Monthly Archives: July 2014

Kent graduate co-translates Italian novel

A Kent graduate has co-translated the Italian novel Ti Ascolto (The Listener), by Frederica De Paolis.

Samuel Rizzardi, who obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in French and Italian from Kent in 2010, co-translated the book for Troubador Publishing, as part of the Troubador Storia series. The series aims to bring contemporary Italian fiction to an English-speaking audience, and many outstanding Italian novels are being made available in the English language for the very first time.

The Listener is the tale of travel writer DiegoTribeca who, confined to his home whilst awaiting medical treatment, begins to eavesdrop on the telephone conversations of the residents in his block, becoming obsessed with their lives and stories. Listening in to other people’s problems, he discovers things about his own life that will change him forever.

Upon graduating from Kent, Samuel spent a year teaching English as a Foreign Language in Italy. He is currently pursuing an MA in Translation at the University of Hull.

Kent law student swims from Asia to Europe for the Kent Law Campaign

On Sunday 20th July 2014, Kent Law School student Susanne Mueller, took part in The Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swim in aid of the Kent Law Campaign and has raised over £300.

The 2014/15 Chair of the Kent Law Campaign Student Group joined 1,700 people to cross the Istanbul Strait which connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara in Turkey. The 6.5km swim is organised by the National Olympic Committee of Turkey and is one of the world’s top 100 open water swims.  Susanne completed the course in the excellent time of 1:09:41.

Of the challenge, Susanne said: “I’m absolutely shattered right now with various bruises but am so glad I did it! It was an amazing experience and I am so pleased to have raised over £300 to date. I was recently elected as the Chair of the Kent Law Campaign Student Group for 2014/15 and wanted to lead by example so decided to raise money for this fantastic cause by taking part in this race. I am thrilled to be able to say that I have been a part of this amazing project and will always remember my first challenge event for the Kent Law Campaign!”

Anna Pollard, Campaigns Manager, said: “Susanne set herself an extremely difficult personal challenge and we were delighted to hear how well she did on the gruelling course. She is a huge inspiration and we are extremely grateful for her dedication to the Kent Law Campaign.”

If you have been inspired by Susanne’s achievement you can sponsor her online or even sign up to take part in your own challenge event in aid of the Campaign. Please contact us for more information about how we can support you in your fundraising events.

Congratulations to our new graduates!

Congratulations to our new alumni who graduated in Medway and Canterbury over the last two weeks!

Graduation day is a celebration of all that our new graduates have accomplished at the University. Your graduation isn’t the end of a story but the beginning of a new chapter. Today you are joining over 135,000 Kent alumni worldwide, and we hope that you stay in touch.

We will be holding some fantastic events in the next academic year to celebrate our 50th anniversary year, so we hope that you will come back to join in the festivities and mark this important milestone. We will be holding an amazing alumni reunion weekend on 4-6 September 2015, which will give you the perfect opportunity to return to the University and take a trip down memory lane with your fellow alumni. Have a look to see who might be coming, and register your interest!

Alumnus creates website to promote free activities in London

A Kent alumnus has set up a website to promote activities which London residents and visitors can enjoy – and it won’t cost them a penny!

David Asquith, who graduated from Kent in 2013 with a BA (Hons) in Sociology, created the website londonwebmaps.co.uk in a bid to prove that his beloved hometown of London is not as expensive to live in and visit as people may think. Visitors to the site can find out which museums and galleries do not charge an admission fee, discover places to visit which they may not have otherwise thought of, as well as read the London Days Out blog, which will take them on a journey down the Thames.

David says: “We decided to set up a website to show people that doing things in London can be relatively cheap, as there are many attractions with free admission. The main idea behind it was to develop my own marketing skills with regards to the whole website, whilst hopefully giving guidance to people who have previously considered London as being too expensive to visit”.

David is also promoting the website via Facebook and Twitter, and has attracted visitors to the site by running competitions to win London related prizes.

He says: “My ultimate goal is for it to become one of the main resources which people will use when searching for things to do in London.”

Gavin Esler installed as Chancellor

Award-winning journalist, broadcaster and author Gavin Esler was installed as Chancellor of the University at a ceremony held at Rochester Cathedral on 8 July 2014.

Gavin, who graduated from Kent with a BA in English and American Literature in 1974, is the first alumnus to become Chancellor of the University. Having worked for the BBC since 1977, he was awarded an honorary MA in 1995 and an honorary Doctor of Civil Law in 2005 from Kent.

Gavin said: “I’m absolutely delighted personally, and am also really pleased that in the University’s 50th anniversary year, the role has been given to an alumnus. It seems to me it’s a coming-of-age moment for the University that one of our own can be offered such a wonderful honour. I just hope I can make a contribution that people will think is worthwhile.”

Stephen Williams (Rutherford 2000) publishes first horror novel

Stephen Williams, who graduated from Kent with a BA (Hons) in Film Studies in 2003, has published his first novel.

Tainted, which edges between the horror and dark fantasy genres with a hint of romance, is not only an apocalypse horror, but also a tale of doomed love for the novel’s heroine, Isobel, who comes from a broken home and an abusive upbringing, and of her search to re-discover herself, and become who she was always meant to be.

Stephen says: “The inspiration I had behind the book was an image I had stuck in my head of a young woman with pitch black eyes. It just wouldn’t go away, and one day on the bus to work, I just started writing the novel. I wanted to find out who this woman was, and what had happened to her. Tainted is extreme, but it’s more than a bloodbath, it has layers and it has heart. Since I started writing, I’ve become the person I always wanted to be, and so Isobel’s journey reflects my own over the last few years. ”

Tainted is now available to purchase on Kindle.