Meet the UNSWeetened 2021 Team

Creative Writing Ph.D

What is your favourite myth? 

I'll go with the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Power of love, hubris of humanity, contemplations on the power of fate etc.

What is your favourite book?

Howard's End by E.M Forster! Such beautiful language, devastatingly tender love story, and a fascinating insight into Edwardian values and society.

What is your favourite genre?

I always end up returning to fantasy.

What do you think is an underrated book/movie/genre?

The fantasy/YA film Mirrormask (written by Neil Gaiman) is so haunting, so bizarre, so funny, so beautiful, and yet so few people have seen it!

What are you excited about UNSWeetened 2021?

What am I not excited about? However, I am super excited about the publication itself. Holding a hard copy of the journal is going to be pretty magical.

Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Design

What is your favourite myth?
I was obsessed with Greek Mythology as a kid (thanks Rick Riordan). My favourite myth or tale is probably the Odyssey, because of how wildly entertaining it is. And my favourite part from the Odyssey is Odysseus' encounter with Polyphemus, cus' I think the "Nobody" schtick is such a big brain move.

What is your favourite book?
No.6 by Atsuko Asano. Unfortunately, the series has not been officially translated into English. Picture this: A utopian-dystopian society, mysterious deaths caused by rapid ageing, and a fateful encounter between two boys - just thinking about it makes me want to re-read it!

What is your favourite genre?
I mainly gravitate towards fantasy, sci-fi and thriller genres. And if it has a GOOD romantic sub-plot, then I'm sold.

What do you think is an underrated book/movie/genre?
Klaus (2019) directed by Sergio Pablos. The animation is phenomenal and I'm a sucker for reluctant strangers to found family tropes.

What are you excited about UNSWeetened 2021?
I'm super excited to see how UNSW students uniquely interpret the theme of Mythos and how the final publication will look put together. I'm also very excited to be able to illustrate and interpret the magic of mythos.

Bachelor of International Studies / Bachelor of Media (Screen and Sound Production)

What is your favourite myth?
The story of how the Zodiac animals got their place and why we don't have a year of the cat. 

What is your favourite book?
I've been re-reading a lot of Thomas Hardy this year, his lush prose is mesmerising and has a way of capturing tragedy that is, moving but true to life. So maybe it's cheating but the collected works of Thomas Hardy is my top pick.

What is your favourite genre?
Anything you can find in the 'classics' section of a bookstore. Those orange Penguin Paperbacks are my go to. 

What do you think is an underrated book/movie/genre?
I don't know about underrated but I have some hot takes about overrated books and movies, namely Shelley's Frakenstein and Citizen Kane (1941). Neither lived up to the hype and I have never been more let down by fiction then when reading the chapter where they finally bring the monster to life. You can fight me on this. 

What are you excited about UNSWeetened 2021?
I can't wait to be inspired by all the submissions. I have no doubt they'll be amazing.

Master of Design (Graphic Design)

What is your favourite myth?
There are so many greek myths, I fall in love with a new one everyday!

What is your favourite book?
Paper Towns by John Green, really resonated with me! But my all time fave would be the Percy Jackson series, I read in middle school which actually got me into reading in the first place!!

What is your favourite genre?
YA/Fantasy, no doubt! 

What are you excited about UNSWeetened 2021?

I'm really excited to see the final design of the journal and to see Mythos come alive through the voices of UNSW students.

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) - English

What is your favourite myth?
Oh wow - so many options! I love all sorts of Greek mythology. Rick Riordan stole my heart. 

What is your favourite book?
There are so many! From this year, I would have to say A Million Little Pieces by James Frey which chronicles his recovery from alcoholism. Of all time? It's a four-way tie between Atwood's Alias Grace, Plath's The Bell Jar, Glasgow's Girl in Pieces, and Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

What is your favourite genre?
You mean I have to choose?

What do you think is an underrated book/movie/genre?
Sci-fi, which is perhaps underrated because it's wildly misunderstood.

