Vidhi Bhanushali

Why did you want to study in Birmingham? 

My top reason to choose to study in Birmingham was the campus of UoB. Of all my offers, UoB appeared dream-like with its green spaces, redbrick architecture and of course, the magnificent Old Joe clock tower. When I read about how Tolkien was inspired from this very clock tower while writing The Lord of the Rings, I could totally picture myself walking the same path and finding inspiration for my next story. Coming from a busy city like Mumbai, I was comforted by the fact that Birmingham mimicked that feature. There's always something happening in town or on campus. Coming to the UK, I was most excited about meeting and interacting with people from different backgrounds who had the same interests and goals as me. I remember being nervous about living alone in a foreign country, but the last three years have been really rewarding and challenging at the same time. 

Why did you want to study English and Creative Writing?

I knew I wanted to study Creative Writing and UoB's BA English Literature with Creative Writing allowed me to study both subjects, while giving me the freedom to decide the ratio between them. Some modules that stood out for me were 'Imagined Worlds' (a module on genre theory), 'Editing: Theory and Practice', 'The Social Life of Literature' (everything that surrounds the process of making a book) and 'Adaptation', the study of various forms of adaptations and their respective theories. The Professional Skills Module was a placement module that I opted for in exchange for a theoretical module in my final year. This module gave me the chance to work at the Birmingham Literature Festival as a Digital Marketing Assistant, while helping me expand my professional network in the field of arts and literature in Birmingham. This experience was truly educational and I was offered to extend my position with the organisation, Writing West Midlands, for another three months. I really enjoyed The School of  English, Drama and Creative Studies summer trip to Stratford-upon-Avon for final year students. The three-day trip was full of activities and sight-seeing at Shakespeare's birthplace and we even got to see Hamlet at the Royal Shakespeare Company! 

What are your favourite places to visit in Birmingham?

My favourite places to visit in Birmingham are Digbeth and Harbourne. Digbeth's Custard Factory is home to the indie Mockingbird Cinema and Cafe, which shows brilliant underrated films every Friday. It is located just opposite the NQ64 Arcade, which has fun games at student-friendly prices! Harbourne's High Street is a quiet and relaxing place with a line of charity bookshops and cute cafes, which makes it a sweet spot for quiet study sessions and a nice book haul. 

What does an average week in your life look like? 

An average week in my life as a third year student looks like this:

• Monday- I am almost done with my internship as a Marketing Assistant for Writing West Midlands, but my Mondays start with working from the office in Digbeth until 4pm.
• Tuesdays are for studying, writing my dissertation and planning events and activities for Redbrick Newspaper as the Editor-in-Chief.
• Wednesdays in the office are fun because we always get some sweet treats.
• Thursday is working from home for half day, a little more studying and that's when I usually get to catch up with my friends.
• I've got Fridays off this semester, which means no work, no classes and hence find them convenient to send out job applications and committee meetings with other members of Redbrick. That's also the day when The Emma Press hosts its monthly reading group sessions, which I'm a part of. The group of 10-12 editorial readers, including me, are currently in the process of reading, evaluating and selecting from the long-listed submissions to be acquired by the Press in the coming years.
• Weekends are the perfect time for me to recharge, get some rest and get ready for the next week. 

What have become some of your new favourite things after living in the UK?

After moving to the UK, I've developed a great liking towards live performances like musical theatre, live bands, and open-mic poetry. These are some elements that aren't as popular back home, but I always wanted to experience them in-person. Over the course of these years, I've been able to watch theatre adaptations of great stories like Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Women through Redbrick, as its Culture Section receives free press tickets to watch and review the shows.

I've also had the chance to meet famous authors like Holly Jackson (author of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series) and Malala Yousafzai for her book signing event at Waterstones. The best part about Birmingham is its central location, which makes it prime for celebrities and authors to visit often.