‘Lockdown’ Literacy
The RGS Literary Society (LitSoc) has been in full swing during lockdown. They meet every Monday on Google Meet and discuss a range of authors and texts as well as engage in literary challenges via their Instagram page @rgslitsoc.
There are 20 dedicated members (Year Eleven – Upper Sixth) and their engagement during lockdown has been very impressive. They have been using the hashtag #rgslitsoclockdown to promote and share the different challenges and are currently on #challenge9 which is to share a literary quotation or book title that sums up time in lockdown.
Ellie Reed, Upper Sixth, has kindly produced a write up of LitSoc during lockdown below:
The Literary Society (LitSoc) has definitely been one of the most enjoyable co-curricular activities for me during my entire time at RGS. Not only has being part of the society heightened my appreciation for English as a subject, but it has also aided me in cultivating my literary contextual knowledge, as the scope of literature is examined both inside and outside the classroom, ranging from group discussions to cultural site visits and theatre trips. Weekly sessions consist of interacting with like-minded people who share a similar passion for literature, and actively communicating our interpretations of literary works alongside the added bonus of coffee and biscuits!
Since lockdown, Mrs Bond and Mrs Vincent have arranged online meetings each Monday afternoon to explore various topics and writings; our discussions extend from the renowned plays of Shakespeare to the ambitious nature of Oscar Wilde, and have even included sharing the weirdest stories we’ve ever read! Collaborative work has still been maintained by dividing into virtual groups and working together to analyse texts, formulating ideas to share with the group and considering notions like that of Feminism, Marxism and Romanticism, to give examples.
Additionally, weekly challenges have further kept LitSoc members engaged in literature by sharing literary-based thoughts, photos and artwork through the LitSoc Instagram page; this has been a great way for us all to stay connected in such difficult circumstances, as we are all still able to maintain our love of literature electronically in creative and imaginative ways. For instance, we have all shared a book which we would love to be a character in, drawn a favourite literary character and selected a book title/quote that encapsulates each of our lockdown experiences.
I have learnt a lot through being a LitSoc member these past two years, and now feel confident in moving on to study English at undergraduate level. I have gained skills which I am sure will benefit me in future university lectures and seminars, and will forever be grateful to Mrs Bond and Mrs Vincent for always making LitSoc sessions and classroom lessons enjoyable as well as insightful, and for proving that reading really is cool!
Ellie Reed, Upper Sixth