Life and Art from FT Weekend

Our final episode: thank you

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 05:00:00 GMT

This is it. Today we present you a massive special episode full of wisdom, which answers your final pressing questions. Listeners wrote in from around the world — from Perth to Virginia to Prague — asking about music, cooking, careers, home, fashion and how to live a good life. Lilah invites her colleagues and friends on to explore them. And now, all there is left to say is a big, loud, wholehearted, vigorous thank you.

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Please keep in touch – Lilah loves hearing from you and will still be posting about culture, food, art and more on Instagram @lilahrap. Email her at lilahrap@ft.com.

You can read Globetrotter at ft.com/globetrotter and follow along @ftglobetrotter on Instagram.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Tim Harford’s podcast is called Cautionary Tales, and his column is The Undercover Economist. He references Adam Gopnik and Oliver Burkeman, and if you want to lead a better life by spending less time on the internet, he recommends Cal Newport's book Digital Minimalism.

– Here are the cookbooks Harriet Fitch Little and Lilah mentioned: Fuchsia Dunlop's The Food of Sichuan, Fadi Kattan's Bethlehem, Maria Bradford's Sweet Salone, and Pati Jinich's Treasures of the Mexican Table. Harriet is on Instagram at @hufffffle.

– Isabel Berwick’s Working It newsletter is here, and her book is called The Future-Proof Career.

– Eric Platt, at the time of recording, was wearing a heather gray turtleneck and navy corduroys from Officine Générale and black Prada combat boots. If you’re interested in corporate finance, he’s on X and Bluesky @EricGPlatt.

– Ludovic Hunter-Tilney mentions Gang Starr’s 1994 song “Mostly tha Voice”, A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy's first album Yo! Bum Rush the Show (1987), and Migos. One of his most listened to songs of 2024 was “Bande organisée”, by Marseille rap group 13'Organisé. Here’s another episode we love with Ludo, on Taylor Swift (Apple, Spotify).

– Enuma Okoro is an FT Weekend columnist. Here’s her most recent column, on new ways to think about the new year.

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art listeners are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Music credits: Jive Records, Chrysalis and EMI Records, Quality Control Music

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Cultural predictions for 2025: the year we accept the chaos

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 05:00:31 GMT

It’s a time-honored tradition: for the third year in a row, FT Weekend editor-at-large Matt Vella joins Lilah to reflect on this past year, and muse on the coming one. We’ve asked listeners to send their predictions and wishes for 2025, and today we’re talking through them! Will next year bring an end to meme culture? How do we step away from restaurant reservation wars? Will Lena Dunham make a comeback? Plus, Matt tells us why he is embracing chaos, and why we should all let go of the fear of being watched.

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As you know, the show is ending in early January – and you can still send in a cultural question through December. What’s rolling around in your head? How can we help? Email Lilah at lilahrap@ft.com, or connect with her on Instagram @lilahrap.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– You can flip through all of our listeners’ and colleagues’ predictions on Instagram, here

– You can read Lena Dunham on Sally Rooney in our 2024 Women of the Year round-up here: https://www.ft.com/womenof2024

– Lilah mentions this piece by Anne Helen Petersen on how we’re all posting less on social media, and this opinion piece by Michael Grunwald about the future of farming

– Matt mentions the rise of the noodle boys

– You can listen to last year’s predictions here, or by searching ‘Life and Art 2024 cultural predictions’

– Matt is on X @mattvella

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Music clip from Family Productions

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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The perfect winter survival guide

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 05:00:34 GMT

Today we are bringing you a winter survival guide, full of deceptively small tips that will make winter unmeasurably better. How do we best appreciate these cold, dark months? How do we stay stimulated, but also reject the grind? Our FT Weekend Magazine’s resident “winter goddesses” Griselda Murray Brown and Cordelia Jenkins join Lilah armed with tons of delightful suggestions, from buying warm lightbulbs to reading your friends’ dusty old books. They also fight about electric vests. It’s a joy. We hope you love it.

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As you know, the show is ending in early January – we’re still collecting your cultural questions. What’s rolling around in your head? How can we help? Email Lilah at lilahrap@ft.com, or connect with her on Instagram @lilahrap.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– For our summer episode, search ‘How to have the perfect summer’ wherever you listen. Here it is on Spotify

– The FT Magazine’s advent special is full of tips for enjoying winter

– Lulu’s piece about watching 100 Christmas films is here: https://on.ft.com/3BBYrUR

– Cordelia mentioned “jealousy lists”: here’s the FT’s list of favourite non-FT articles published this year. Here’s Bloomberg’s (paywall). Cordelia is most jealous of this Guardian piece by Jonathan Nunn about Nicholas Saunders: “Hippy, capitalist, guru, grocer: the forgotten genius who changed British food”

– Gris loved Laura Marling’s album Patterns in Repeat. She also mentioned the book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat by Katherine May.

– Gris is on Instagram @griseldamurraybrown. Cordelia is on Bluesky @cordeliajenkins

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Music clip from Chrysalis Records

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Novelist Elif Shafak: ‘Writers are the memory keepers’

Mon, 16 Dec 2024 05:00:11 GMT

Elif Shafak’s new novel brings together four stories set in three different centuries: ancient Mesopotamia, 19th century London, a Yazidi village in 2014, and the present day. It connects them through the epic of Gilgamesh, and a single drop of fresh water. Making history come alive is one of Elif’s many talents, and today she shares her thoughts on how novels can fill in the gaps in authorised history. She also talks with Lilah about the importance of the unwritten word — and why she looks to oral traditions to make sense of the past.

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As you know, the show is ending in early January – we’re still collecting your cultural questions. What’s rolling around in your head? How can we help? Email Lilah at lilahrap@ft.com or message her on Instagram @lilahrap.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Elif Shafak’s new novel There are Rivers in the Sky, is out now in the US and the UK

– Read the FT’s review of the book here: https://on.ft.com/4gC9cWd

– Lilah spoke with Elif about her previous novel The Island of Missing Trees and the stories we tell ourselves back in 2020. Listen to that interview here

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Books books books! Our top picks from 2024

Fri, 13 Dec 2024 05:00:16 GMT

The FT’s books of the year special is out, and today, our literary editor Fred Studemann and outgoing deputy books editor Laura Battle join us one last time to talk about their top picks of 2024. This year has seen some huge releases from authors including Sally Rooney, Miranda July, Alexei Navalny, Al Pacino and Salman Rushdie. What trends did Fred and Laura notice this year? What books did they love?

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Books we mentioned: Orbital by Samantha Harvey; Patriot by Alexei Navalny; All Fours by Miranda July; Haunted Wood by Sam Leith; Rosarita by Anita Desai; There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak; Revolusi: Indonesia and the Birth of the Modern World by David van Reybrouck; A Voyage Around the Queen by Craig Brown; Killing Time by Alan Bennett; Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman; The Wizard of the Kremlin by Giuliano da Empoli; Hope by Pope Francis (2025); and Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2025)

– The FT Books of the Year are out now! Here is a roundup of the FT’s top columnists and editors’ book recommendations for 2024, including Fred’s top picks. Laura’s fiction picks are here.

– Food, drink and travel books are here. Music books here. Art and design books are here. Check out the full guide for more (paywall)

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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The oldest cuisine in the world

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 05:00:30 GMT

Have you ever wondered about the oldest recipes in history? They were discovered on four clay tablets from about 1,700 BCE at the time of the Assyrian Empire. Did you know that about 5 million Assyrians still live around the world today? This year, a cookbook was published that is the first modern collection of exclusively Assyrian cuisine, food that has a lot of overlap with those ancient tablets. It’s called The Oldest Kitchen in the World, and in it, Matay de Mayee records the recipes of his mother, Smuni Turan — recipes her ancestors have been passing down orally for centuries. Today, they join Lilah in the studio to talk about their kitchen.

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The Oldest Kitchen in the World is published in English, Dutch and German — in Dutch and German its title is Haniyé. You can find it in bookshops in the US, Canada, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and online.

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Send us your predictions! Write to Lilah at lilahrap@ft.com or on Instagram @lilahrap. And — thank you.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Our massive holiday gift guide, and tips for a less stressful Christmas

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 13:40:44 GMT

December is here, and we’re here to help you sort your holiday shopping. Need to make a last-minute gift feel thoughtful? Searching for something for your dad? Want to give a cheap gift a glow-up? Hoping to also actually enjoy December? Lilah has invited two experts onto the show: HTSI’s deputy editor Louis Wise and FT Magazine’s Food & Drink editor Harriet Fitch Little, the brains behind the FT’s two annual holiday gift guides. Please enjoy our most chaotic episode to date.

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As you know, the show is ending in early January – we’re still collecting your cultural questions. We have access to critics, reporters, artists and more – and Lilah is determined to find you the most interesting answers she can. What’s rolling around in your head? How can we help? Email her at lilahrap@ft.com or send her a message on Instagram @lilahrap.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– The FT Magazine’s gift guide, in price order, is here. We also love their advent calendar, with tips for every day of December

– HTSI’s holiday gift guide highlights: here is Louis’ Christmas buys for stylish guys (which includes the Prada jumprope), HTSI editor Jo Ellison’s guide for fashion lovers, Drinks columnist Alice Lascelles’ for booze lovers and Laila Gohar’s for party hosts

– The HTSI guide to black hoodies for men

– Harriet’s cheese interview (you cut the cheese in the shape of the cheese!)

– Vox’s article on buying the perfect gift is here

– Harriet is on Instagram @huffffle. Louis is @louisquinze

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Filmmaker Richard Linklater on Hit Man and whether people can change

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 05:00:17 GMT

Filmmaker Richard Linklater’s movies span blockbusters, such as School of Rock, cerebral indie classics like Boyhood, and a hard-to-define The Before Trilogy. His most recent film, Hit Man, is a thriller, but it picks up on many themes that Linklater has explored before, such as identity and masculinity. Today, he reflects on the film in conversation with Lilah.

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Our film critic Danny Leigh’s review of Hit Man is here: https://on.ft.com/4fGIDid

Danny also spoke with Richard Linklater in 2018 about his portrayal of masculinity in the movie Last Flag Flying: https://on.ft.com/3Va6v5L

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The show is ending in early January. But we want to know your cultural questions! Write to Lilah at lilahrap@ft.com or on Instagram @lilahrap. And – thank you.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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How Eli Zabar made America more gourmet

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 05:00:29 GMT

Eli Zabar is the youngest son of the Jewish grocery family behind the famed New York food emporium, Zabar’s. Fifty years ago, he left the family business to open his own shop, where he would pursue the “best”: the best breads, cheeses, jams. He was inspired by the markets of Europe and quickly realised that to get the quality he wanted in America, he would have to do a lot of it himself. Eli is now 81 years old, and over the decades, has watched the food scene catch up. Today, Lilah chases him around one of his markets on the Upper East Side, where they make a sandwich, explore what quality food means and reflect on how food culture has changed.

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Lilah’s profile of Eli’s EAT restaurant is here: https://on.ft.com/4eKrSSj

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The show is ending in early January. But we want to know your cultural questions! Write to Lilah at lilahrap@ft.com or on Instagram @lilahrap. And – thank you.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture chat: ‘Wicked’ hits the high notes

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 05:00:27 GMT

Today, we’re taking on the much-hyped film adaptation of the musical smash Wicked. Starring Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Jeff Goldblum, the story is a loose prequel to The Wizard of Oz, following its two star witches before they become Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West. Why is this film such a big deal? How does it hold up to the Broadway show? And what makes a musical work well onscreen? Lilah is joined by the FT’s Anna Nicolaou and Eric Platt, who attended the New York premiere together, to discuss.

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The show is ending, and we’re collecting your cultural questions. We have access to critics, reporters, producers and experts. What’s rolling around in your head? Let Lilah know by email at lilahrap@ft.com or on Instagram @lilahrap. And – thank you.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– The FT’s four star review of Wicked is here: https://on.ft.com/3CDHvgW

– Anna is listening to The Good Whale, a New York Times podcast about the whale from Free Willy

– Eric does not recommend the show House of Villains – available on E! and Hayu – but Lilah and Anna think it sounds pretty good

– Anna Nicolaou is on Instagram @annanicolaou. Eric is on Bluesky, Instagram and X @EricGPlatt

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Clips copyright Universal Pictures

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Best of: why men’s fashion is skimpier and more queer

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 05:00:33 GMT

You probably noticed by their clothes: this summer, men just wanted to have fun. Crop tops, short shorts and even kilts and skirts were in. Long sleeves, and long inseams, were out. Today, two FT men’s fashion experts, Robert Armstrong and Eric Platt, join us to discuss how and why this happened, and what the rise of skimpy menswear tells us about masculinity today.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and email at lifeandart@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Rob’s latest style column is here: https://on.ft.com/3xWm8pa

– Rob is on X @rbrtrmstrng. Eric is on X @EricGPlatt

– Here’s the GQ piece we mentioned, called “Why is everyone on steroids now?” https://www.gq.com/story/why-is-everyone-on-steroids-now

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Culture chat: ‘Anora’, the unlikely film leading the Oscar race

Sat, 16 Nov 2024 13:45:23 GMT

Today we’re talking about Anora, the new critical darling about the whirlwind romance between a Brooklyn sex worker and the hell-raising son of a Russian oligarch. The film follows the couple’s chaotic week together, their impulsive marriage, and what happens when the oligarchs hear the news and demand an annulment. It’s directed by Sean Baker, known for The Florida Project and Tangerine. It won the Cannes prestigious Palme d'Or award and is tipped as an Oscar winner. Who holds the power in the film? And why do people love it? FT film critic Danny Leigh and deputy news editor India Ross join Lilah to discuss.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, and email at lilahrap@ft.com. And we’re grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Danny Leigh’s interview with director Sean Baker is here: https://on.ft.com/3YJXqBF

– His five-star review of Anora is here: https://on.ft.com/40PEFzc

– Danny recommends Andrea Arnold’s Bird and the documentary Soundtrack to a Coup d'etat. India mentioned the film American Honey

– Here’s Lilah’s piece about the Met’s employee art show: https://on.ft.com/4ewTl9R

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FT subscribers can share your suggestions for Woman of the Year 2024 in the comments here, before November 25. Who has had a big year, in your industry and elsewhere? Who has earned accolades, accomplished remarkable things, made huge strides, produced important work or set records? Who has shaped this year?

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Clips copyright Neon and FilmNation Entertainment

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Jancis Robinson on how to start collecting wine

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 05:00:26 GMT

If you are someone who has or wants to have wine at your house, this episode is for you. Whether you’re looking to buy a few bottles you’ll drink in the next few months, or you’d like to start collecting and ageing wine for years to come, we’ve got you covered. FT wine editor Jancis Robinson, author of the Oxford Companion to Wine, talks us through what wines we should be on the lookout for and how to make sure they blossom into something better over time.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify. And please share this episode with your friends!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Earlier this year, Jancis wrote articles about building a cellar on a budget. These included advice on how to store wine properly and an overview of how to build an affordable cellar. She also wrote regional guides for collecting Italian wines, wines from the Americas, and beyond.

– You should also check out Jancis’s site JancisRobinson.com, which has daily updates on the latest wine news, as well as guides for wine novices and seasoned enthusiasts

– You can follow Jancis on X @JancisRobinson

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Our critics’ best advice for how to discover new music

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 05:00:43 GMT

Today, we explore how to discover new music. Despite having access to more music than ever before, many of us are still falling back on the same old stuff. The algorithms may be pushing us toward uniformity, but how do we break out of the echo chamber? FT pop critic Ludo Hunter-Tilney and music and culture writer Arwa Haider join Lilah to share advice for finding new artists, and recommend new music that they love.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– You can find all of the artists mentioned today in this playlist we made for you here.

– Arwa Haider’s playlist is here.

– Ludo Hunter-Tilney’s latest review of the electronic music duo Xeno & Oaklander’s new album, Via Negativa, is here. We also love his interview with Irish-language hip-hop band Kneecap.

– Here’s Arwa’s interview with Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora.

– You can follow Ludo on X @ludohunter. Arwa is on Instagram @arwa.haider and X @ArwaHaider

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Music clips from Asylum, Abu Recordings and Felukah, Speedy Wunderground / PIAS, Defjam Recordings / Polydor

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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What is the future of photography?

