Every summer there are hundreds of lists of recommended summer reads, or perfect books for the beach. While I love a good recommendation, I also like making my own summer books bucket list.

Following the news that Britain voted to leave the EU Ellen Orange takes a look at Europe's literary treasures.

Following the news that Britain voted to leave the EU Ellen Orange takes a look at Europe's literary treasures.

With the rise of literature festivals, are we getting closer to, or further from accessible reading?

Into reading? Then Yorkshire is the place to go. Many times the inspiration for a great novel, the Northern country has also spawned its fair share of terrific British writers. So where can you go to revel in all this glory?

I'm now a long way into Warwick University's Literature and Mental Health course on Future Learn, and have started to really consider how books could be used on a wider scale. How do we prescribe reading?

How well do you know The Bard?

I attended a panel discussion with leading YA author Lisa Williamson (The Art of Being Normal), senior editor Vicky Blunden (Myriad editions) and Leicester-based author Bali Rai. The event was held in one of the University of Leicester's lecture theatres.

This Tuesday was International Women's Day, and there are plenty of related events continuing into this weekend. As a lover of all things lit, I decided to pick my top 5 female writers who celebrate women, feminism or gender equality.

I am now halfway through Warwick University's Literature and Mental Health course on Future Learn and it has been such an interesting experience. We cover one topic per week and so far we have looked at Stress, Heartbreak, and Bereavement.

Adaptations are a dividing force between book fans. Maybe you loved the book and can't bear to see your imagined version ruined, or maybe you are really keen to see your favourite book on the big screen.

The University of Warwick has developed an online course investigating the relationship between literature and mental health. Their research looks particularly at whether literature can be used therapeutically to improve our mental wellbeing.