Charles Marshall

Charles took the MA in Languages, Literatures and Cultures, focussing on Japanese literature and culture across several historical periods, from the Heian Period to Meiji, to the Postwar era. He graduated in January 2025 and currently works as a Freelance Translator, Editor, and Quality Assurance for Japanese-to-English manga translations. He hopes to eventually transition this into a position in editorial work in the publishing sector.

What was your favourite module and why?

This is honestly really hard to decide. But, gut feeling I'd say it was the Critical Theory and Frameworks module. I love delving into literary theory and how it can be better applied to world literature, especially regarding trauma studies, orientalism, and concepts of collective and cultural memory concerning Japanese literature. Each new lecture brought a fresh perspective and every professor was insightful and engaging in a way I hadn't experienced in a long time. 

What did you do in your master’s year?

My year as an international student at Durham was a fast-paced balancing act of academic responsibilities and social gatherings. Between research, writing, classes, and maintaining my health with consistent exercise I tried to find time to engage with the wider student community when I could. I joined the Medieval and Early Modern Student Association, the Games Society, the Tolkien Society, and the Anglo-Japanese Society. I attended formals and special events across the campus. And often I just took the time to stay connected with friends and ensure I had a temporary escape from my studies. Every once in a while I'd take advantage of my time to explore and travel, getting a chance to see as much as I feasibly thought I could in the little time I had to live in Durham. It was an exciting and fast-paced year, and one I will always remember. 

What is your favourite memory of Durham?

It's tough to pick just one, but I would say the first time I entered Durham Cathedral for matriculation, surrounded by fellow students who would soon become my future friends and family for the next year. Walking through the halls of that thousand-year-old cathedral made me realize the full weight behind the history of my time there in the United Kingdom, and it reaffirmed my drive to make sure I made the most of my time there. 

What was the most important thing you learned at Durham?

One of the most important things I learned at Durham was to be kind to yourself, to accept when things may not always progress how you would like, and to make sure that you always give yourself and your capabilities grace. One year to complete a master's is a short time by any metric, so everything will fly by and you'll feel as though you never have time for even the little things. This is not true. So long as you maintain discipline, let yourself breathe, and keep pushing forward with kindness, you'll make it through in the end. 

Charles is on LinkedIn