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 05:00:54 GMT

Critics have been warning about the death of photography as an art form for years. Smartphones were going to lead to its demise by making everyone a photographer. Then came warnings about AI, which can create photographic images without a human actually being present at a given time and place. But, the FT’s US art critic Ariella Budick argues that instead of dying, the medium has evolved. She joins us to discuss how it has changed from its purest form in the 1950s to today.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, and email at lilahrap@ft.com. Get in touch this week if you have questions for the great wine critic Jancis Robinson, who'll be answering them on our next Monday episode.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Lilah’s profile of the Bronx Documentary Center is here: https://on.ft.com/3NQeAZe

– Ariella’s most recent review is of the exhibition We Are Here at the International Center of Photography: https://on.ft.com/48BeUof

– She’s also recently written about Robert Frank at the MoMA: https://on.ft.com/3ArjnNH

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Culture Chat: the bonkbuster world of ‘Rivals’

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 05:00:46 GMT

Today we head to Rutshire, to take a crack at the frothy, riotous TV adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s 1980s romance novel, Rivals. The eight-episode series follows a cluster of posh English country-dwellers – including TV executive Lord Tony Baddingham (David Tennant) and local heartthrob Rupert Campbell-Black (Alex Hassell) — as they bonk and bust their way around the Cotswolds. Shoulder pads, extramarital affairs and messy dinner parties abound. But what is the show really about: Class? Sex? The 80s? Lilah is joined by the FT's Robert Shrimsley and Harriet Fitch Little to discuss.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, and email at lilahrap@ft.com. And we’re grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Rivals is out now on Disney+ in the UK, and Hulu in the US. You can read the FT’s four star review here: https://on.ft.com/40sqQa6

– Robert Shrimsley’s column, ‘Were the 80s as much fun as Jilly Cooper says?’ is here: https://on.ft.com/4f5PcL8

– We also love Jo Ellison’s recent column, ‘Jilly Cooper’s Britain: the bad sex world capital’: https://on.ft.com/3Uvj0Zt

– Robert is on X @robertshrimsley. Harriet is on X @HarrietFL and Instagram @huffffle

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Clips copyright Disney.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Historian Simon Schama wants to make truth sexy again

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 04:00:27 GMT

Historian Sir Simon Schama is one of the most influential public intellectuals of our time. So when he replied to our invitation to come on the show ahead of the US presidential election by saying he wanted to talk about “the unprecedented collapse of truth”, we immediately said yes. It’s been a disorienting presidential campaign. For many Americans, it’s hard to understand how statements which are so clearly untrue – such as the government controls the weather, and sent hurricanes to Republican-leaning states – are working on voters. On today’s show, Simon tells us why the current state of misinformation is unprecedented in American history, and what he thinks can be done to reverse it.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, and email at lilahrap@ft.com. And we’re grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Simon’s latest piece in the FT on the fight over American patriotism, written in September: https://on.ft.com/48iEHSd

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Halloween Chat: ‘Beetlejuice’ and the lost art of soft horror

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 20:57:44 GMT

Today we are pulling on our striped demon ghost suits for a special Halloween episode: a deep-dive on Tim Burton’s 1988 classic, Beetlejuice. It persists in our cultural memory, remade as an animated series, a theme park ride, a musical, and as of last month, a legacy sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. We talk about why it’s endured with such ferocity, how the sequel compares, and whether films like it even exist anymore. We also share our own, and listeners’, top Halloween films. Lilah’s joined by FT horror movie superfan Topher Forhecz and political columnist, film buff and Beetlejuice hater Stephen Bush.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, and email at lilahrap@ft.com. And we’re grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Beetlejuice (1988) is on Netflix in the UK and Max in the US. The sequel is still in theatres

– HTSI’s recent cover interview with Beetlejuice star Michael Keaton is here: https://on.ft.com/3C3iWcM

– Here’s film critic Danny Leigh’s 2-star review of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the 2024 sequel: https://on.ft.com/3YcfWCx

– Stephen Bush is on X @stephenkb. You can sign up to receive his newsletter Inside Politics here.

Spooky film recommendations:

– Stephen recommends The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Topher recommends Blades (1989) and Lilah recommends It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966).

– Our listeners recommended: Hocus Pocus, House (1977 Japanese psychedelic), Rosemary’s Baby, Practical Magic, Giallo films (Italian 70s slashers, like Deep Red), Mermaids, Sleepy Hollow, Halloween 3, Young Frankenstein and more. If you have Instagram, here’s the full list of listener film recommendations: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18073242955580424/

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Clips this week courtesy of Warner Bros

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Chef Victoria Blamey is giving the tasting menu new life

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 04:00:54 GMT

In recent years, critics and jaded diners have deemed the multi-course tasting menu dead. It’s gotten repetitive, the argument goes, with chefs serving luxury courses like caviar at the expense of any point of view. But recently, our host Lilah Raptopoulos had a meal that felt extremely alive, at Victoria Blamey’s restaurant Blanca, in Brooklyn. Victoria is from Chile and worked at Michelin-starred restaurants around the globe before becoming Blanca’s executive chef. Today, she tells us what she’s doing differently (“We want to slap someone's face, like hey, wake up!”) and why restaurants should take bigger risks.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, and email at lilahrap@ft.com. And we’re grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– For some background on the current state of fine dining, listen to our interview with restaurant critic and chef Tim Hayward, which we called “Why fine dining isn’t fine”: https://www.ft.com/content/4ad8f359-396c-4867-af42-5a11d770f3ef

– Victoria is on Instagram at @victoriablamey

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

The discount code for Banking Summit is BTM20 for a 20% discount (applicable on all ticket types): https://banking.live.ft.com/home?promo=BTM20

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Original music by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Culture Chat: The FT takes on ‘Industry’ season 3

Fri, 18 Oct 2024 04:00:05 GMT

This week, we’re talking about the HBO finance drama Industry, which follows the lives of London bankers as they navigate frantic careers and make chaotic life choices. The third season is out, and snidely pokes at greenwashing and how the corporate world pretends to do good. What is this show reflecting about how we feel about money? Does it take any sort of moral stance on banking? And how well does it land with actual banking and political Financial Times journalists? Lilah invites financial journalist Alice Ross and chief features writer Henry Mance to talk through it.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, and email at lilahrap@ft.com. And we’re grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Alice’s review of ‘Industry’ season 3 is here: https://on.ft.com/487NcPE

– You can read Henry’s 2022 interview with Mickey Down and Konrad Kay here: https://on.ft.com/4eLO1Ab

– Here’s our episode from 2022, where Henry talks about playing himself on the show

– Alice’s book on climate change is called Investing to Save The Planet: How Your Money Can Make A Difference

– Henry is on X @henrymance and Alice is on X @alicemross

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

The discount code for Banking Summit is BTM20 for a 20% discount (applicable on all ticket types): https://banking.live.ft.com/home?promo=BTM20

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Clips this week courtesy of HBO & The BBC

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fashion loves Ozempic. Should we talk about it?

Mon, 14 Oct 2024 04:00:14 GMT

Before she was the editor of our luxury magazine HTSI, Jo Ellison was features editor at British Vogue, which means that throughout her career she’s had a front-row view of the fashion industry’s love of thinness. In recent years, fashion began to embrace more diversity in body shapes and sizes. But with the rise of Ozempic and other GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, Jo is seeing the industry fear fat again. She worries that as Ozempic becomes more mainstream, fashion will come full circle, back to placing a premium on rail-thin bodies and judging those who don’t conform. Today, she talks about what this could mean for beauty standards, and how it may trickle down to the rest of us.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, and email at lilahrap@ft.com. And we’re grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Jo’s column about the silence around weight loss in fashion is here: https://on.ft.com/3ZWoDDq

– Check out our colleague Brooke Masters’ recent column on how GLP-1 drugs are changing gym regimens and food industry planning: https://on.ft.com/4050Cdl

– Jo is on Instagram @jellison22

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips this week courtesy of Capitol.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture Chat: why is everyone so mad at Katy Perry?

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 04:00:21 GMT

Today we’re sexy, confident, intelligent, heaven-sent – and taking on Katy Perry’s disastrous new album, 143. Featuring the lead single ‘Woman’s World’, this album has gone viral for all the wrong reasons: a muddled feminist message, a slew of publicity gaffes and even a government investigation. What makes the album so disappointing? And why do people care so much about a Katy Perry flop? Lilah is joined by two excellent guests who bring expertise in celebrity culture and music: Anne Helen Petersen hosts the Culture Study podcast, and Ludovic Hunter-Tilney is our pop critic of almost 25 years.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, and email at lilahrap@ft.com. And we’re grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Ludo’s one-star review of 143 by Katy Perry is here: https://on.ft.com/4gTRSga. Here’s the “Woman’s World” music video, so you can decide what it means for yourself! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVIJUH29pjU

– Anne Helen Petersen hosts the Culture Study podcast. Listen to her conversation with Lilah about cooking in the age of infinite recipes here, or by searching “Culture Study” wherever you listen

– Anne is on Instagram @annehelenpetersen. Her newsletter is here: https://annehelen.substack.com/

– Ludo is on X @ludohunter

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips this week courtesy of Capitol.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the age of AI, what counts as art?

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 04:00:24 GMT

The FT’s innovation editor John Thornhill writes a lot about the dangers of artificial intelligence, but when he recently saw a movie about the musician Brian Eno, created with the help of an algorithm, he liked it. Or, better put, he liked the version he saw: the documentary has 52 quintillion variations. A new take on the film comes together each time it is played. Eno gives us a sense of what AI can do for creativity, finding links and patterns where the human mind does not see any. On today’s show, John tells us about the film, and what makes AI appealing for artists.

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Want to stay in touch? Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, and email at lilahrap@ft.com. We’re grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– John’s column about watching Eno is here: https://on.ft.com/3TVG0R2

– And here is his recent review of several books that warn AI’s ability to provide us with more information than ever does not mean we will be better informed: https://on.ft.com/3zXTsge

– John is on X @johnthornhillft

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis is a mess worth seeing

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 04:00:55 GMT

Today, we are stopping time to discuss Megalopolis, Francis Ford Coppola's controversial passion project, which took him 40 years to make. The film was entirely self-financed for $120mn and has an all-star cast, including Adam Driver, Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman, but it has fiercely divided viewers. Is this Coppola’s worst film, or are critics being too harsh? What is it actually about? And are we glad it was made? Lilah is joined by the FT's film critic Danny Leigh and independent film critic Nicolas Rapold to talk about the film's highs and lows.

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Want to stay in touch? Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, and email at lilahrap@ft.com. We’re grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Danny’s review of Megalopolis is here: https://on.ft.com/3YcfpSo

– Nicolas Rapold is on X @NicolasRapold. Follow him and his podcast The Last Thing I Saw, here: https://rapold.substack.com/

– Raph Abraham’s one-star review of Megalopolis, from the Cannes Film Festival, is here: https://on.ft.com/3ZUAulz

– Danny wants to see more three-star reviews. Here are his three-star reviews of The Substance and Will & Harper

– Nic is reading Once and Forever: The Tales of Kenji Miyazawa

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: https://www.ft.com/lifeandart

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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‘My Old Ass’ director Megan Park on advice to our younger selves

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 04:00:43 GMT

In Megan Park’s new film ‘My Old Ass,’ a teenager named Elliott (Maisy Stella) meets her 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza) on a mushroom trip. The experience gives young Elliott perspective: her “old ass” tells her to wear her retainer, and be nice to her family before leaving for college. But it’s the older Elliott who gets the bigger lesson, on the stories we tell ourselves about the past. Today, Megan joins Lilah to discuss the concept of the film, and what it was like to work with a crew of mostly Gen Z actors.

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We love hearing from you! Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and email at lilahrap@ft.com.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Culture chat: ‘Intermezzo’ and the Sally Rooney phenomenon

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 19:26:31 GMT

Today, we discuss the author Sally Rooney. Her new novel Intermezzo was published this week – causing queues outside bookstores, launch parties everywhere and a flurry of praise from critics. Does Intermezzo live up to the hype? Why has Rooney become the voice of the millennial generation? Lilah is joined by the FT’s deputy books editor Laura Battle and Griselda Murray Brown, the FT Magazine commissioning editor and her former co-host of Culture Call.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Intermezzo by Sally Rooney is out now, published by Faber and Faber.

– The FT’s review of Intermezzo is here: https://on.ft.com/3XGoelV

– Griselda’s interview with Sally Rooney from 2018 is here, or you can search: ‘Life and Art bonus: Normal People author Sally Rooney’ wherever you listen.

– Gris is on X @griseldamb and Laura is on X @battlelaura

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our arts editor is retiring after 20 years. Here’s what she learned

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 04:00:33 GMT

Today, we bring you a special conversation with Jan Dalley, who has just retired as the FT’s arts editor after almost 20 years. When Jan stepped into her job, terrestrial TV ruled, podcasts didn’t exist and the art world wasn’t quite so luxe. And video games? Newspapers didn’t review video games. She joins Lilah in the studio to reflect on how the arts have changed over these two decades (“beyond recognition!”), divulge what the art world is really like (“gruelling”) and share some excellent advice for exploring culture.

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Stay in touch! Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap talking to listeners about culture, and on email at lilahrap@ft.com. We love hearing from you.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Jan’s Lunch with 83-year-old artist Michael Craig-Martin is here: https://on.ft.com/4d9rQCF

– A recent profile of artist Tracey Emin: https://on.ft.com/3XPBaa6

– And here’s a column of hers that we love, on the immersive Van Gogh exhibit: https://on.ft.com/4ey7eVt

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Culture Chat: Is ‘Slow Horses’ losing speed?

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 04:00:28 GMT

The Apple TV+ show Slow Horses is a critical darling; it has received rave reviews since it first came out in 2022, and with season four in full swing, some critics are begging you to watch. But does this season deserve the hype? Or has the show’s premise run its course? The series, an anti-James Bond drama starring an unkempt Gary Oldman as the head of MI5’s flunky spy department, is based on the Mick Herron spy novel series, Slough House. Lilah is joined by a diehard fan of the novels, FT columnist and executive editor Robert Shrimsley, and the FT’s chief features writer Henry Mance.

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Want to stay in touch? Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, and email at lilahrap@ft.com. And we’re grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Dan Einav’s review of this season of Slow Horses: https://on.ft.com/4dhrPfM

– Henry interviewed one of the show’s stars, Kristin Scott Thomas, for our Lunch with the FT series: https://on.ft.com/4dbTCyj.

– Robert is on X @robertshrimsley. Henry is @henrymance, though he’d like you to quit the platform and meet him on BlueSky at @henrymance.bsky.social

– Here’s Henry’s round-up of great Lunches: https://on.ft.com/3TAEzXP

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Special FT subscription offers for podcast listeners are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Asma Khan, the chef calling out restaurants’ bad behaviour

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 03:00:30 GMT

Asma Khan breaks a lot of fine dining’s unspoken rules. She is the chef and owner of London’s beloved Darjeeling Express, an Indian restaurant whose entire kitchen is staffed by women. Her kitchen has no hierarchy, and her chefs were trained as home cooks. Asma’s advocacy for women has won her a spot on Time magazine’s 100 most influential people list, and her kitchen has been widely profiled and acclaimed. Yet she remains extremely candid about her industry’s problems, speaking out about bullying, sexism and racism in the world’s top kitchens. Today, we bring you Lilah’s conversation with Asma, which was recorded live onstage during the recent FT Weekend Festival in London.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Check out Asma’s ode to the dried red chilli in the FT here: https://on.ft.com/3XtemvF

– Asma Khan is on X @Asma_KhanLDN and Instagram at @asmakhanlondon

– You can learn more about her in Season 6 of Netflix’s Chef’s Table

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture chat: the Oasis reunion explained

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 22:37:38 GMT

After 15 years of feuding, the most famous rock band of 1990s Britain recently announced that it will be reuniting for a stadium tour. Fans went wild, and the first day of ticket sales nearly broke Ticketmaster. Why do we still care about Oasis? Do the Gallagher brothers deserve the fanfare? And what can we expect from the reunion? Lilah's joined by the FT's music critic Ludo Hunter-Tilney and London banking editor (and Oasis superfan) Ortenca Aliaj to discuss.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Supersonic, directed by Asif Kapadia, is available to rent on Amazon Prime now.

