Talia (our Joy) Castellano: A Poem in Honour of an Angel

Talia Joy has been a presence in my life since 2012, when I first came across her YouTube videos. It is only at the age of 21 that I have begun to realise how extraordinary Talia’s legacy is. Revisiting her videos, I was inspired to write the following poem. But first, some quotations to provide…

Away for Exams

Dear readers, My time at the University of Oxford is drawing to a close; it is now time to sit my final examinations. As a result, I will be taking a hiatus from blogging and writing 😦 Thank you to all my readers for inspiring me to keep writing. I love to see my words…

Jeannine: A Poem

Shreya

Love keeps trying to open my eyes: a poem

With love, Shreya

Hope, A Poem

Hope: A Poem

The Visitor

A new poem, The Visitor.

Mind Monsters Inc.

My mind has birthed some monsters, and I am here to share them with you. Go figure (see below): Parnika was one of my first creations, though I have only named her in hindsight – today. Parnika means small leaf; it is an alternative name for the Goddess Parvathi. She is a small leaf, the…

When I Make Space to Pause – A Poem

When I Make Space to Pause by Shreya Manna So. When I make space to pause, I listen. The bones at the base of my neck are instruments, Clicking and clacking and croaking under the weight of an uneasy head. My feet oscillate. Drumsticks on a d-d-d-d-drum roll. The mind scans and measures each line…

Twilight Kissed: A Poem

Hi readers! This is a poem about the sky, in particular those skies that inspire us to just look up in dumbstruck wonder. Hope you enjoy it (see full poem below the image). Twilight Kissed by Shreya Manna Who wove this fabric, this work of art That stretches across the sky? Is it a sheet…

How to Fix a Broken Human: A Poem

I’m in a new apprenticeship – Not any intellectual shit, Reading ‘how to be a human’ lit: so flip to page 1, where I find it hard, really no way I can discard, this overconfidence in my inferiority. Too many syllables, (may not be believable) but it’s true. I cannot see the “awesome kid” inside…

About Me

This is just a short excerpt for the about page.

Start Here

Where does one begin when face-to-face, erm, screen-to-screen with a teenager with a passion for all things wordy? If you’re asking this question, I’ve already answered it for you in these few pages. About Me My Mission (coming soon) Paradise Prose Blog Manifesto Copyright Notice

Falling in Love – A Poem

Trees spilling with boughs of white flowers Like bright eyes, shrouded in the waxy palms of leaves I watch some fall, stolen by the breeze, I watch them fall (in love). Petals unfurling, they embrace the dusk with open arms, sprinkling the earth. Hush. Listen to them land: tiny, soft blankets for unseen slumbering fairies.…

The Truth About My Struggle Against Depression and Anxiety

By: Shreya December 29, 2019

Uncategorizedanxiety, book, depressed, disorder, happiness, inspiration, Life, loneliness, mental, mental health, shaheen, shaheen bhatt, shame, strength, suicide1 Comment

One thing this decade has taught us, like many decades before it: truth is dangerous. The quiet act of putting pen to paper, words on a page, releases tremors that travel far, and won’t be suppressed easily – even if the author himself is eliminated from the equation. Though this blog stands testament to my…

On Being Neither the Outsider Nor The Insider at the University of Oxford

By: Shreya December 8, 2019July 27, 2020

Life, Start Here, Writing in the Real Worldoxford, Study Help, university of oxfordLeave a Comment

It’s the age-old controversy: bring up the hallowed halls of the University of Oxford or Cambridge in a conversation, and you are bound to find yourself dredging up countless accusations of the institution being steeped in elitism and a lack of diversity. Having heard a good few of these myself before applying to Oxford, I…

Sixth Week Thoughts: First Term as an English Student at the University of Oxford

By: Shreya November 26, 2019July 27, 2020

Readingenglish, literature, sixth, student, study, Study Help, university, university of oxford, Video, weekLeave a Comment

Hello again fellow prose-lovers, play enthusiasts and partners in rhyme (sorry, I had to use that pun once it came to mind). Since I last posted, the weeks have flown by and I am already in the penultimate week of my first term. Surreal! Those that have followed my journey to the University of Oxford…

Back with the Books: Learning Old English at the University of Oxford

By: Shreya October 31, 2019July 24, 2020

Life, Reading, Start Herecourse, english, old, oxford, study, university of oxford, VideoLeave a Comment

I’m back! I missed writing on this blog, but over these first few weeks of university I’ve gotten up to plenty of (essay) writing for my course tutors which will make my writing here much more worth reading. So, you might know that one of the things that makes the English course at Oxford stand…

The Oxford Comma: Reflections on Life Before and After Receiving my Offer from the University of Oxford (Part 2)

By: Shreya August 31, 2019July 24, 2020

Life, Start Here, Writing in the Real Worlda-level, inspiration, learning, oxford, perfectionism, perfectionist, reflections, sadhguru, self reflection, spirituality, Study Help, university, university of oxfordLeave a Comment

You’ve seen me reflect on the path that I’ve already travelled on the way to my Oxford offer. While that post was for the most part a Highlights version of these past two years, this one is a counterweight, considering the things I did in these past two years which didn’t work and what I…

The Oxford Comma: Reflections on Life Before and After Receiving my Offer from the University of Oxford (Part 1)

By: Shreya August 20, 2019July 24, 2020

Uncategorizedchallenge, curriculum, education, learning, narrative, oxbridge, oxford, sixth form, study, Study Help, universityLeave a Comment

The Oxford Comma Now that the initial facts have had the time to sink in, I take it as a responsibility to ask: where do I stand now, once I’ve put a comma after ‘Oxford’ (yup, pun in the title is shamelessly intended)? An offer to study at Oxford is, without doubt, a testament to…

Thinking in Zebra Mode – and Literature

By: Shreya August 3, 2019August 5, 2019

Life, Reading, Writing in the Real Worldcriticism, essay, interpretation, psychology, Reading, WritingLeave a Comment

Reading Literature is more than just a question of books; it’s a question of our worldview, our endless mental assumptions. This post is an attempt at becoming conscious of my own Achilles heel – black and white thinking.

Home: A Poem

I wrote this poem in light of the events in the news recently that have made the word ‘home’ a politically charged one, and also as a memory of my personal experiences that put into question what home might be.

Literary Theory: Why Should a Young Writer Care?

By: Shreya July 14, 2019

Reading, Start Hereacademia, critical, english, literary theory, literature, studies, study, Terry eagleton, university, WritingLeave a Comment

Why should I be spending my summer holidays reading Terry Eagleton’s ‘Introduction to Literary Theory’? The unglamorous reason, of course, is to acclimatise myself to the looming rigours of studying English at university. Another reason is anxiety: count yourself lucky if you can sit in one place without your mind running wild. Mine, meanwhile, needs…