Isabelle Ståhl, PhD student, history of ideas, Department of Culture and Aesthetics:
“Donna Tartt’s modern classic ‘The Secret History’ is a novel that probably has inspired many to go to university. It is a captivating, romantic thriller that captures the meaning of the term “dark academia” well”.
Anja Hirdman, Head of Department, Department of Media Studies:
“I am thinking of the TV series ‘The Chair’. It is based in an American context, but it still shows some of the typical academic cocktail of rules and regulations as well as economics on the one hand and competition and conflicts between researchers about grants and status on the other, but also commitment to students and to the teaching profession.
Martin Arvidsson, Research Officer, Department of Research, Engagement and Innovation Services:
“’A Beautiful Mind’ with Russel Crowe and Jennifer Connelly. The film is about the American mathematician and Nobel Prize winner John Nash. It is an exciting spy thriller that takes place in a beautiful academic environment. The story is not only captivating, but also highlights problems and the stigma surrounding mental illness. When it was made, the film took home a handful of Oscar statuettes, including Best Picture. Today, 20 years later, the topics are just as relevant and the film overcomes the ravages of time brilliantly.
Anna Niva, Alumni Relations Coordinator, Student Services:
“I sometimes I snuggle up to watch Ruby Granger’s Youtube channel. She is British, studies at the University of Exeter and calls herself a ‘study enthusiast’. She makes a lot of videos on studies, study motivation and ‘study with me’. And she reads an awful lot of books. Even if I’m no longer a student her videos make me ready to make a fresh effort on things I want to learn more about or get better at. Her videos make me long to go back to my studies, to learn new things and improve myself (though I do not miss marathon cramming)”.
* Dark academia is a social media aesthetic and subculture inspired by books, art and history and by Oxbridge and Ivy League in particular.