– Ludo’s scathing review of the last time Oasis performed, in 2008, is here: https://on.ft.com/47mEhtt

– We loved Jo Ellison’s column on the meaning of the reunion and why Oasis has a unique hold on “the people”: https://on.ft.com/3TpNueF

– More or Less: Ludo wants to see fewer e-bikes. For those who feel similarly, here’s a piece on the latest e-bikes controversy by our colleague Josh Gabert-Doyon. Lilah recommends Shrinking on Apple Plus

– Ludo Hunter-Tilney is on X @ludohunter. Ortenca Aliaj is @OrtencaAl

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of Creation Records and Red Carpet News TV

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arabic pop is going mainstream, and we love it

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 04:00:16 GMT

There’s an Arabic pop music wave that’s about to hit your world. Or maybe it already has! Last year, the Palestinian-Chilean singer Elyanna became the first artist to do an Arabic-language set at the Coachella music festival, and she’s a sign of the times. Other artists such as Wegz, Marwan Pablo, Saint Levant and Nancy Ajram are also putting out Arabic-language albums intended for global audiences, and touring in Europe and North America while doing so. FT contributor Tom Faber recently saw Elyanna with Coldplay on stage, and he thinks the Arabic pop sound is finally breaking through. He tells Lilah why the phenomenon may be happening now and who we should be listening to.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. We are ever grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify. And please share this episode with your friends!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Tom has graciously compiled a playlist for us to go with this episode. You can listen to it on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4oijOIGmUa7tRWgqqdovjb?si=2c4c587f1b854020

– Tom’s written piece on Arabic pop is here: https://on.ft.com/47jnR4R. You can also check out his latest column on video games here: https://on.ft.com/3ZeLKsD

– Tom is on X @_TomFaber

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips in this episode are from: Universal Arabic Music, Takwene, Felukah.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Culture Chat: The Greek myths are sacred. Did ‘Kaos’ desecrate them?

Fri, 06 Sep 2024 04:00:54 GMT

Put on your laurel wreath. Today we’re joining the gods and taking on Kaos, Netflix's new black comedy series that reimagines the Greek myths. The show follows Zeus (played by Jeff Goldblum) as he struggles to rule over Earth and The Underworld from a gaudy mansion on Mount Olympus. You’ll recognize a lot: the Minotaur and Orpheus myths, the fates, the furies, Medusa in middle management and cameos from the likes of Eddie Izzard and Billie Piper. Why are the Greek myths so endlessly popular? What do we want out of our adaptations? And did this one live up? Lilah is joined by the FT's Josh Spero and Claire Bushey, who enthusiastically disagree with her, to discuss.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Kaos is streaming on Netflix now!

– The FT’s review of Kaos, by Dan Einav, is here

– Josh wants more by the composer Joseph Anton Bruckner. You can read his review of the Berliner Philharmoniker orchestra performing Bruckner here

– Josh Spero is on X @joshspero. Claire Bushey is at @Claire_Bushey

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clip courtesy of Netflix.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Best of: Why our fashion editor buys almost nothing new

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 04:00:14 GMT

Today, we’re bringing you one of our favourite past episodes. Last year, the FT’s fashion editor Lauren Indvik made a pledge that surprised us. She vowed to buy just five new items of clothing and shoes all year long. The number comes from a study that says in order to stick to the Paris Agreement’s goals, five new items of fashion a year is the optimal goal for those who live in the world’s richest countries. Lauren tells Lilah how the experiment went and whether she stuck to five things. She also shares her tips for buying fewer new clothes.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email the show at lifeandart@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Lauren’s article about the ‘five things pledge’ and how it went: https://on.ft.com/4aO1WV3

– Lauren recommends using TheRealReal for second-hand luxury clothes in the US; in the UK she shops the Vestiaire Collective

– The report from the Hot or Cool Institute that inspired Lauren: https://hotorcool.org/unfit-unfair-unfashionable/

– Lauren also mentions the Ellen Macarthur Foundation: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/

– Lauren is taking a break from her Fashion Matters newsletter while she is on parental leave, but you can start receiving it when she’s back if you sign up now: https://on.ft.com/48QdvJv

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Culture chat: Watching ‘Emily in Paris’ despite ourselves

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 04:00:23 GMT

Today, Lilah’s back and we’re talking about Emily in Paris! The extraordinarily popular Netflix sitcom, which millions of people across the globe love to hate-watch, just dropped half of its fourth season. It’s about an American 20-something who moves to Paris to live out our Francophile fantasies. And while it's been ridiculed since it first came out in 2020, we're all still watching! Why? And what do we want out of comfort television? Lilah is joined by Adrienne Klasa, the FT’s Paris reporter on luxury and media, and Cordelia Jenkins, FT Weekend Magazine’s deputy editor.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Episodes one to five of Emily in Paris Season 4 are on Netflix now. The next half of the season will air on September 12

– We love this article by Jo Ellison – ‘Emily in Paris is as cheesy as brie’ – from 2020

– Cordelia Jenkins is on X @CordeliaJ. Adrienne Klasa is @AdrienneKlasa

– Lilah recommends American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld. For more on the value of reading old books, here’s a recent column by Janan Ganesh

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Jean-Marc Ek and Sam Giovinco. Clip courtesy of Netflix

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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How ‘The Body Next Door’ gets true crime storytelling right

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 04:00:13 GMT

A new true crime series on Sky is getting rave reviews — and that’s big news in a genre riddled with criticism. It’s called The Body Next Door, and today we’re talking with its director, Gareth Johnson. After learning about an unidentified body found in a village in Wales, Gareth followed the story to reveal a decades-long family drama that spanned from the UK to New Zealand. Guest host Jo Ellison, editor of FT’s HTSI Magazine, discusses with Gareth how he approached the story and what he did to centre the victims’ stories.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– The Body Next Door is out on Sky now

– Jo is on Instagram @jellison22

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture chat: ‘Alien: Romulus’ is all horror, no guts

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 04:00:46 GMT

This week, we discuss Alien: Romulus, the latest instalment of the space-epic franchise. The film stars Cailee Spaeny, who, along with a group of friends climbs aboard an abandoned spacecraft only to find some very familiar murderous aliens. Is this new entry an evolution of the series or does it simply play the hits? And what do we want out of sci-fi franchise films? Guest host Topher Forhecz is joined by FT Weekend senior editor Horatia Harrod and political columnist Stephen Bush.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Our review of Alien: Romulus by Danny Leigh is here: https://on.ft.com/46VyElE

– Stephen recommends the album Bad with Names by corto.alto

– Topher recommends Magnolia, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Here’s an interview with the director from 2018.

– Horatia is on X @horatiaharrod, and Stephen is @stephenkb

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Register now for the FT Weekend Festival, and claim £24 off your pass using promo code FTPodcast at: ft.com/festival

Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘The menswear guy’ on why clothing matters

Mon, 19 Aug 2024 04:00:05 GMT

Derek Guy has become ubiquitous on X as ‘the menswear guy’. With more than a million followers, he is the go-to advice giver for men trying to find their style or figure out what to wear to a wedding. Derek also writes a blog called Die, Workwear! And today, he joins FT men’s style columnist Rob Armstrong to talk fashion history and fashion tips.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Rob’s most recent style column is here: https://on.ft.com/4dGlyLX

– Rob also hosts our Unhedged podcast and writes the Unhedged newsletter: https://on.ft.com/3WWgUCm

– Derek is on X as @dieworkwear, which is also the name of his blog. Rob is on X @rbrtrmstrng

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Culture chat: 'Love is Blind: UK'

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 04:00:55 GMT

This week, we discuss the TV show 'Love is Blind: UK'. It’s one of Netflix’s most popular reality series. The show follows singles as they flirt through a wall and fall in love without seeing each other first. They are only allowed to meet face-to-face once they are engaged. What does the show's popularity say about modern dating, and where reality TV is today? Why do we indulge in 'guilty pleasures'? Guest host Lulu Smyth is joined by HTSI deputy editor Louis Wise and the FT magazine’s food and drink editor Harriet Fitch Little to find out.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Harriet’s guest host podcast about how to make the perfect martini is here.

– Harriet’s recommendation is set dinners, and she recommends Quality Wines in Farringdon.

– Lulu recommends a random literary pilgrimage. For John Milton fangirls, keep an eye out for Orlando Reade’s book 'What in Me is Dark: The Revolutionary Life of Paradise Lost', out in November 2024.

– Harriet Fitch-Little is on Instagram @huffffle and on X @HarrietFL.

– Louis Wise is on Instagram @louisquinze and on X @louismwise.

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Why museums should keep their mummies and shrunken heads

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 04:00:07 GMT

As a kid, FT associate editor Stephen Bush loved seeing ghoulish things: mummies, shrunken heads, supposedly magical severed hands. He credits these items with teaching him curiosity and a love for museums. So when he hears the argument that human remains do not belong on display, his answer is, unequivocally: if they weren’t stolen, they should stay. On today’s episode, Stephen defends his position to guest host Marc Filippino as they dig into questions of consent, ownership, and cultural context.

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Want to take our survey for a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones? Here’s the link, and here are the terms and conditions.

We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. And please share this episode with your friends!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Stephen’s column about this is here: https://on.ft.com/4dtnTt0

– Stephen is on X @stephenkb

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dinner SOS: What should I cook this summer?

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 04:00:40 GMT

If you like our food episodes, you may also like the Dinner SOS podcast from Bon Appétit. Host Chris Morocco is joined by senior test kitchen editor Shilpa Uskokovic, and the two share their hot takes on cooking in the heat (AC required, obviously) – plus what produce is overrated and what's under-celebrated. They also answer listener questions about using CSA produce, grilling, jaggery and non-dairy options for tender, juicy chicken marinades. You can find Dinner Sos wherever you get your podcasts.

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Want to take our survey for a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones? Here’s the link, and here are the terms and conditions.

We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. And please share this episode with your friends!

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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How to feel confident in your martini, shaken or stirred

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 04:00:51 GMT

What is it about the martini that makes it so intimidating? Even the FT’s food and drink editor Harriet Fitch Little isn’t sure if she’s allowed to order one that has both an olive and a lemon twist. On today’s episode, Harriet speaks with FT contributor Alice Lascelles, whose new book Martini: The Ultimate Guide to a Cocktail Icon is coming out this autumn. What’s better: gin or vodka, shaken or stirred? And how can you make a speakeasy-quality martini at home?

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. And please share this episode with your friends!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

-- Alice’s article on the rise of the 25-pound martini is here: https://on.ft.com/3YwJblm

-- Harriet is on X @HarrietFL. Alice is on Instagram @alicelascelles.

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Culture Chat: The glory and controversy of the Olympics

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 04:00:00 GMT

Today, we’re catching Olympics fever. Paris bureau chief Leila Abboud and US sports business correspondent Sara Germano join us from the Games to talk about atmosphere, politics and sports. Was the opening ceremony truly that controversial? Will the Paris Games change the way the Olympics are produced? What should we watch and whom should we root for?

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Want to take our survey for a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones? Here’s the link, and here are the terms and conditions.

We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. And please share this episode with your friends!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

-Sara’s article about the potential of track and field outside the Paris Olympics: https://on.ft.com/4fqyF55

-Leila and Sara cover the French swimming star Léon Marchand here: https://on.ft.com/3WwLXEf

-Josh Noble’s feature on breaking, which Sara mentions: https://on.ft.com/3yd9ked

– Leila is on X @labboudles. Sara is @germanotes.

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How to stop worrying about the ‘right’ way to travel

Mon, 29 Jul 2024 04:00:58 GMT

Author Shahnaz Habib has lived all over the world from Kerala, India to New York City, and being at home and a visitor in so many places made her wonder: what’s the difference between a traveller and a tourist? And where did we get our ideas about the right way to travel, anyway? In her new book, Airplane Mode she asks these questions and delves into the history of travel writing, ultimately looking for a way to jumpstart our imaginations to go beyond rigid itineraries dictated by outdated guidebooks.

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Want to take our survey for a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones? Here’s the link, and here are the terms and conditions.

We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. And please share this episode with your friends!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Airplane Mode: an Irreverent History of Travel by Shahnaz Habib is available now in the US and comes out on August 7 in the UK

– Our columnist Nilanjana Roy wrote about Airplane Mode here: https://on.ft.com/4d0SsGK

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Culture chat: How ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ broke the romance lit taboo

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 04:00:19 GMT

Romance is fiction’s top-selling genre. And ‘romantasy’, where romance meets fantasy, has become a literary phenomenon. That’s thanks to the novel we’re discussing today, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and its writer, Sarah J Maas. Also known as ACOTAR, this is the first novel in Maas’ five-book series. It tells the story of a human girl who is taken captive in a faerie kingdom, and falls in love with one of its aristocratic lords. Maas’s books have sold more than 38mn copies worldwide — spawning memes, tattoos and immersive fan clubs. What is its appeal, and why has ‘romantasy’ exploded in recent years?

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Want to take our survey for a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones? Here’s the link, and here are the terms and conditions.

We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. And please share this episode with your friends!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Madison Darbyshire’s piece, ‘Hot stuff: why readers fall in love with romance novels’ is here: https://on.ft.com/3YiLEQ1

– A profile of Sara J Maas, by Anna Nicolaou: https://on.ft.com/4deUD9h

– For more summer reads, check out Laura Battle’s selection of the best summer fiction books here.

– Laura is on X @battlelaura. Madison is @MADarbyshire.

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Writer Anne Lamott on how to tap into your creativity

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 04:00:30 GMT

When it comes to writing, Anne Lamott’s philosophy is to take things one step at a time, keep moving, and give yourself permission to be who you are. She expressed it most famously 30 years ago in her seminal book on writing and life, Bird by Bird. But it also appears across her many non-fiction books, from parenting, to faith. Anne recently came out with her 20th book, about love, titled Somehow. She tells Lilah how she applies this philosophy to creativity, love, grief, ageing and more.

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Want to take our survey for a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones? Here’s the link, and here are the terms and conditions.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. And please share this episode with your friends!

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Culture Chat: ‘Sunny’ has its circuits crossed

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 04:00:41 GMT

‘Sunny’, a new robot-comedy series, came out on Apple TV+ last week. It stars Rashida Jones as an American expat in Japan, who enlists the help of a cute robot to find out what happened to her late husband. What questions does the show raise about our relationship with tech? And what do we want to see in shows that ponder AI? Lilah's joined by FT columnist and crypto sceptic Jemima Kelly and FT money editor Nathan Brooker to figure it out.

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Want to take our survey for a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones? Here’s the link, and here are the terms and conditions.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. And please share this episode with your friends!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– The FT”s review of Sunny by Dan Einav: https://on.ft.com/4d3914j

– Madhu Murgia’s piece Lilah referenced on how different cultures, including Japan, have depicted AI: https://on.ft.com/4d1nOgt

– Nathan Brooker is on X @ncbrooker. Jemima is @jemimajoanna

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips this week courtesy of A24.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Why men’s fashion is skimpier and more queer

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 04:00:24 GMT

You have probably noticed by their clothes: this summer, men just want to have fun. Crop tops, short shorts and even kilts and skirts are in. Long sleeves, and long inseams, are out. Today, two of the FT’s men’s fashion experts, Robert Armstrong and Eric Platt, join us to discuss how and why this happened, and what the rise of skimpy menswear tells us about masculinity today.

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Will you take our survey, for a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones? Here’s the link, and here are the terms and conditions.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and email at lifeandart@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Rob’s latest style column is here: https://on.ft.com/3xWm8pa

– Rob is on X @rbrtrmstrng. Eric is on X @EricGPlatt

– Here’s the GQ piece we mentioned, called “Why is everyone on steroids now?” https://www.gq.com/story/why-is-everyone-on-steroids-now

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Culture chat: Chappell Roan, Brat and pop girl summer

Fri, 12 Jul 2024 04:00:21 GMT

Today, we’re talking about the “femininomenon” that is pop girl summer. This season's music scene has been dominated by unfiltered female sensations, including Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter. How did these artists become so popular? How does this scene compare with that of the pop girls of the early 2000s? And what is a ‘brat’ summer? Lilah is joined by music writer Arwa Haider and US media correspondent Anna Nicolaou to chat through it.

