Episode 6: Button Eyes: Exploring 'Coraline' and Gothic Shadows with Davey

This week on The Bookmark, the official podcast of King's Academy Lord Wilson, host Dr. Matthias sits down with a truly remarkable guest. Davey, a Year 7 student and a "maths wizard" who is set to become the youngest pupil in the school's history to sit a math exam, reveals a different side of his academic passions: a deep love for "dark and scary" Gothic literature.In this episode, we dive into the unsettling world of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline. Davey shares his insights on:The definition of atavism and why Gothic stories often look to the past.Classic Gothic icons like Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.The terrifying reality of the Other Mother and why the book is even darker than its film adaptation.The episode concludes with an atmospheric live reading by Davey from Chapter 11 of Coraline, where Coraline confronts her Other Mother in a crumbling, empty version of her own home. Grab your headphones and get comfortable—it’s time to turn the page.