Cut Through The Consensus
Get to know the editors & writers behind Cutting Takes.
Diya is the Editor-in-Chief of Cutting Takes. She brings an interdisciplinary ethos to her editorial vision, drawing on her background in creative writing to develop the journal’s mission to ‘cut through the noise’.
She is also an Oxford graduate in English Literature (1700-1830) and recently completed an undergraduate degree in English and History at Warwick.
Ulla is a graduate in English and French from Brasenose College, Oxford University. She is now completing a master’s degree in international studies in Vienna, combining law, economics and history. As Deputy Editor of Cutting Takes, she brings this broad, interdisciplinary perspective to the editing team.
Evie Wright is a performance poet, writer and filmmaker. She is a graduate of the University of Birmingham, with a BA in English Literature and Film, and a previous Emerge Studios Artist in Residence.
Evie daylights as ‘Deli Girl’, obtaining endless observations and inspiration for her writing and shows. She has headlined, supported and featured in poetry nights across Bath and Bristol, is a Milk Poetry Slam winner, and competed in the 2026 Roundhouse Poetry Slam heats. She can’t wait for her love of all things art to inform her new role as Associate Editor at Cutting Takes.
Ned a second year student studying Arabic at Oxford, currently on a year abroad in Tunisisa. He has worked with other publications such as Y-Politics and Oxford’s student newspaper Cherwell.
Ned also once was frogmarched out a climate summit by UN Police. He is looking forward to working with our writers with articles on a whole range of topics they’re interested in!
Valentina is a recent MSt English Literature grad from Oxford. Prior, she completed a BA in English Literature and History at Durham with a year abroad doing political science.
A little fun fact… she carries a compass with her everywhere she goes. In that vein, we’re excited to see which direction her writing will go!
Zander Fitzgerald is a graduate of English and French from the University of Oxford, with a year at the Sorbonne in Paris. As a writer for Cutting Takes, he focuses on understanding the world through the lens of art and literature, underscoring the philosophical and political importance of thinking critically about art. His particular interest is in the transition from modernism to post-modernism as it explored, and challenged, the divide between art and life.
Jack Forshew is a final-year Politics student at the University of Edinburgh, with a year at Sciences Po in Paris. A contributor to Cutting Takes, he writes on the intersections of politics, culture, cognition and technology — exploring themes such as populism, generational divides, and human identity in the face of AI. His essays can also be found on Medium.
Jack Danson is a recent French and German graduate from the University of Oxford. He was the first Editor-in-Chief of Cutting Takes. He has also written articles on Domestic Politics and Literature & the Arts.
Gurmehar is currently an Economics undergraduate at Edinburgh University. She focusses in her writing upon public discourse, political analysis, and socio-economic issues.
Ellie is a graduate in German and Hebrew from Oxford University and went on to pursue an MA in Middle Eastern Studies in the US. She is particularly interested in the interaction of ideology and narrative. During her time as Deputy Editor, she brought that perspective to Cutting Takes, helping us learn how to think, not what to think.
Tom Welsh is a History and Politics graduate of Christ Church, University of Oxford. Tom, a prolific reader, combines an interest in British politics – past and present – with a passion for the history of ideas. He hopes to integrate the two in his Cutting Takes, mobilising past ideas to shed light on politics today.
Issie Raper is a recent graduate of English at New College Oxford. She’s now a trainee broadcast journalist at City University, investigating everything from phone theft in Soho to American politics.
Alex Orr is a recent graduate of Spanish and Philosophy at the University of Oxford, soon to begin an NCTJ diploma and career in journalism. For Cutting Takes, Alex will analyse politics, economics, and culture with a particular focus on how Britain and the world might overcome stagnation, systemic injustice, and inequality. He also writes on Substack.
Julianne is a recent graduate of the Erasmus Mundus Joint-Master’s in Global Studies from Ghent University and the University of Vienna. As a Taiwanese-American raised in Texas and now living across Europe, she can put herself in many people’s shoes. Her interdisciplinary background ranging from being a classical pianist to studying international politics means she can also wear lots of hats. In addition to these shoes and hats, Julianne is an avid thrifter and loves to frequent second-hand stores and flea markets.
Callum is a freelance journalist based in London, who has worked for Private Eye, Prospect Magazine, The London Magazine, amongst others. He recently graduated from the University of Cambridge with an MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History, with research focusing on Hannah Arendt’s nationless politics. His best bit of journalism advice comes from Ian Hislop, who once asked him “Do you really think ‘allegedly’ is going to help you?
Kaitlin graduated from International Relations at the University of Glasgow and studied abroad for a year at Sciences Po Paris. She is now studying International Journalism at City University in London. She’s recently become very invested in her Letterboxd and going to the cinema. So expect some film related articles very soon.