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Want to take our survey for a chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones? Here’s the link, and here are the terms and conditions.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and email at lifeandart@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– You can listen to our curation of pop girl summer hits in this Spotify playlist, or by searching “Pop Girl Summer 2024: Life and Art”. You can thank our producer Lulu Smyth

– The FT’s 4 star review of Brat is here: https://on.ft.com/4cvSTIQ

– Arwa Haider is on X @ArwaHaider. Anna Nicolaou is @annaknicolaou

– Lilah recommends Miranda July’s novel All Fours

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Best of: Why everyone is talking about polyamory

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 04:00:31 GMT

Today, we’re bringing you an episode from our archives: Molly Roden Winter was a frustrated mom of two in Brooklyn when she and her husband decided that they should open up their marriage. What followed was a 10-year journey of self-exploration that took her not only into some seedy hotel rooms but also to therapy, back to work, and into other activities that added up to a more fulfilling life. Today Molly is on the show to talk about her memoir More in which she details her journey. She also tells Lilah what polyamory could teach monogamous couples.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify, etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Molly’s book More is out now

– The FT’s review of More, by Rana Foroohar, is here: https://on.ft.com/3UmsdUF

– Molly is on X @mollyrwinter

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Culture Chat: Does 'The Bear' still cook?

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 04:00:04 GMT

Season three of FX’s “The Bear” is here, and today we discuss it with our top food writers! The Financial Times’s food and drink editor Harriet Fitch Little and restaurant critic Tim Hayward, who also owns a cafe in Cambridge, join Lilah to share their takes. How well does the show reflect the restaurant world? What itch is it scratching? And how does this season hold up?

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– The FT’S 5 star review of “The Bear” season 3 is here: https://on.ft.com/4eQixtq

– A recent column by Tim Hayward: ‘Why the best seat in any restaurant is out by the back of the bins’. He is the author of Steak: The Whole Story, available now in all good bookshops

– Our episode on ‘The Taste of Things’ featuring Tim and Harriet is here. Tim has also spoken with us about gluttony, and Harriet about throwing dinner parties. You can search wherever you listen

– Tim is on X @timhayward. Harriet is @HarrietFL

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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The best books to read this summer

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 04:00:30 GMT

What should you read on the beach this summer? What about if you’re stuck indoors, or if you need a break from kids? Each June, our literary editor Fred Studemann and deputy books editor Laura Battle put together the FT’s summer books special, and today they give us their recommendations, each with a different summer activity in mind. Their overall top picks are James by Percival Everett and Knife by Salman Rushdie.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– A few categories Fred and Laura drew on from the best books special:

Best fiction: https://on.ft.com/3VH3Wrn

Best literary non-fiction: https://on.ft.com/3VI1kt9

Best audio book: https://on.ft.com/3VM1W0U

– Here are the other recommendations mentioned: More by Molly Roden Winter, Long Island by Colm Tóibín, Come and Get It by Kiley Reid, Maurice and Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst, Beirut Station by Paul Vidich, You Are Here by David Nicholls, Memoir of My Former Self by Hilary Mantel, The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen, and Glowrushes by Roberto Piumini. Fred and Laura also recommend This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud on audiobook, narrated by Cassandra Campbell.

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Culture Chat: ‘Kinds of Kindness’ is a movie so cruel it’s funny

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 04:00:42 GMT

This week, we talk about the very disturbing new film ‘Kinds of Kindness’. It is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, known for surreal movies such as ‘Poor Things’, ‘The Favourite’, and ‘The Lobster’. This film marks a return to dark, inaccessible weirdness for the Greek New Wave director. Is it grotesque in a bad or a good way? And do we like the ‘Lanthimos vibe’? Lilah is joined by film critic Nicolas Rapold and the FT’s Topher Forhecz to discuss.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Here’s the FT’s review of Kinds of Kindness, by Raphael Abraham: https://on.ft.com/3xBo4De

– An interview with Yorgos Lanthimos (2015), about ‘The Lobster’: https://on.ft.com/3VG7J8g

– Nicolas Rapold is on X @NicolasRapold. Follow him and his podcast ‘The Last Thing I Saw’, here: https://rapold.substack.com/

– Our episode ‘Is Poor Things A Feminist Film?’ is available here or wherever you listen.

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Books that help with election anxiety

Mon, 24 Jun 2024 04:00:32 GMT

It’s a big year for voting! There are national elections in 64 countries, affecting more than half the world. And many of us are anxious about an uncertain future. FT Weekend columnist Nilanjana Roy had a good idea in the midst of her own election fever: to find perspective, she turned to literature. Today, Nila shares what she came away with, and recommends books that can help reframe how we think about elections, no matter where we live.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Nilanjana’s column on literature and elections: https://on.ft.com/3z9whiy

– The books that she recommends in this episode:

• Raag Darbari by Shrilal Sukla

• A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

• Modi’s India by Christophe Jaffrelot

• Quarterlife by Devika Rege

• Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor

• The Age of the Strongman by our own Gideon Rachman

• Another England by Caroline Lucas

• Infomocracy by Malka Older

– Nilanjana is on Instagram @nilanjanasroy and on X @nilanjanaroy

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Culture chat: Roger Federer is too nice for documentaries

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 04:00:08 GMT

Roger Federer is one of the world’s greatest tennis players – but is he dramatic enough for a full film? Today we discuss the new Federer documentary, just released on Amazon Prime. It’s called Federer: Twelve Final Days, and follows the tennis star in the run-up to his retirement. Does the film fully reflect his legacy well? Is Federer boring? And how do we feel about the next batch of tennis stars? Chief features writer Henry Mance and deputy arts editor Raphael Abraham join Lilah to discuss.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Raph’s interview with 22-year-old Italian Grand Slam winner Jannik Sinner: https://on.ft.com/4etUAro

– Henry’s interview with tennis star Boris Becker on his money, marriages and what he learned in prison: https://on.ft.com/3VPUMKy

– Henry is on X @henrymance.

More or less:

– Raph recommends the Julio Torres film Problemista. You can check out his stand-up comedy here

– Henry recommends Creation Lake, the upcoming novel by Rachel Kushner publishing in September

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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We need to rethink old age, with Martin Wolf

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 04:00:52 GMT

Imagine a world in which the typical life arc isn’t one of studying for 20 years, working for 40 years, then sitting retired and lonely for 35. As people live longer than ever, our chief economics columnist Martin Wolf worries that this approach to old age is unsustainable and unaffordable. He thinks we can and should do better. Martin is one of the world’s most respected writers on economics and politics, and at 77, he’s a prime example of staying active later in life. Today, he joins Lilah to discuss what we can do to age better, individually and as societies.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Martin’s column, ‘Increased longevity will bring profound social change’: https://on.ft.com/4aX6FTg

– His column on falling fertility rates, ‘From the baby boom to the baby bust’: https://on.ft.com/4ejtxip

– Our earlier episode, ‘Martin Wolf on how to change one’s mind’.

– Martin’s podcast series ‘Democracy in Peril’ is available now via the FT News Briefing feed. Click here for the latest episode, or search ‘Martin Wolf series’ wherever you listen

– Lilah and Martin refer to Andrew Scott’s book The Longevity Imperative

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Culture chat: why do we still love Shakespeare?

Fri, 14 Jun 2024 04:00:07 GMT

Shakespeare turns 460 this year, and this week we’re talking about why he’s still as important as ever. FT Weekend Magazine editor Matt Vella and deputy editor Cordelia Jenkins join Lilah to share what they learned while putting together their recent special, which features Shakespeare mysteries, lore, and some of the UK’s best known theatre actors. We also talk about the experience of watching his plays live. It’s summer, after all, and the outdoor Shakespeare festivals are on, and as the Magazine’s tagline suggests: Shakespeare Lives!

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and email at lifeandart@ft.com.

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Shakespeare links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Cordelia’s interview with the four actors who played King Lear is here.

– Explore 28 great Shakespeare mysteries here: https://on.ft.com/4ccEz7p

– Unravelling the secret history of the red book of Hamlet: https://on.ft.com/3x5ZFFP

– Who was Shakespeare? What do we really know about his life? https://on.ft.com/4cgvfzm

– Here’s Cordelia’s column on Love Island being like the Elizabethan court: https://on.ft.com/3x6CkDT

– Lilah recommends the new Bat for Lashes album, The Dream of Delphi. Here’s Arwa’s profile of her: https://on.ft.com/4ely8Rc

– Cordelia Jenkins is on X @CordeliaJ. Matt Vella is @mattvella

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Building the world of ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 04:00:16 GMT

What is it like to build an Oscar-winning film set on one of the most meticulously-designed action movies of all time? Jacinta Leong did just that on Mad Max: Fury Road, and she’s back again as an art director on Furiosa, which is out now in theatres. Director George Miller’s prequel to Fury Road, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, is set in the same desert wasteland as the previous Mad Max movies. It also repurposes many of the same machines in Fury Road. Jacinta brings us behind the scenes, and tells us how the creative team built them.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– The FT’s review of Furiosa is here: https://on.ft.com/4bRJue4

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Culture chat: why writers love video games, with Naomi Alderman

Fri, 07 Jun 2024 04:00:44 GMT

Today, in a first for our Friday chat show, we take on a video game! Two avid gamers join us to discuss What Remains of Edith Finch: novelist Naomi Alderman and FT political columnist Stephen Bush. The game follows the title character as she returns to her childhood home to discover what happened to her family. And it’s considered a model for what storytelling games can do. Naomi is the author of bestselling novels The Power and The Future, and a game designer herself. So does Edith Finch hold up? And what can games teach those of us creating in other mediums?

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and email at lifeandart@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Naomi Alderman is the author of novels including The Power (2016) and The Future (2023). You can find her games, including Zombies, Run! and Doctor Who: Borrowed Time, here.

– A recent FT magazine piece, ‘Are video games coming for the novel?’ by Imogen West-Knights: https://on.ft.com/4e8qIkk

– Stephen Bush on why UK politicians should value video game designers: https://on.ft.com/4e1rGPc

– Naomi is on X @NaomiAllthenews and Stephen Bush is @stephenkb. Stephen also writes the FT’s daily Inside Politics newsletter. Sign up here for witty, insightful UK election coverage

– For those who are looking to get into games, Stephen and Naomi recommend Disco Elysium (2019), Flower (2009) and Citizen Sleeper (2022).

– Naomi recommends Leech by Hiron Ennes

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Why we love women’s basketball

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 04:00:20 GMT

Women’s basketball is having a big moment. Take this stat: the final game in the US women’s college NCAA playoffs in April had more viewers than the Academy Awards. And those college stars, such as Caitlin Clark, have just brought that rabid fandom to the professional league. The WNBA has seen a huge rise in viewers, ticket sales and fans. So what impact is this having on culture? The FT’s US sports business correspondent Sara Germano brings Lilah to a WNBA game to explore how women’s basketball became so popular, and what it all means.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Sara’s article about the WNBA and superstar Caitlin Clark: https://on.ft.com/457HTym

– Here is the WNBA schedule in case you’re considering seeing a game in person: https://www.wnba.com/schedule?season=2024&month=all

– Sara is on X @germanotes

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Has ‘Bridgerton’ lost its bite?

Fri, 31 May 2024 04:00:08 GMT

The spicy Netflix series Bridgerton is currently the most-watched show globally on Netflix, after the first half of season three dropped this month. The period drama, produced by Shonda Rhimes, came out in 2020 with some wink-to-camera self- awareness. But this season feels more earnest. Why is the show so popular, and what are we craving from period dramas now? Lilah is joined by the FT’s US financial editor and historical romance expert Brooke Masters and work and careers writer/TV buff Emma Jacobs, to chat through it.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– The first 4 episodes of Bridgerton season 3 are available now on Netflix. The next four will air on June 13.

– The FT’s review of Bridgerton is here: https://on.ft.com/452Gs45

– Listen to our episode with Brooke Masters on Jane Austen here, or by searching ‘Jane Austen, forever’ wherever you listen.

– Brooke Masters is on X @brookeamasters. Emma Jacobs is @emmavj

More or Less:

– Emma wants to see fewer recipes with maple syrup on Instagram. Read more on the ‘maple-pocalypse’ here

– Brooke wants fewer musicals based on classic films. Our Mean Girls episode is here

– Lilah wants more cooking with eggplant 🍆. Her eggplant dip recipe: grill the eggplant whole, to an inch of its life (no tautness!). Grill some garlic, too. Peel the eggplant, chop it into cubes, add the garlic (minced), chopped fresh white onion, lots of salt, too much lemon, good olive oil, and some parsley. Let it sit for a bit, then eat!

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Actress Gaby Hoffmann relives 1980s New York in Netflix’s ‘Eric’

Mon, 27 May 2024 04:00:54 GMT

Actress Gaby Hoffmann grew up in New York in the 1980s, in the famed Chelsea Hotel, among misfits and creatives. In the new Netflix series Eric (out May 30) she plays the mother of a young child who goes missing, also in 1980s New York. The show stars Benedict Cumberbatch among others, and explores what happens when adults, and city institutions, fail children. She joins Lilah to talk about similarities between this series and her own childhood and how good acting can help “invite people deeper into themselves”.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Eric is on Netflix May 30

– The Joan Armatrading song is called ‘Love and Affection’ (1976): https://youtu.be/sBohO1zr7jw

– Gaby’s sister Alexandra Auder wrote a book about growing up in the Chelsea Hotel. It’s called Don’t Call Me Home

– Here’s the Fresh Air episode Lilah mentioned: https://www.npr.org/2016/10/10/496958090/i-never-set-out-to-be-an-actor-says-transparent-star-gaby-hoffmann

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Audio credits this week go to A&M Records and UMG Recordings

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Billie Eilish still doesn’t care, and it’s still working

Fri, 24 May 2024 04:00:31 GMT

Billie Eilish’s new album Hit Me Hard and Soft has been hailed by critics as her best album yet. She describes it as an “album-ass album”, meant to be listened to in its entirety, but it’s also provocative: it takes on fame and body-shaming ("People say I look happy just because I got skinny") and women she wants to please (“I could eat that girl for lunch, she dances on my tongue”). So what do we think? Lilah is joined by two experts, the FT’s music writer Arwa Haider and US media business correspondent Anna Nicolaou, to discuss the role Billie plays in our pop pantheon.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– The FT’s four-star review of Hit Me Hard and Soft, by Ludo Hunter-Tilney: https://on.ft.com/4bP4rWH

– Arwa’s latest review is of the album A La Sala by Khruangbin, a mash-up of “Iranian rock, Jamaican dub and Thai folk”: https://on.ft.com/4dPdFnN

– For more from Anna, listen to our recent episode ‘Why Olivia Rodrigo might be our last pop star’. Search where you get your podcasts or click here

– Arwa is on X @arwahaider. Anna is @annaknicolaou

More or less:

– Arwa wants more Arabic diaspora voices. She recommends British-Lebanese DJ Salia (here’s Habibi Riddim), Lebanese singer songwriter Yasmine Hamdan and Palestinian-Canadian artist Nemahsis

– Lilah wants to see people use more stuff in your home: read your books, eat your food, wear your clothes. The book she picked up, which she recommends, is called Subway Lives: 24 Hours in the Life of the New York City Subway, by Jim Dwyer

– Anna wants less social media, especially around oat milk bashing.

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips this week are courtesy of Interscope

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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How to develop your taste in art, with critic Ariella Budick

Mon, 20 May 2024 04:00:08 GMT

After more than 25 years reviewing art, the Financial Times’ US art critic Ariella Budick is full of sage advice on how to approach museums and exhibitions, and how to discover our personal taste. Her biggest tip is that art is a form of communication, “a cry in the wilderness”, and “you’re just listening”. So don’t run to the wall label and forget to look at the work. Approach the art first, then see if it sparks you to learn more.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Ariella’s recent review of a Renaissance mysteries exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art: https://on.ft.com/3WKBhUl

– Her take on the Joan Jonas retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York: https://on.ft.com/3K4SGzK

– The review of Hannelore Baron that she mentioned: https://on.ft.com/4bI9NCW

– Ariella also recently published her MoMA top 10 picks: https://on.ft.com/3UIOSZK

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘La chimera’: everything you’d want in an Italian film

Fri, 17 May 2024 04:00:00 GMT

This week, we're talking about 'La chimera', directed by Alice Rohrwacher and starring Josh O'Connor and Isabella Rossellini. The film follows a band of graverobbers on a quest for Etruscan treasures. But there's also a darker, more melancholy plot that makes you question what’s real and what’s symbolism. The FT's global head of audio Cheryl Brumley and audience engagement journalist Marianna Giusti join guest host Katya Kumkova to hash out what it all means.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– The FT’s four-star review of La chimera, by Danny Leigh: https://on.ft.com/3UZLo6z

– An interview with filmmaker Alice Rohrwacher, by Simran Hans: https://on.ft.com/3WEiUk3

– For more Italian summer content, check out Mari Giusti’s ‘Postcard from Sicily’: https://on.ft.com/3K8TZgM

– Cheryl Brumley is on X @cherylbrumley. Marianna Giusti is @maupippa.