What are you excited about UNSWeetened 2021?
The theme this year is fantastic, so I am hoping to see some themed work

Bachelor of Economics / Bachelor of Arts (English and Creative Writing)

What is your favourite book?

My favourite book would probably have to be The Notebooks of Malte Laurid Brigges by Rainer Maria Rilke. It is expressionistic, dreamlike, perhaps meandering. It is really more of a long prose poem and Rilke's descriptions of twentieth-century France just transport me into a world of sensitivity and artistry.

What is your favourite genre?

I'd definitely have to go with postmodernism, especially the really experimental kind. I find this genre so clever, playful and inventive. It’s the style I usually write in as well!

What do you think is an underrated book/movie/genre?

Rom-coms get such a bad wrap but there's so much merit to a lot of them. They provide a lot of room for discourse on popular culture conceptions of identity and contrasts between commercial and intellectual successes of a work. Perhaps a bit meta, but they provide a really important cultural framework to look at the entire institution of romance.

What are you excited about UNSWeetened 2021?

I'm super excited to see how everyone approaches the theme this year. Myths aren't just a genre or trope - they're an entire method of historicising and conceptualising both the self and our communities. Myths exist in literature, in the media, in politics, even in science. Myths let us make sense of the world and they refer to something metaphysical a lot of the time. I am so thrilled to be able to see how everyone approaches the richness of this theme!

Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing & Information Systems)

What is your favourite myth?

Not sure if The Highwayman counts as a myth, but a teacher read Alfred Noyes's poem based to the class and this haunting, tragic story's stuck with me since. (To this day I question the age-appropriateness of the reading but oh well.)

What is your favourite book?

The Broken Earth Trilogy. It was earth-shattering, obliterated my mind and soul. There's a lot of pain and anger but also strength - in other words, don't expect it to be an easy ride because it isn't, but it's definitely worth it.

What is your favourite genre?
Fantasyyy.

What do you think is an underrated book/movie/genre?

Zong! by M. NourbeSe Philip because it's a masterpiece and I wish everyone would read it. 

What are you excited about UNSWeetened 2021?

I'm really, really excited to see all the different ways mythos is interpreted and to work with the team and UNSW creatives!

Bachelor of Arts (English and Creative Writing)

What is your favourite myth?
The Greek/Roman myth of Eros/Cupid and Psyche. Secrets, Betrayal, trials of true love, and an intense mother-in-law. What more could you want?

What is your favourite book?
The Stand by Stephen King. Not for the faint of heart or easily grossed out!

What is your favourite genre?
Horror.

What do you think is an underrated book/movie/genre?
Only Lovers Left Alive directed by Jim Jarmusch. Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston are *chefs kiss*.

What are you excited about UNSWeetened 2021?
To read all of the diverse voices of UNSW and work with the authors to create a stunning publication for 2021!

Bachelor of Law / Bachelor of Arts (English and History)

What is your favourite myth?
I've always been fascinated by faerie folklore and the way people across so many cultures mythologise about magic and the mischievous beings that traverse our world and theirs.

What is your favourite book?
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

What is your favourite genre?
Fantasy!

What do you think is an underrated book/movie/genre?
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James.

What are you excited about UNSWeetened 2021?
I'm looking forward to seeing how this year's theme is interpreted and brought to life by our contributors. I'm excited to celebrate our strong and diverse community of writers and artists again after the marathon of 2020!

Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Arts

What is your favourite myth?
Romulus and Remus. I love Ancient history and the memes about the foundation myth of Rome are quite funny.

What is your favourite book?
This is a difficult question, I have so many favourites! My top 3 would be And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

What is your favourite genre?
Mystery and Young Adult (YA).

What do you think is an underrated book/movie/genre?
Coraline because the stop-motion animation is so beautiful, however I can’t watch the film at night.

What are you excited about UNSWeetened 2021?
I look forward to reading all the amazing student submissions and interpretations of the theme Mythos. I am also excited to work with the UNSWeetened team and sponsors to support emerging student writers and build a flourishing literary community!