to keep up to date with just how much money has been raised; it must then be a good cause!

My mind was changed after realising just how much money was being raised and I followed through with my nomination. I then nominated two of my friends. However there does still seem to be a sense in which we making this seem like a 'big' or 'brave' move upon women; that God forbid we should ever been seen in photos without make up! I'm pretty sure that all of the boys I live with at university cannot tell the difference between when I've got make up on and when I haven't; and they don't care. Yes, it is capitalising on the fact that as women, there is a general belief that we should, and need, to always be wearing make up and that it is apparently somehow morally beneficial to be seen without it. But whatever our beliefs upon this actually are, the difference it is making is incredible.

So maybe we should be grabbing our cleansers and our make up wipes and smearing the norms of society, especially if we can raise money for charity at the same time.

I now nominate all of those who wish to join in the trend/campaign. It seems that the #nomakeupselfie has blurred the meaning of these two words; be a part of something amazing.

Please either donate by texting BEAT to 70099 or online at https://www.justgiving.com/cancerresearchuk/

If you also fancy reading some more views on this, check out: http://www.warwicksu.com/blogs/blog/catturhan/2014/03/26/Bare-Faced-Truth-on-the-nomakeupselfie-and-change-in-campaigning-culture/

A great by the soon-to-be SU President of Warwick University.