My University years had many great moments. The best of all was the student-centred atmosphere at the English Department. Its various small groups were full of open-minded people. In particular, the discussions that took place during seminars taught me skills that I have utilised during my career as well as in my life in general. Reading under the guidance of professors was good preparation for what was to come. When you learned to read literature, poetry and drama with a deeper meaning in mind, and not just focusing on the story, it was almost unbelievable to discover what kind of insight into the human mind, history and social structures those texts contained. That is how it should be today.

There is less reading now, but guided reading in particular seems to have decreased. The danger of fast-paced teaching and studying is that many nuances will be lost. There should be time to think. Many authors, poets and playwrights have taken great risks in bringing into the public eye radical ideas that society at large might not have been ready for. They deserve credit for much social progress. Those living in today’s society need to remember that most brave social thinkers and progressives had a background in the humanities.