More or Less:

– Cheryl wants more Eurovision

– Katya wants to see more smell art. Check out this piece on The Met exhibition ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’: https://on.ft.com/3wu62lY

– Mari wants more Isabella Rossellini, and recommends ‘Green Porno’. Here’s Rossellini’s Lunch with the FT from 2018: https://on.ft.com/4bERe2D

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing Untold: Power for Sale

Wed, 15 May 2024 04:00:41 GMT

Introducing Power for Sale, a new season of Untold from the Financial Times. In Untold: Power for Sale, host Valentina Pop and a team of FT correspondents from all over Europe investigate what happened in the Qatargate scandal, where EU lawmakers were accused of accepting payments from Qatar to whitewash its image.

Subscribe and listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Viet Thanh Nguyen on adapting 'The Sympathizer' for TV

Mon, 13 May 2024 19:28:36 GMT

The Sympathizer, directed by Park Chan-wook and starring Robert Downey Jr and Sandra Oh, is one of the top-watched show on HBO right now. But before it was a television series, it was a novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen. Both the book and the series tell the story of the Captain, a communist mole in South Vietnam who comes to the US as a refugee as the Vietnam war is ending. On today’s episode, Lilah talks to Viet about the themes of The Sympathizer, and what it was like to help reimagine his book for a TV series.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– The Sympathizer, starring Robert Downey Jr and Sandra Oh is available on HBO

–You can find Viet Thanh Nguyen’s book The Sympathizer and its sequel The Committed wherever books are sold

– Lilah’s interview with Nguyen about his recent memoir A Man of Two Faces was published as a Lunch with the FT: https://on.ft.com/3UtjDlm

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Coming soon: China, the new tech superpower

Sat, 11 May 2024 04:00:43 GMT

In a new season of Tech Tonic, longtime FT China reporter Jame Kynge travels around the world to see how China is pushing towards tech supremacy. Will China be able to get an edge in crucial technological areas? What does China’s attempt to leapfrog the west look like on the ground? A 6-part series looking at China’s tech industry.

Presented by James Kynge. Edwin Lane is the senior producer. The producer is Josh Gabert-Doyon. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Samantha Giovinco, with original music from Metaphor Music. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Using AI as a tool for creativity

Fri, 10 May 2024 04:00:50 GMT

One of the hallmarks of humanity is our ability to pass down cultural information and knowledge over thousands of years. Philosopher and author Martin Puchner says the lifeblood of culture lies in how we take pieces of information and combine them into new ideas and ways of inhabiting the world. Martin talks with Lilah about how that culture is formed, and how he sees the emergence of generative AI as a new tool for remixing cultural ideas from human history. This conversation was recorded in front of a live audience at the FT Weekend Festival in Washington, DC.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email the show at lifeandart@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Martin’s custom GPTs where you can chat with Socrates or the Buddha, and more: https://www.martinpuchner.com/custom-gpts-and-online-education.html

– Martin’s book on culture: https://www.martinpuchner.com/culture-story-of-us.html

– The FT’s John Thornhill on Martin’s work: https://on.ft.com/3JQEf29

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Life as a chef in the West Bank right now

Mon, 06 May 2024 04:00:48 GMT

Chef Fadi Kattan does something that usually isn’t done in the West Bank of Palestine: he cooks seasonal, locally sourced dishes for a dining experience meant to rival the world’s best restaurants. Born and raised steps from the Church of the Nativity, Fadi has also been documenting the recipes he grew up with. His new cookbook is called Bethlehem: a Celebration of Palestinian Food, and in today’s episode he tells Lilah why talking about food and culture is especially important in a time of war.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Fadi’s book Bethlehem: A Celebration of Palestinian Food” is out this month in the US and the UK

– HTSI recently featured Fadi, his book and his London restaurant Akub: https://on.ft.com/3JFHfhs

– Fadi is on Instagram @fadifkattan and on X @FadiKattan

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Challengers’: Zendaya serves up tennis and sexual tension

Fri, 03 May 2024 04:00:31 GMT

Is the buzzy new film Challengers about tennis, sex or just hitting middle age? This week, Lilah invites the FT’s resident film buff and our US sports expert to talk through it. The film stars Zendaya, is directed by Luca Guadagnino, and features a love triangle, a low-level tennis tournament and three sweaty bodies. Our guests today are the FT’s deputy arts editor Raphael Abraham and US sports business correspondent Sara Germano.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and on email at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews on Apple and Spotify. And do share this episode with your friends!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Challengers is in cinemas now. Here’s the FT’s review by Danny Leigh: https://on.ft.com/44pYpcs

– Raph Abraham’s recent interview with 22-year-old Italian tennis sensation Jannik Sinner: https://on.ft.com/4dhKxoN

– Sara Germano’s piece, ‘Taylor Swift, the NFL, and a new wave of female sports fandom’: https://on.ft.com/3wg8PPu

– Sara Germano is on X @germanotes

More or Less:

– Sara recommends Inside the NBA, hosted by Shaq and Charles Barkley on TNT.

– Raph wants more original content. Here’s an FT Weekend piece on poptart film Unfrosted: https://on.ft.com/4aUu7kT

– Lilah wants less worrying about small talk. Here’s Jo Ellison’s column which that she mentions: https://on.ft.com/3Wk5Vnv

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why Olivia Rodrigo might be our last pop superstar

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 20:27:11 GMT

The FT’s US media correspondent Anna Nicolaou keeps hearing this lament from music executives: that Olivia Rodrigo could be the last pop superstar. They worry that no one has broken through with such ferocity since. On today’s show, Anna tells us what they mean, what the trends reflect, and whether she believes the prediction. Plus, Anna and Lilah reflect on why Rodrigo has gotten so big, and the gap she’s filling in our culture.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify, etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Anna’s column about Olivia Rodrigo is here: https://on.ft.com/3UgPFkp

– You can follow Anna on X @annaknicolaou

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The FT Weekend Festival is coming back, and will be in Washington on May 4. Speakers include Nancy Pelosi. To book tickets, go to ft.com/festival-us and use our exclusive discount code: weekendpodcast.

Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Clip in this episode is from Petroblivion on YouTube.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture chat: Is Taylor Swift’s new album too much?

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 04:00:11 GMT

This week, we’re discussing Taylor Swift’s new album 'The Tortured Poets Department', which is already the most-streamed debut in Spotify history. Lilah is joined by music critic Ludovic Hunter-Tilney and life-long Swiftie Taylor Nicole Rogers to discuss their picks for best and worst songs, whether Swift’s personal life gets in the way of the music, and where she’ll go next.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews on Apple, Spotify etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ is available now on all streaming platforms.

– Ludovic’s four-star review of the album is here: https://on.ft.com/4bf6289

– Listen to our episode on the Eras tour, ‘Can Taylor Swift get any bigger?’ here or by searching in this feed.

– Jo Ellison’s column from 2023, ‘Why I believe in Taylor Swift’: https://on.ft.com/49S6Xdh

More or Less:

– Ludovic wants more rap beef, like the one happening between Drake, Rick Ross, Kendrick Lamar and more. You can read his article about the rap beef here.

– Taylor wants to see more summer pop bangers. Keep an eye out for Ludovic’s review of Dua Lipa’s upcoming album ‘Radical Optimism’, which lands next Friday.

– Follow Lilah on Instagram for some great springtime content.

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Clips this week are from Republic Records.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spring cooking tips with chef Ayesha Nurdjaja

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 16:53:00 GMT

Spring is upon us, which means a bounty of fresh, green seasonal vegetables, from asparagus to artichokes to ramps. To help inspire us to make our own spring feasts, Lilah invites Ayesha Nurdjaja into the studio. Ayesha is the executive chef and partner at Shuka and Shukette, two beloved New York restaurants. Shukette has been called “a Middle Eastern party”, both for its open kitchen and bountiful meals, and for its energy. Visitors are encouraged to mix and match kebabs, breads, herb-covered fish and more in an approach Ayesha calls the “rip and dip”. She shares tons of tips and recipes for spring, and talks about growing up in a household of great global cooks – where her mother’s Italian-American food melded with her dad’s Indonesian cooking.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews on Apple, Spotify, etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Ayesha is on Instagram @ayesharare

– Her restaurants in New York are Shuka (in SoHo), and Shukette (in Chelsea)

– Last year we talked to Ayesha about balancing and building flavour for our food and drinks series. You can check out that conversation here: https://on.ft.com/3Up7mQe

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The FT Weekend Festival is coming back, and will be in Washington, DC, on May 4. Speakers include Nancy Pelosi. To book tickets, go to ft.com/festival-us and use our exclusive discount code: weekendpodcast.

Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture chat: ‘Civil War’ is not the film you think it is

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 04:00:41 GMT

This week, we talk about the new film ‘Civil War’, directed by Alex Garland, which depicts a future US that’s divided and decimated. It stars Kirsten Dunst as a veteran photojournalist, who is on a road trip with a ragtag group of colleagues. They’re driving through the war-torn north-east to reach the White House before it is stormed by rebel forces. The film has been highly praised as well as highly criticised. What is it trying to say about the state of America? Is it a war film, a political film, or both? The FT’s politics columnist Stephen Bush and US executive producer of audio Topher Forhecz join Lilah to discuss.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify, etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Danny Leigh’s review of Civil War (he liked it less than we did): https://on.ft.com/4aTzD6P

– FT critic Leslie Felperin’s interview with Alex Garland: https://on.ft.com/3W03lmt

– You can get a free trial of Stephen’s political newsletter Inside Politics – which includes a daily cultural recommendation – by clicking here

– Stephen Bush on X at @stephenkb.

– Listen to our episode ‘How to process the news when it all feels bad’, with FT foreign editor Alec Russell. You can find it in our feed

More or Less:

– Topher wants to see more interesting landmarks used in films, as in ‘North by Northwest’ and ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’

– Stephen wants to see no more ‘Ghostbusters’ ever. Here’s the FT’s 2-star review of ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’: https://on.ft.com/4aVOEot

– Lilah wants fewer menus. She recommends 15 Fox Place in Jersey City, and Osteria 16 in Copenhagen

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Clips this week are from A24

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Design series: Debbie Millman on how brands impact culture

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 04:00:05 GMT

Welcome to the final episode in our special four-part series on design. Brands are everywhere and sometimes feel so omnipresent that it’s hard to know what counts as one. So we’ve invited designer, educator and Design Matters podcast host Debbie Millman to help us make sense of brands. At its core, Debbie says, branding is the process of manufacturing meaning to come up with a shared symbol. And it’s something we’ve been doing for thousands of years. Today, Debbie and Lilah discuss the history of branding and its relationship with design, and the relatively recent phenomenon of ‘personal brands’. Debbie also shares insights from nearly two decades hosting Design Matters.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email the show at lifeandart@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Lilah recommends Debbie’s interview with cartoonist Lynda Barry: https://www.designmattersmedia.com/podcast/2019/lynda-barry

– Here are the latest episodes of Design Matters: https://www.designmattersmedia.com/

– Debbie has written seven books. Here’s Brand Thinking: https://www.debbiemillman.com/brand-thinking

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The FT Weekend Festival is coming back, and will be in Washington, DC, on May 4! To book tickets, go to ft.com/festival-us and use our exclusive discount code: weekendpodcast.

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to process the news when it all feels bad

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 04:00:58 GMT

The FT’s foreign editor Alec Russell has been reporting on crises around the world for more than 30 years. He was in Romania during the fall of the Ceaușescu regime, in South Africa for the fall of apartheid, and in 1994 he reported on the genocide in Rwanda. So when we recently felt ourselves losing hope at the news from Gaza and Ukraine, we decided to ask him: is this an especially tough time in history, or does it just feel that way? And what has he learned from being present for so much of history? Today, Alec gives us tips for finding perspective, and tells us where he finds hope.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify, etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Alec’s piece commemorating 30 years since Rwanda’s genocide is here: https://on.ft.com/3QnQbfx

– You may also be interested in Alec Russell’s book After Mandela: the Battle for the Soul of South Africa

– Alec is on X @AlecuRussell

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The FT Weekend Festival is coming back, and will be in Washington, DC, on May 4! Speakers include Nancy Pelosi, Alec and Lilah! To book tickets, go to ft.com/festival-us and use our exclusive discount code: weekendpodcast.

Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Design Series: The fashion of ‘The Devil Wears Prada’

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 04:00:46 GMT

For the third episode in our design series, we’re talking fashion design through the lens of the 2006 classic The Devil Wears Prada. The film is having a moment on the internet. We’re here to revisit it with fresh eyes, and with two experts in fashion: Jo Ellison, the editor of our luxury magazine HTSI, and Rob Armstrong, our men’s style columnist (OK, he’s also our US financial columnist). The film stars Meryl Streep as a powerful magazine editor based on Anna Wintour, and Anne Hathaway as a young, idealistic journalist who becomes her assistant. It’s a Y2K fairy tale about the fashion industry, magazine politics and power. How accurate was the film about fashion then, and why is it still resonating now?

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify, etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– The Devil Wears Prada is available on Netflix and Disney+ in the UK, and HBO/Max and Hulu in the US.

– Rob wrote his most recent fashion column about power dressing in The Devil Wears Prada: https://on.ft.com/4cS25Yr

– Jo recently interviewed the actor Cillian Murphy. Read the interview here: https://on.ft.com/3vOnCRi

– You can follow Jo Ellison on Instagram @jellison22 and on X @jellison. Rob is on X @rbrtrmstrng.

– Rob recommends the late André Leon Talley’s book The Chiffon Trenches. You can read the FT review here.

More or Less recommendations:

– Rob wants to see more womens’ college basketball. This FT piece is on how star Caitlin Clark is changing women’s sport: https://on.ft.com/3Jbfehw

– Lilah recommends the Apple TV documentary, ‘Steve! (Martin) A Documentary’. You can read Rob’s interview with Martin here: https://on.ft.com/440txzm

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The FT Weekend Festival is coming back, and will be in Washington, DC, on May 4! Speakers include Nancy Pelosi, Jo, Rob and Lilah! To book tickets, go to ft.com/festival-us and use our exclusive discount code: weekendpodcast.

Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Clips this week are from 20th Century Studios

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Design series: Jonathan Adler on making your home your own

Wed, 10 Apr 2024 18:25:25 GMT

Designer Jonathan Adler is known for a style that is classic but eccentric. Think gold chairs shaped like hands, vases shaped like heads, and beautiful cookie jars labelled ”quaaludes”. He got his start as a potter, but he now designs everything from furniture to dinnerware to custom upholstery, which are sold by hundreds of retailers around the world. In the second instalment of our design series, Jonathan talks to Lilah about how he developed his style and how we can develop ours. And his biggest piece of advice is to “turn it up”.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email the show at lifeandart@ft.com.

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Notes:

–Jonathan Adler has retail stores across the US (from New York to Dallas to Miami to Chicago) and in London

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Love Lies Bleeding’ with director Rose Glass

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 04:00:03 GMT

What do you get when you mix female bodybuilding, guns, and a twisted romance? You get Love Lies Bleeding, the latest film from director and co-writer Rose Glass. When she first emailed Kristen Stewart about appearing as its lead, Rose says she described the film as a “crime, romance, thriller, dark comedy, farce, surreal thing”. She talks with Lilah about how she developed the idea, and the kinds of stories she's drawn to as a creator. She also walks through the process of how the film got made – from the script to the final edit.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email the show at lifeandart@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– The FT’s review of Rose’s first film, Saint Maud: https://on.ft.com/3PRIw8C

– Love Lies Bleeding is in theatres now in the US, and will be in theatres in the UK on May 3

– Saint Maud is on Amazon Prime in the US, and Apple TV in the UK

– Here’s a link to watch some of Rose’s short films: https://rose-glass.com/short

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture chat: Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 04:00:31 GMT

Park your Lexus, throw your keys up, and let’s get into Cowboy Carter, the new genre-bending, country-angled album by Beyonce. Here are the facts: it’s the second instalment in her Renaissance trilogy. It features Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Post Malone and Miley Cyrus, and spotlights Black country artists such as Linda Martell. But what was Beyonce’s goal with this album? And how does it fit into her career arc? Lilah’s joined by the FT’s music critic Ludovic Hunter-Tilney and US labour and equality correspondent Taylor Nicole Rogers to chat about the album.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify, etc.

Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Cowboy Carter by Beyonce is available to stream now.

