Publications

The academic scholars’ publication from the school year 2024/25 is 100 Years of Television. From its mechanical origins, television has evolved into a sprawling network of content delivery and the 21st century is frequently dubbed ‘The Golden Age of Television’. Like the medium of television itself, this publication embraces variety: a vivid tapestry of analysis, curiosity, and insight. The 27 articles reveal that television is not just a passive form of entertainment, but can be a cultural mirror; commercial machine; social commentary; and psychological force. Whether our pupils have examined the past, reflected on the present, or speculated about the future, each author invites us to consider how this invention continues to shape our lives, and what the next hundred years might hold.

The lead publication from the school year 2023/24 is on Games, Competition and Play in the Human Experience. Wonderfully broad in scope, Games as a theme has allowed for multi- and inter-disciplinary contributions, from both pupils and Common Room, that highlight not only the universality of games and its centrality to the human experience, but the diverse interests of the College community. We hope you enjoy the breadth and depth of the 44 articles for what they reveal about the presence and power of games, and also as a reflection of the engaged intellectual community at Marlborough. It is a fitting topic for us to explore in 2024 as the 150th anniversary of the construction of our iconic Cricket Pavilion falls in this year. The Pavilion, opened in 1874, was designed by the great Victorian architect, Alfred Waterhouse, who also designed the National History Museum.

This academic scholars’ project from the school year 2022/23 captures and presents some of the qualities of the College, its history and its area. The title refers both to the land below and around us – the wonderful chalk downland which has sustained such rich and varied civilisations for thousands of years – as well as the tradition of pedagogy represented by the College (‘chalk’ once being pretty common in classrooms!). There are 27 articles from pupils in Shell, Remove and Lower Sixth, covering topics as varied as the chemistry of chalk and its contemporary uses, the local Neolithic and natural landscape, stories about the College and Old Marlburians, through to the wider world. The illustrations are from the art scholars’ project on the Mound.

A tremendous medley of reflections around the concepts of ‘Locks, Lockdown and Isolation’ inspired by the experience of the pandemic in 2021. 67 pupils from all year groups, beaks and members of staff contributed, with each interpreting the topic in ways that inspired them personally, making this collection of essays particularly intriguing. The final result is an ambitious and grand undertaking. There are several inspiring illustrations created especially for the publication by pupils and a series of paintings by our Head of Art, Edward Twohig.

This special pupil publication, devoted to the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, was conceived during the first summer lockdown in 2020. Arguably there was no one more appropriate to celebrate, as Beethoven was famously in a forced isolation for much of his life. More than 50 pupils from all year groups and beaks from many departments were involved in the writing, editing and illustrations for this project. The end result is a most incredible pan-College collaboration and a tangible example of true academia at Marlborough.

Vanbrugh and His Time marks the 300th anniversary of the death of Sir John Vanbrugh, whose architectural legacy has a lasting connection to Marlborough through Blenheim Palace and the College’s own contemporary architectural heritage. Using Vanbrugh as a unifying theme, this year’s Scholars’ Publication explores the remarkable intellectual, artistic, and political energy of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Spanning architecture, science, mathematics, theatre, fashion, warfare, collecting, and politics, the articles reveal an age defined by innovation, ambition, and curiosity. Through original research, our academic scholars examine how Vanbrugh’s world was shaped by bold ideas and enduring achievements, while drawing connections across disciplines. Published throughout the academic year before being brought together in a final volume, the collection celebrates the breadth of scholarly enquiry and the intellectual confidence of Marlborough’s academic community.