– Ludo’s review of Cowboy Carter is here: https://on.ft.com/3U3L0TW

– His review of Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce is here: https://on.ft.com/3J3k54q

– You can follow Ludo on X @ludohunter. Taylor is @TaylorNRogers.

More or Less:

– Taylor wants to see less wellness in culture. For more on the dark side of wellness, check out new FT podcast ‘Untold: The Retreat’ here, or by searching wherever you listen.

– Ludo wants more David Lynch content. Read about David Lynch’s installation at the Milan furniture fair here: https://on.ft.com/3vvcOr7

– Lilah wants to see more pubs in the US. While she was in London she had pints with our producer Lulu Smyth at The Hemingway near Victoria Park and at the The Eagle in Farringdon, and everyone had a swell time. Here’s a list of the FT’s best pubs in London’s West End: https://on.ft.com/4cJz94H

– Relatedly, here’s a great piece, ‘Three Cheers for the pub’, by friend of the podcast Rebecca Watson: https://on.ft.com/4cXv6lN

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Design series: the hidden meaning in our benches and lampposts

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 04:00:45 GMT

Welcome to the first episode in our special four-part series on design! Today, Lilah speaks with the FT’s longtime architecture and design critic Edwin Heathcote to talk about an often-forgotten element of design in cities. It’s called “street furniture,” and it describes the objects we pass every day: from phone booths and lampposts to manhole covers and park benches. Last year, Edwin published a book on this called “On the Street”, which elevates the small pieces of design that surround us on the sidewalk. He tells Lilah what he notices when he takes walks, and offers advice for how to see these details in our own cities, too.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email the show at lifeandart@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Edwin’s piece about street furniture for the FT: https://on.ft.com/49b0z0p

– Edwin’s book is called On the Street: In-Between Architecture: https://heni.com/publishing/on-the-street-edwin-heathcote

– Pieces from Edwin’s original series in the FT, published between 2015 and 2017: manhole covers // fire hydrants // telephone boxes // street lights // sidewalks // advertising columns // public benches

– We also recommend this recent piece by Edwin about Italian designer Enzo Mari, who hated the design industry: https://on.ft.com/4aQvWPp

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Travel chat: planning a trip this spring? We have tips

Fri, 29 Mar 2024 05:00:02 GMT

To celebrate the first signs of spring, we’re bringing you a special Easter weekend episode full of tips for spring travel. FT Globetrotter editors Rebecca Rose and Niki Blasina run our insider guides to great cities. They tell Lilah how to make the most out of a holiday in April and May: from where to go and how to pack, to tips on travelling alone, with kids, and with pets.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify etc!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

Here are some relevant Globetrotter pieces:

– Five of Vancouver’s best ‘sea to sky’ adventures: https://on.ft.com/3PEKFVp

– A month-by-month guide to what’s on in Madrid: https://on.ft.com/49fbGFP

– The best ski resorts for a day trip from Tokyo: https://on.ft.com/43Ftito

– Lilah’s recent favourite Globetrotter piece is art critic Ariella Budick’s guide to MoMA in New York: https://on.ft.com/3VJ6FC2

– You can explore more from Globetrotter here (paywalled). They have food, drink and activity recommendations for cities around the world

– A dog-friendly hotel that Nikki recommends is the Fife Arms in Braemar, a village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland

– Rebecca is on Instagram @rebeccarosegoes. Niki is @nikiblasina

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why you’re never too old for a new hobby

Mon, 25 Mar 2024 05:00:54 GMT

Today, Lilah and journalist Nadia Beard listen to two musicians play the same piece of music: one at 41 years old, and the other at 97. Nadia recently wrote about musicians who are debuting on major stages in their 80s and 90s. She came to this story after deciding to take up piano seriously in her 30s herself. She tells Lilah about the value of amateurism in adulthood: why it’s good to do hard things, and get better at them, even if it’s just for you.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email the show at lifeandart@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Nadia has written two pieces about this for the FT Weekend magazine. Here’s her piece about the wunderalten: https://on.ft.com/43tHZ2m

– Here’s her piece about returning to the piano in her 30s: https://on.ft.com/498oPjY

– Alexandre Tharaud’s rendition of Chopin’s Fantaisie in F Minor, Opus 49: https://open.spotify.com/track/6aZvn2GoPxfjGrbVNOG4ly

– Ruth Slenczynska’s rendition of Chopin’s Fantasie in F Minor, Opus 49: https://open.spotify.com/track/1HymJjBUGylCrHMxc9kPX9

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture Chat: '3 Body Problem', Netflix’s next big swing

Fri, 22 Mar 2024 05:00:00 GMT

Today we take on 3 Body Problem, the new buzzy Netflix sci-fi series from the creators of Game of Thrones. The show is based on Liu Cixin’s best-selling Chinese trilogy and is about humankind’s first contact with an alien civilisation. It spans timelines, worlds and dimensions. Lilah is joined by the FT’s AI editor Madhumita Murgia and work and careers journalist Emma Jacobs to discuss how well the show depicts our fears around advancing technology and how it fits into prestige TV right now.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify, etc!

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– 3 Body Problem is out on Netflix now

– The FT’s review by Dan Einav is here: https://on.ft.com/3vlGlTZ

– Madhu’s book is called Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI and is out this week in the UK and in June in the US. You can pre-order it here or at your retailer of choice. It’s been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Non Fiction.

– You can check out Emma’s writing here. We loved this piece on the Willy Wonka experience — and how it’s reflective of the ‘overpromise and underdeliver’ mentality of the British: https://on.ft.com/49Z7xqz.

– Emma is on X @emmavj. Madhu is at @madhumita29.

More or Less:

– Madhu wants to see more writing by women on subjects including science, tech and philosophy. She recommends Doppelganger by Naomi Klein. You can check out the full Women’s Prize non-fiction longlist here.

– Emma wants to see more short TV. She recommends Mr & Mrs Smith on Amazon Prime, and Swedish-language show Tore on Netflix.

– Lilah wants more exploring the enclaves of your cities. Follow her on Instagram to read her Globetrotter piece in a few weeks.

A previous version of this podcast mentioned that an episode is set in the 10th dimension. A chapter of the trilogy is, but not an episode of the show.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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The Sporkful: Anything’s Pastable 1 | Every Grain Of Salt

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 04:00:39 GMT

Today we’re sharing an episode from a food podcast that we think you might like called The Sporkful, hosted by Dan Pashman. A few years ago, Dan invented a new pasta shape called cascatelli. It went viral and was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Inventions of the Year in 2021. Dan’s first cookbook, called Anything's Pastable: 81 Inventive Recipes for Saucy People, will be released on March 19. And today, we’re bringing you the first in his four-part series about the making of the book.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify etc.

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Links

– You can find episodes 2, 3 and 4 of The Sporkful's Anything’s Pastable series here or wherever you get your podcasts

– Dan’s book, Anything's Pastable: 81 Inventive Recipes for Saucy People, is out on March 19

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Culture chat: The uncancelling of John Galliano

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 04:00:32 GMT

In his new documentary High and Low, Academy-award winning director Kevin Macdonald focuses on John Galliano, the one-time enfant terrible of fashion. Known for dazzling collections and a personal penchant for wearing pirate outfits, Galliano led the House of Dior from 1997 to 2011. He then “lost it all” when a series of videos surfaced showing him making drunken racist and antisemitic remarks – though that’s just one version of the story. In fact Galliano became creative director of Margiela in 2014, just three years after his “cancellation”. Lilah is joined by HTSI’s assistant editor Louis Wise and the FT’s junior fashion editor Annachiara Biondi to talk about ‘High and Low’, and how the fashion industry handles stars that do bad things.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– High and Low: John Galliano is out now

– Our fashion editor Carola Long’s interview with director Kevin Macdonald is here: https://on.ft.com/3wSTgx0

– The FT’s review of High and Low, by Jonathan Romney: https://on.ft.com/3Ti6B9C

– You can follow Louis Wise on X @louismwise and Instagram @louisquinze.

– Annachiara Biondi is on X @annachiara_b and on Instagram @instapini_

More or Less:

– Annachiara wants more spoken word from artists such as British-Palestinian Tasneim Zyada. You can check out Tasneim’s work on Instagram @tasneimzyada

– Louis would like to see more films that are like “extended perfume adverts”, such as Dune: Part Two. Look in our feed for our Friday culture chat about Dune Two.

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clip courtesy of Mubi.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why is fashion so into books right now?

Mon, 11 Mar 2024 04:00:23 GMT

We think of fashion and reading as almost polar opposites: one is about creating an image, the other a kind of internal journey. But a number of recent fashion collections have been inspired by books, including by Hanya Yanagihara, Edgar Allan Poe, and Agatha Christie. Fashion brands are producing literature podcasts and hosting salons. And in interior design, TikTok’s latest trend is bookshelf wealth. On today’s episode, writer Simon Chilvers talks us through what’s behind the rise of literary fashion.

Links:

– Simon Chilvers’ piece, ‘Fashion’s Love For Literature’: https://on.ft.com/3Iu1vlD

– And another great piece by Simon on fashion in literature: https://on.ft.com/48HiqMd

– ‘Bookshelf wealth is the oldest decorating trick in the book’: https://on.ft.com/49K2dYb

– Simon is on Instagram @schilvers3 and X @simonchilvers

– Simon also wants to see the fashion world embracing author Deborah Levy and Nobel Prize winner Annie Ernaux. You can read the FT’s lunch with Deborah Levy here. And an interview with Annie Ernaux here.

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture chat: Dune: Part Two, directed by Denis Villeneuve

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 05:00:43 GMT

This week, we talk about the new film Dune: Part Two. A star-studded epic featuring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and more. It’s the second instalment in the Dune franchise, based on the book by Frank Herbert and directed by Denis Villeneuve. The FT’s global business columnist Rana Foroohar, an avid Dune fan, and associate editor Stephen Bush join guest host Katya Kumkova to talk through it. Is watching the film worth its long runtime? Why has Dune endured as a franchise? And what do we want from a possible third film?

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Dune: Part Two is in cinemas now.

– FT critic Danny Leigh’s 4-star review of Dune: Part Two is here: https://on.ft.com/3V7rx5G

– Rana is on X @RanaForoohar and Stephen is @stephenkb.

– Rana has also written the cover story for this week’s FT Magazine – an interview with the USs’ most powerful union leaders: https://on.ft.com/3TsltU4

– For those inspired to read the Dune novels, we enjoyed this feature, ‘Sci-fi books are taking off again’: https://on.ft.com/3T9J0YE

More or Less:

– Rana wants to see more people taking weekend trips to the Catskills.

– Stephen wants to see less detail in video games such as Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth. You can read the FT’s review of the game here.

– Katya wants to see better sound design in movies and cinemas. Dune: Part Two’s score was written by Hans Zimmer. You can listen to a playlist here.

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clip by Warner Brothers.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What young wine drinkers want

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 18:27:52 GMT

If you’ve been to the wine shop lately you may have noticed a trend: wines marketed specifically toward younger drinkers. Many are natural, organic, or biodynamic. Others are made without special certification but boast backstories that focus on the producers, not just the region or grapes. Wine writer Hannah Crosbie joins Lilah to give us a primer on what young wine drinkers want. Why are pét nats, skin-contact wines, and chilled reds suddenly everywhere?

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Hannah’s article on what young wine drinkers want: https://on.ft.com/3P2v4hU

– Hannah is on X @hancrosbie. Her book Corker drops this spring.

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture chat: ‘The Taste of Things’, starring Juliette Binoche

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 05:00:14 GMT

This week, we talk about ‘The Taste of Things’ with Tim Hayward, the FT’s restaurant critic, and our food and drink editor Harriet Fitch Little. The film is set in France in the 1880s and follows the relationship between a talented cook, played by Juliette Binoche, and the food connoisseur who employs her (Benoît Magimel). ‘The Taste of Things’ has received widespread critical acclaim – with critics claiming you can ‘taste every shot’ – and it is France’s entry into the best international film category at the Oscars. What does the film tell us about our relationship with food and pleasure? And beyond the food — what is it really about?

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– ‘The Taste of Things’ is showing in theatres now in the UK and US

– The FT’s 5 star review of The Taste of Things, by Leslie Felperin, is here: https://on.ft.com/3InhBNP

– Tim is on X and Instagram @timhayward. Harriet is @HarrietFL

– You can read Tim’s latest column here. You can also preorder his upcoming book Steak: The Whole Story here. It’s out on 24 May.

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Samara Joy, 24-year-old jazz sensation

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 05:08:14 GMT

Jazz singer Samara Joy is just 24 years old. She has more than 1.3mn social media followers and three Grammys. Most notably, she won 2023’s best new artist award, only the second jazz musician ever to join that coveted club. Today, Lilah speaks with Samara about her path: discovering jazz, her thought process as she performs, and how she finds new takes on compositions by greats such as Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus. They also discuss the challenges and pressure of being singular. Does she want to be considered the artist ‘bringing jazz to Gen Z’?

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Lilah’s HTSI profile of Samara, for which this conversation was recorded, is here: https://on.ft.com/3I9H4Kz

– The music video for Tight is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OkkyRkGSRY

– Samara is on TikTok @samarajoysings and Instagram @samarajoysings. You can see if she’s touring near you at www.samarajoy.com/

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture Chat: Jennifer Lopez’s baffling ‘This is Me … Now’

Fri, 23 Feb 2024 05:00:37 GMT

This Friday, we explore Jennifer Lopez’s mind-boggling new movie musical ‘This is Me … Now: A Love Story’, which was released alongside an album of the same name. The film, inspired by her marriage to actor Ben Affleck, is a series of music videos, action scenes and therapy sessions. And it was self-funded, for $20mn. What, exactly was J Lo trying to say with this project? Lilah is joined by two special guests, comedians and hosts of the podcast Celebrity Memoir Book Club, Ashley Hamilton and Claire Parker.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– This is Me…Now: A Love Story is out now on Amazon Prime. Jennifer Lopez’s new album is also out on all streaming platforms.

– Ashley and Claire’s podcast is called Celebrity Memoir Book Club. It’s available wherever you listen. Here’s their 2021 episode on J Lo’s memoir: https://podcasts.apple.com/md/podcast/jennifer-lopez-knows-true-love/id1533533467?i=1000530871148

– We also love this FT column by Jo Ellison. Bennifer, the rematch and why love deserves a second chance: https://on.ft.com/48rItHj

More or Less:

– Ashley wants more choreographed dance routines, like in music videos by Tinashe.

– Claire wants more considered writing about the arts, and mentioned the Stephen Sondheim musical ‘Here We Are’. Related, here’s a piece from this weekend’s FT on the meaning of musical memorabilia – and why there’s a boom in the market at the moment.

– Lilah wants more narratives told backwards, like Sondheim’s ‘Merrily We Roll Along’, which is playing on Broadway starring Daniel Radcliffe. The FT’s review of the musical is here.

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner, McMurran and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How technology is changing our bodies

Mon, 19 Feb 2024 05:00:16 GMT

Sitting too much is terrible for you. It leads to early onset heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and anxiety. To fight the effects of our sedentary lifestyle, regular exercise isn’t enough. Scientists have found that if we want to feel better, and be healthier, we need regular movement breaks throughout our days. Journalist and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi recently challenged her listeners to take these. She tells Lilah about the surprising results and why technology can make it hard to plug into your mind-body connection.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify, etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– You can listen to Manoush’s reporting for the Body Electric challenge here and take the movement challenge here.

– Lilah’s column on how to be bored is here: https://on.ft.com/3SzU016

– Manoush is on Instagram @manoushz

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture Chat: Margaret Atwood, John Grisham and friends write a novel

Fri, 16 Feb 2024 05:00:54 GMT

In this episode we’re discussing the new novel Fourteen Days. The book is a collaboration by 36 authors including Margaret Atwood, John Grisham, Celeste Ng, RL Stine, and Dave Eggers – and part of the experience is guessing who wrote which part. So does the premise work as a novel? What do we want from experimental fiction? And are we ready to revisit the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic, during which the action is set? Lilah is joined by the FT’s acting deputy books editor Andrew Dickson and assistant arts editor Rebecca Watson, author of the novel Little Scratch.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify, etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Fourteen Days, edited by Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston, is out now where books are sold.

– The FT’s review of Fourteen Days is here: https://on.ft.com/4bCdRFD

– Rebecca’s novel is called Little Scratch (2021). Her second novel I Will Crash comes out on July 4th.

– Andy recommends novels by Sheila Heti and Jon Fosse for their experimental prose.

– Andy is on X, formerly Twitter, @andydickson. Rebecca is @rebeccawhatsun

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘20 Days in Mariupol’ director Mstyslav Chernov

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 05:00:53 GMT

Today, we talk to the director of the acclaimed documentary 20 Days in Mariupol, Mstyslav Chernov. Chernov’s film is an extraordinary chronicle of Russia’s attack on one of Ukraine’s largest cities in its first days under siege. The city is now destroyed. Mstyslav’s team of journalists were the only press left in the city during those 20 days: the film documents the harrowing experience of residents, from hospital workers to shop owners. It has since won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2023, and it is now up for best documentary at the Oscars and the Baftas. Mstyslav joins Lilah to discuss the documentary, his experience making it, and his hopes for Ukraine.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify, etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– 20 Days in Mariupol is available to stream on multiple platforms, including Dogwoof On Demand, Amazon Prime and PBS. The full documentary is also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvAyykRvPBo

– The FT’s 5-star review of 20 Days in Mariupol: https://on.ft.com/49MWvED

– An FT profile of a number of Ukrainian documentarians, including Mstyslav, Maciek Hamela (In The Rearview) and Karim Amer (Defiant): https://on.ft.com/3OEQEZA

– You can follow Mstyslav on Instagram @mstyslav.chernov

– His novel is called The Dream Time (2023)

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner, McMurran and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture Chat: What makes the Super Bowl so super?

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 05:00:59 GMT

Let’s get ready to rumble! This week, we’re pregaming this Sunday’s Super Bowl, which could break records as the most-watched television event in US history. The FT’s sports business correspondent Sara Germano and Wall Street reporter / sports fanatic Sujeet Indap join Lilah to set the scene for the Super Bowl as a cultural event: the teams, the history, the drama, the head injuries, the halftime shows, the Taylor Swift conspiracies! Whether you watch football or not, you’ll be ready for Sunday’s game.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify, etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– The Super Bowl goes live at 3.30PM PT / 6.30PM EST this Sunday, February 11. You can watch it in the UK at 10.45 PM on ITV.

– Sara is on X @germanotes. Sujeet is @sindap. Both excellent follows.

– You can follow Sara’s sports reporting here: https://www.ft.com/sara-germano. She will be in Vegas covering the Super Bowl over the weekend, so watch this space!

– Sara’s piece on the resurgence of the Detroit Lions is here, co-written with Mark Vandevelde: https://on.ft.com/3SAht2g

– Sujeet’s reporting on Wall Street is here: https://www.ft.com/sujeet-indap

More or less:

– Sara wants more house remixes of Creed. You can check out Book Club Radio here: https://www.youtube.com/@bookclubradio. The ‘One Last Breath’ remix is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fdKfaq1YN8

– Sujeet wants more independent news and tough questions. You can read more about the Super Bowl commissioner Roger Goodell avoiding tough questions here: https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/roger-goodell-saying-nothing-super-bowl-press-conference-invite-only/

– Lilah wants more funny novels. She has been reading Come and Get It by Kiley Reid, who also wrote Such A Fun Age (2021)

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco, and Katie McMurran. Clip courtesy of Pepsi, Sony Music, Weathered and Jojo Lorenzo.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why everyone is talking about polyamory

Mon, 05 Feb 2024 05:00:12 GMT

Molly Roden Winter was a frustrated mom of two in Brooklyn when she and her husband decided that they should open their marriage. What followed was a 10-year journey of self-exploration that brought Molly not only into some seedy hotel rooms but also to therapy, back to work, and into other activities that added up to a more fulfilling life. Today Molly is on the show to talk about her memoir More in which she details her journey. She also tells Lilah what polyamory could teach monogamous couples.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify, etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Molly’s book More is out now

– The FT’s review of More, by Rana Foroohar, is here: https://on.ft.com/3UmsdUF

– Molly is on X @mollyrwinter

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture chat: Is ‘Poor Things’ a feminist film?

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 05:00:09 GMT

Today we take on ‘Poor Things’, the latest film from director Yorgos Lanthimos. It stars Emma Stone as a Victorian woman whose brain is replaced with that of her unborn baby. She embarks on a sexual journey of self-discovery through Europe and beyond. The film is a critical darling, with 11 Oscar nominations, but unsurprisingly, it left many viewers feeling uneasy. Lilah invites FT arts editor Jan Dalley and HTSI editor Jo Ellison to talk through it: is it an empowering exploration of a woman’s sexual freedom or an uninspiring male gaze fantasy?

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify, etc.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Poor Things is in theatres now

– You can read the FT’s three-star review of Poor Things, by film critic Danny Leigh here: https://on.ft.com/480VjMg

– The FT’s Raphael Abraham also wrote a review of Poor Things – and gave it five stars: https://on.ft.com/49jGnKe

– The article we mentioned, with 14 critics’ perspectives on the film, is here: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/jan/24/bound-gagged-poor-things-feminist-masterpiece-male-sex-fantasy-oscar-emma-stone-ruffalo

– Jo is on X @joellison and Instagram @jellison22

More or less:

– Jo wants to see more of Harris Dickinson, who is in The Iron Claw (out now), and Triangle of Sadness

– Jan wants to see more funding for the arts, and for artists to be given more creative freedom

– Lilah wants better, more concentrated travel reviews, and Oaxaca tips! (You can write to her on Instagram)

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clip courtesy of Searchlight

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing: Swamp Notes from The FT News Briefing

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 05:00:58 GMT

If you have questions about this year's US presidential election, we have answers.

Swamp Notes is a new podcast from the FT News Briefing. Listen every Saturday morning as our journalists analyse and discuss the latest happenings in US politics. We’ll go beyond the horse race for the White House and offer a global perspective on the election.

You can subscribe to Swamp Notes here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tim Hayward’s case for gluttony

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 20:31:12 GMT

Restaurant critic Tim Hayward has been writing about food for the FT for years. He also owns a bakery in Cambridge. So when a friend accused him of being a glutton, his reaction was: “Of course I’m a glutton! Do people still think that’s a bad thing?” Today Tim is on the podcast to share his thoughts on how we came to see food through a moral lens. What does it mean to be a glutton in the age of Ozempic? How do we let ourselves enjoy food? And how can we stop judging each other, while acknowledging that some eating habits can be bad for your health?

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Tim’s column on gluttony: https://on.ft.com/3SxE3tz

– Lilah's piece about reviving extinct recipes: http://on.ft.com/3Ojrfo5

– Another Tim column: ‘Should you ever go back to a favourite restaurant?” https://on.ft.com/3Syk9P6

– Tim’s most recent restaurant review on Cafe Kitty in London: https://on.ft.com/3HGk2e1

– Susan Sontag’s ‘Notes on Camp’: https://monoskop.org/images/5/59/Sontag_Susan_1964_Notes_on_Camp.pdf

– Tim is on Instagram at @timhayward

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture chat: Sleater-Kinney and where did angry music go?

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 05:00:48 GMT

This week, we talk about the longstanding American rock band Sleater-Kinney and their 11th album, Little Rope, which came out this month. The band rose out of the grunge and riot grrrl movements in the late 1990s with a raw, rage-filled sound and feminist lyrics. And they’re one of the few all-women bands to have had a career this long. How has their sound evolved? And where did the angry countercultural music of the 90s go? Lilah is joined by FT's music critic Arwa Haider and FT Weekend Magazine editor Matt Vella.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, where she’s posting a photo of Breen and his burn book. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Little Rope by Sleater Kinney is available everywhere

–Lilah, Matt and Arwa highly recommend the music video for their song ‘Say It Like You Mean It’: https://youtu.be/Vp2z1cL6qoU

– Here are three of Arwa’s recent reviews: Tate McRae's pop album Think Later: https://on.ft.com/3HyfIxG, Dominique Dalcan's electronic album Last Night a Woman Saved My Life https://on.ft.com/3SuiXwi, Maluma's reggaeton album Don Juan: https://on.ft.com/3SvMCoG

– Matt Vella is on X @mattvella. Arwa is @ArwaHaider

More or less:

– Arwa wants more daytime raves, such as Annie Mac’s Before Midnight Party. The 90s raves she mentioned were Sunny Side Up, Everything But the Girl and Sunday Best

– Matt wants to see more bad fakes, something that helps us improve our deepfake literacy. The FT Magazine article he mentioned by Tim Harford is here: https://on.ft.com/499eKDC

– Lilah wants to go to more small local music venues. She went to the New York club Blue Note to see jazz singer Samara Joy. Watch out for Lilah’s interview with Samara in HTSI, and an episode with her here, in a few weeks!

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of Loma Vista and Kill Rock Stars.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tim Harford’s advice for how to do less

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 23:02:15 GMT

Tim Harford is a busy guy. He’s got two podcasts, has written 10 books, and has a standing column in the FT called the Undercover Economist. But recently he’s been trying to do less – and not just less bad stuff. He’s cutting down on good things, too, like kickboxing practice and reading New Yorker articles. The idea came to Tim after reading a book called Subtract by Leidy Klotz, in which Klotz looks at research that shows that humans have a bias against subtraction. Instead, our idea of fixing things often involves adding more. Tim tells Lilah how his subtraction experiment is going, and why giving up on one activity can help you enjoy the activities that you choose to stick with.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on X and Instagram @lilahrap. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Tim recently wrote about the art of subtraction here: https://on.ft.com/3U5A3BK

– He is on X @TimHarford

– You can check out recent episodes of Tim’s “More or Less” podcast from the BBC here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qshd/episodes/player

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture Chat: Mean Girls, old and new

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 05:00:07 GMT

This week, we take on the remake of the 2004 teen movie classic, “Mean Girls”. The original “Mean Girls”, starring Lindsay Lohan and written by Tina Fey, was a phenomenon. It’s been called one of the most quotable movies of all time. This new musical remake, based on the original film and the Broadway show, is in theatres now. What did the original film represent for us? Did we need this new version? And what generation is it for? Lilah is joined by the FT’s US financial editor Brooke Masters and Life and Art producer Lulu Smyth to figure it out.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, where she’s posting a photo of Breen and his burn book. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– “Mean Girls”, written by Tina Fey, is out in cinemas in the US and UK now.

– The FT’s review of the film is here: https://on.ft.com/3Snt7yJ

– Brooke is on X @brookeamasters

– We also loved this piece by Miranda Green on modern “Mean Girls” and the impact of social media (June 2023) : https://on.ft.com/48ZWRHy

More or Less:

– Lulu wants to see more respected male actors in romcoms: specifically Joaquin Phoenix in the next “High School Musical”

– Brooke wants to see fewer universe expansions and more original content

– Lilah recommends reading new plays – and if you’re in New York, seeing Appropriate”, starring Sarah Paulson. The play is written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. You can read it online here: https://hilsee.com/ApproPlayText.pdf

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of Paramount Pictures.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing Untold: The Retreat

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 05:00:17 GMT

Introducing Untold, a new podcast from the special investigations team at the Financial Times. In its first series, The Retreat, host Madison Marriage examines the world of the Goenka network, which promotes a type of intensive meditation known as Vipassana. Thousands of people go on Goenka retreats every year. People rave about them. But some people go to these meditation retreats, and they suffer. They might feel a deep sense of terror, or a break with reality. And on the other side, they’re not themselves anymore. Untold: The Retreat launches Jan. 24.

Subscribe and listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why our fashion editor buys almost nothing new

Mon, 15 Jan 2024 05:00:02 GMT

Last year, the FT’s fashion editor Lauren Indvik made a pledge that surprised us. She vowed to buy just five new items of clothing and shoes all year long. The number comes from a study that says in order to stick to the Paris Agreement’s goals, five new items of fashion a year is the optimal goal for those who live in the world’s richest countries. Lauren tells Lilah how the experiment went and whether she stuck to five things. She also shares her tips for buying fewer new clothes.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email the show at lifeandart@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Lauren’s article about the ‘five things pledge’ and how it went: https://on.ft.com/4aO1WV3

– Lauren recommends using TheRealReal for second-hand luxury clothes in the US; in the UK she shops the Vestiaire Collective

– The report from the Hot or Cool Institute that inspired Lauren: https://hotorcool.org/unfit-unfair-unfashionable/

– Lauren also mentions the Ellen Macarthur Foundation: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/

– Lauren is taking a break from her Fashion Matters newsletter while she is on parental leave, but you can start receiving it when she’s back if you sign up now: https://on.ft.com/48QdvJv

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Comfort watch: Something’s Gotta Give (2003)

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 05:00:07 GMT

This week, as we enter the depths of January, we return to an old comfort classic: the 2003 Nancy Meyers romcom Something’s Gotta Give, starring Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson. In it, two middle-aged people fall in love, but only after one heart attack, two younger lovers, some unexpected midnight pancakes and ample bickering. Does the movie still work today? How has the way we depict aging in film changed? And do we miss Nancy Meyers movies? Joining Lilah is comedian Negin Farsad, host of the podcast Fake the Nation, and FT senior corporate finance correspondent Eric Platt. This is one of his favourite movies.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email the show at lifeandart@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Something’s Gotta Give (2003) is available to rent on streaming services

– You can find Negin’s podcast Fake the Nation wherever you listen, or here: https://headgum.com/fake-the-nation

– Here’s a recent piece she wrote about a magic mushroom retreat in Jamaica: https://www.afar.com/magazine/what-a-mycomeditations-magic-mushroom-retreat-is-really-like

– Eric writes about corporate finance for the FT. You can find his most recent piece here: https://on.ft.com/4220z12

– Negin is on X at @NeginFarsad.

– You might also like our conversation with the author Curtis Sittenfeld about romcoms and her novel Romantic Comedy: https://on.ft.com/48RggtW

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A travel guide for visiting all 50 US states

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 05:00:42 GMT

In the height of the coronavirus pandemic, our US banking editor Josh Franklin began a travel hobby that became an out-and-out goal. He wanted to see more of America, so he decided to visit all 50 states, from Alabama to Wyoming. He joins Lilah to tell us what he learned about the country, when he felt “this was worth it” and “this was a huge mistake”, what tips he has for our own road trips, and places in the US we might want to visit ourselves.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at lilah.raptopoulos@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Josh’s piece about travelling to every US state: https://on.ft.com/3NNgYAA

– Josh’s four places: Ocean Springs, Mississippi; North OR South Dakota; the Upper Peninsula along the great lakes in Michigan; and Duluth, Minnesota

– Our travel team’s 43 holidays to take in 2024: https://on.ft.com/3RFoOwY

– Another great recent travel piece: ‘My weekend as a monk: a Scottish spiritual retreat’: https://on.ft.com/3RFoOgs

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Special FT subscription and trial offers for Life and Art podcast listeners are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture Chat: ‘The Boy and the Heron’, and Miyazaki’s legacy

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 05:00:54 GMT

This Friday, for our first episode of 2024, we discuss The Boy and The Heron, the latest film from legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and his team at Studio Ghibli. It is the most expensive Japanese film ever made, and has received widespread critical acclaim. But what, exactly, is it about? Lilah chats through it with political columnist Stephen Bush and Leo Lewis, the FT’s Asia Business editor, who has co-written a book on anime. Is it about his past, or the future of animation? Where does it sit in the Studio Ghibli canon? And is Miyazaki ever really done?

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at lilah.raptopoulos@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– The FT’s review of The Boy and the Heron is here: https://on.ft.com/3S47ZNS

– Leo’s book on anime, co-authored with Roland Kelts, is called Japanamerica. His exclusive FT interview with Studio Ghibli’s Toshio Suzuki is here: https://on.ft.com/3TPuVBQ

– Here’s a recent FT interview with Miyazaki’s closest collaborators: https://on.ft.com/47oXc56

– The other films we mentioned are Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Ponyo, Howl’s Moving Castle and Castle in the Sky

– Stephen wants less expensive video games. He recommends the indie game I Was A Teenage Exocolonist

– Lilah recommends the docuseries 10 years with Miyazaki, which is available for free on NHK World Japan, and Italianamerican, which is available on Max

– Leo is on X @Urbandirt. Stephen Bush is @stephenkb

– You can get a free trial to Stephen’s political newsletter Inside Politics – which includes a daily cultural recommendation – by clicking here

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco and Simon Panayi.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Working It: why are so many people retraining as psychotherapists?

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 05:00:57 GMT

While the Life and Art team takes a break for Christmas, we’re sharing an episode of Working It, the FT’s workplace podcast hosted by Isabel Berwick.

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, tens of thousands of people in the UK have retrained as psychotherapists or counsellors. What is it about the field that has attracted so many, and what does this phenomenon tell us about work? Host Isabel Berwick speaks to the FT’s Bethan Staton, who wrote a brilliant piece on this topic, to find out more. Later, she speaks to Michael Skapinker, who worked as an FT reporter, senior editor and award-winning columnist before training as a counsellor. Michael tells us what his new line of work has taught him and why he wishes he’d thought about it sooner.

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We love hearing from you! Write us. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– ‘Profession of the century’: why so many people are retraining as therapists

– Letter: Therapy is no cure for a society in crisis External Link

– Therapy at work: banks and law firms among those offering counselling as staff perk

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

—--

Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture Gabfest: the Beyhive swarms the box office

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 05:00:15 GMT

Life & Art presents a special episode from Slate’s Culture Gabfest podcast, hosted by culture critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and Julia Turner. The three hosts first explore Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé with Slate culture writer (and Beyhive stan) Nadira Goffe. Then, they consider Todd Haynes’ May December, an emotionally curious, tonally dissonant study of life’s grey areas starring Natalie Portman, longtime collaborator Julianne Moore and Charles Melton. Finally, the three are joined by EEFOP (Exceedingly Exceptional Friend of the Pod), Slate writer Dan Kois to discuss Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Lost Christmas!, a posthumous sequel to Theodor Geisel’s iconic 1957 children’s book. Life & Art will return with regular episodes next week.

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We love hearing from you! Write us. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap.

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

History of Literature: a conversation with Anne Enright, winner of the Man Booker Prize

Mon, 25 Dec 2023 05:00:24 GMT

Life & Art presents an episode of History of Literature. After taking a look at Emily Dickinson's Poem #269 ("Wild Nights - wild nights!"), Jacke Wilson talks to novelist Anne Enright about growing up in Ireland, her writing career and her new book The Wren, The Wren. Plus, Dublin literary historian Christopher Morash (Dublin: A Writer's City) stops by to select the last book he will ever read.

Episode link here.

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We love hearing from you! Write us. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap.

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Culture chat: Wonka, starring Timothée Chalamet

Fri, 22 Dec 2023 05:00:44 GMT

For our last episode of 2023, we’re bringing you a special discussion on ‘Wonka’, this year’s family Christmas film and a musical extravaganza. Starring Timothée Chalamet, it follows the life of a young Willy Wonka as he struggles to set up his first chocolate shop. Does it work? Can Chalamet sing? Do we need another Roald Dahl adaptation? Lilah’s joined by FT House and Home editor Nathan Brooker and US investments correspondent Madison Darbyshire to talk through it.

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We love hearing from you! Write us. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– ‘Wonka’, starring Timothée Chalamet directed by Paul King, is out in UK and US cinemas.

– The FT’s review of Wonka, by Danny Leigh, is here: https://on.ft.com/3v8Jru0

– Madison’s column on why Cosmopolitans are conquering New York City: https://on.ft.com/4awUOvW

– Keep an eye out for Lilah’s column about boredom, out in the FT soon.

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner. Clips courtesy of Warner Bros Pictures.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our 2024 cultural predictions: short movies, glitter chaos, cabbage

Mon, 18 Dec 2023 05:00:01 GMT

It’s almost the end of 2023, which means one thing: it’s time for our annual predictions episode! You sent in your suggestions – and today, FT magazine editor Matt Vella joins Lilah to talk through them. Will films get shorter? Will primal scream therapy get cool? Is cabbage in? Will there be more nuance, or less nuance?

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As this episode suggests, we love hearing from you! Stay in touch. You can email at lifeandart@ft.com or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Matt is on Twitter @mattvella.

– The magazine piece Matt mentioned on microplastics is here: https://on.ft.com/3GKYNHO

– Our colleague Emma Jacobs wants to see more 90-minute films like Rye Lane and Past Lives. Here’s the FT’s review of Rye Lane: https://on.ft.com/3NtzgGM and Past Lives: https://on.ft.com/4anSIOR

– You can follow Emma on X @emmavj. Eric Platt, who wants crop tops to make a comeback, is @ericgplatt

Here are some roundups of the FT’s favourite cultural things from 2023:

– Pop albums: https://on.ft.com/3GNur7v

– TV shows: https://on.ft.com/470629p

– Films: https://on.ft.com/3RINMgb

– Video games: https://on.ft.com/3tiY7pQ

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture chat: a Christmas music special

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 05:00:47 GMT

This Friday, we are bringing you a festive music extravaganza! We’re talking all things Christmas music: the classics, the duds, the Cher album, and how the genre is changing. What are the best and worst Christmas songs? Why are old songs suddenly charting? And the eternal question: how soon is too soon to pull out the playlists? Lilah is joined by pop music critic Ludo Hunter-Tilney, and Taylor Nicole Rogers, the FT’s Labour and Equality correspondent.

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We love hearing from you! Write us. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Look out for Ludo’s Christmas round up, out next weekend. In the meantime, here’s his roundup of the best pop albums of 2023, including Lana Del Rey and The Chemical Brothers: https://on.ft.com/3RKPtdm

– Ludo is on X at @ludohunter. Taylor is at @TaylorNRogers

We have compiled a Spotify Christmas playlist for you, with all of the songs we talked about! Listen to it here.

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner. Clips courtesy of Sony Legacy, Fervent, A&M, Republic Records, Island Records, and Motown.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Books books books! You asked, we answered

Mon, 11 Dec 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Today, we talk books. The FT’s books team recently published our annual books of the year special, and they join us to share their personal recommendations. They also answer listener questions: what books will get you out of ‘reader’s block’? What’s a good gift for a family member who loves history, or a friend who’s anxious about the world? What book could you pair with a candle and some socks? Lilah speaks with literary editor Fred Studemann and deputy books editor Laura Battle.

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We love hearing from you. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap.

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Recommendations and links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

Some great lists from our books of the year special:

– Best fiction: https://on.ft.com/4a4xjds

– Best history: https://on.ft.com/4a9ErFx

– Best audiobooks https://on.ft.com/3t9tVNT

– Critics’ picks: https://on.ft.com/3RyWH3H

– For getting past your reader’s block, Laura and Fred recommend Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell and The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng. Laura also loved The Fraud by Zadie Smith

– Fred’s picks for history lovers are Revolutionary Spring by Christopher Clark and King: a Life by Jonathan Eig; Laura’s is Red Memory by Tanya Branigan

– For a stocking stuffer, Lilah suggests Love and Other Poems by Alex Dimitrov. Laura likes The Cabin by Natasha Preston and other books about the outdoors. Fred is going with Claire Keegan’s So Late in the Day

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Culture chat: ‘Napoleon’ with Simon Schama

Sat, 09 Dec 2023 14:41:02 GMT

Historian Sir Simon Schama and FT deputy arts editor and film expert Raph Abraham join Lilah to discuss the historical epic ‘Napoleon’. Ridley Scott’s new two-and-a-half-hour-long film stars Joaquin Phoenix, and documents a lot: Napoleon’s rise and fall, some of his most famous battles, and his relationship with his wife, Josephine. But how well does it represent his character? We discuss what the film got right and wrong (historically and dramatically), why Napoleon continues to loom so large in culture, and whether historical epics still satisfy us.

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We are still collecting your cultural predictions for 2024! What’s one thing you think will happen (or want to happen) in culture next year? Write us. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Simon’s FT Weekend essay on Napoleon, and why so many writers and filmmakers try to depict him: https://on.ft.com/4861gbn

– the FT’s official review of Napoleon by Danny Leigh: https://on.ft.com/484moPh

– An essay from Janan Ganesh on why Napoleon still matters: https://on.ft.com/3uWF8Sj

– Simon recommends the 2012 movie ‘Lincoln’, directed by Steven Spielberg

– Raph is a fan of Pablo Larrain’s ‘Jackie,’ from 2016, and the Leonard Bernstein biopic ‘Maestro’, directed by Bradley Cooper and available on Netflix on December 20

– We interviewed Pablo Larrain in 2021 about his creative process: https://on.ft.com/3oofjVO

– Lilah wrote a column about learning to draw: https://on.ft.com/46NBaZt

– Simon is on X @simon_schama

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Tell us your cultural prediction for 2024

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 05:16:24 GMT

As we prepare for our end of year predictions episode, we want to hear from you: what is one thing that you think will happen (or you want to happen!) culturally in 2024?

Write us — or even better, open your voice memo app and record us a voice note — and email it to lifeandart@ft.com! Or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap.

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Designing Elvis’s world in ‘Priscilla’

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 05:00:13 GMT

Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla came out in the US recently and will be out in the UK in January. The film, which follows Elvis Presley’s wife Priscilla through their relationship, is visually stunning, and today, Lilah speaks with its celebrated lead production designer, Tamara Deverell. To recreate Elvis’s homes, including the infamous Graceland, Tamara had to imagine it all from Priscilla’s perspective. Tamara tells Lilah about her creative process and why she sees Priscilla as the story of many women in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, as told through hair and makeup.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at lilahrap@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– ‘Priscilla’ is out now in the US and will be out in theatres in the UK on January 1.

– Earlier this year, Sofia Coppola gave an exclusive interview to the FT’s HTSI: https://on.ft.com/412E2jU

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Culture Chat: Netflix’s ‘The Crown’

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 05:00:34 GMT

This Friday, we talk through the final season of The Crown. Its first four episodes recently dropped on Netflix, and its depiction of Princess Diana’s death has been controversial. What did we think of the first part of the season? How did The Crown sustain its nine-year journey as a series? And will we see big ambitious prestige TV like it again? Lilah is joined by UK chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley and deputy news editor India Ross.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at lilah.raptopoulos@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– The first four episodes of The Crown S6 are available on Netflix now. The final four episodes will air on December 14.

– Robert’s FT Weekend Magazine satirical column on the ‘ghost of Diana’ scene: https://on.ft.com/47Vpmp5

– The FT’s review of Season 6: https://on.ft.com/3uK2YRa

– Robert is on X at @robertshrimsley.

More or less recommendations:

– Robert recommends the show Slow Horses, which is on Apple+, and the novel series it’s based on by Mick Herron

– India wants more good TV, like Euphoria, White Lotus and (controversially) The Idol

– Lilah recommends Rocky 2. Just kidding. She recommends doing the thing! Run up the steps like Sylvester Stallone in Rocky 2

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner. Clip courtesy of Netflix.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Tech Tonic presents: Can AI help us speak to animals? Part one

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 05:00:02 GMT

While the Life and Art team takes a break for Thanksgiving, we’re sharing an episode of Tech Tonic, the FT’s technology podcast hosted by innovation editor John Thornhill. This is part one of a two-part series about whether AI can help us speak to animals. Search ‘Tech Tonic’ where you listen or look here for part two: https://on.ft.com/3sQh1DR

Here’s what it’s about: A hardware revolution in recording devices and a software revolution in artificial intelligence is enabling researchers to listen in to all kinds of conversations outside the human hearing range, a field known as bioacoustics. Some scientists now believe these developments will also allow us to ‘translate’ animal sounds into human language. In a new season of Tech Tonic, FT innovation editor John Thornhill and series producer Persis Love ask whether we’re moving closer to being able to ‘speak whale’ or even to chat with bats.

Free links:

– Google Translate for the zoo? How humans might talk to animals

– Karen Bakker, scientist and author, 1971-2023

– How generative AI really works

Credits: Sperm whale sounds from Project CETI; honeyhunter calls from Claire Spottiswoode Presented by John Thornhill, produced by Persis Love, sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.

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Working It presents: How to master the art of schmoozing

Fri, 24 Nov 2023 05:00:13 GMT

While the Life and Art team takes a break for Thanksgiving, we’re sharing an episode of Working It, the FT’s workplace podcast hosted by Isabel Berwick.

Here’s what it’s about: Do you ever find yourself lost for words? Or maybe you have too much to say? This week’s episode features a masterclass in chit-chat from Matt Abrahams, a lecturer in communications at Stanford University, podcast host and author of the book 'Think Faster, Talk Smarter'. Good conversation is an essential tool of self-promotion in the office. So what do we make of Matt’s advice here at the FT office? Host Isabel Berwick gets the views of award-winning FT columnist Pilita Clark and Stephen Bush, who writes the FT’s daily Inside Politics newsletter.

If you’re an FT subscriber, you can find Isabel’s newsletter at https://www.ft.com/newsletters

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at lilah.raptopoulos@ft.com.

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to keep your plants happy as it gets cold

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 05:00:21 GMT

Robin Lane Fox is one of the foremost gardening experts in the world. He’s been the FT’s gardening columnist for 53 years. And he joins us today to talk about what to do with your plants in winter. As it gets colder and darker, what should we do to keep our plants happy, indoors and out? The conversation is a delight. We’ve shared all of his recommendations below.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at lilah.raptopoulos@ft.com.

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Robin’s recommendations (all FT links get you past the paywall):

–Robin’s public gardens, ‘the kissing fields’, are the gardens he runs at New College, Oxford. Here’s a video of him giving an exclusive tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae1lCrnsm3k

Robin’s outdoor winter suggestions for the UK are: the winter flowering cherry tree (Prunus subhirtella autumnalis). He also recommends the family of flowering Viburnum shrubs (Viburnum x bodnantense 'dawn' is pink, and 'Deben' is white), and above all, his best tip: hellebores, especially the Ashwood hybrids, and the Harvington hybrids.

Here’s Robin’s column on November flowers: https://on.ft.com/3uiNPWW

Robin’s book suggestion for Japanese gardening is My World of Hepaticas by John Massey

For indoor plants in cold regions, try Phalaenopsis orchids. If you have too many orchids, here are some other options: Cyclamen, azaleas, poinsettia, and white jasmine.

Robin’s current bestselling book is Homer and His Iliad.

Robin’s selection from last year of Christmas gifts for gardeners is here: https://on.ft.com/3ucX6j9

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture chat: the unknowable Dolly Parton

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 05:00:07 GMT

This Friday, we’re talking about the deification of Dolly Parton, or, as we like to call her, Saint Dolly. Her new release Rockstar comes out today – a 30-track rock album that features duets with artists such as Paul McCartney, Sting, Elton John and Stevie Nicks on cover versions of their classic songs. The album feels a bit like a karaoke album, but we had a lot of fun listening to it – partially because Parton is so easy to love. So how did Parton become such a cultural icon? What does she represent? And why do we want a Saint Dolly? Lilah is joined by US media correspondent Anna Nicolaou and FT Magazine’s food and drink editor (and long-time Dollyhead) Harriet Fitch Little.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at lilah.raptopoulos@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– Rockstar by Dolly Parton is available to stream now, on all music streaming platforms.

– Here’s the FT’s review of Rockstar, by our pop critic Ludo Hunter-Tilney: https://on.ft.com/3ufuiql

– Harriet unpacks the history of Parton’s hit ‘9 to 5’ for the FT column Life of a Song: https://on.ft.com/49F9Uiz

– Anna is on X @annanicolaou, Harriet is on X at @HarrietFL and Instagram at @huffffle

More or less:

– Harriet recommends Jury Duty, available to stream free on Amazon Prime

– For great local-feeling restaurants in New York, Lilah has a hundred recommendations, but here are three: Claud, a wine bar in the East Village, Names in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, and (the classic) Frankie’s in Carroll Gardens

– Here’s the article Harriet mentioned, ‘The UK’s 19 cosiest winter restaurants – according to FT writers’: https://on.ft.com/3MNmZwy

– Anna hates grey wood floors

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of Big Machine Records.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Comfort cooking with vegetables, with Hetty McKinnon

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 05:00:03 GMT

This week, as it gets colder and darker, we discuss cosy, warming winter recipes that don’t rely on a big hunk of meat. Bestselling cookbook author Hetty McKinnon joins us to talk plant-based winter cooking, from ways to use kale and broccoli, to layering flavour, to her favourite spices and herbs. Hetty’s newest cookbook, Tenderheart, came out this spring.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram and X @lilahrap. You can email her at lilah.raptopoulos@ft.com.

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Links:

– Hetty’s kale and orzo recipe can be found in Tenderheart. Her other bestselling cookbook is called To Asia With Love

– Hetty is on Instagram at @hettymckinnon. She also has a newsletter, To Vegetables With Love

– Here’s a delicious winter lentil stew from the FT Weekend Magazine recipe columnists, Honey & Co: https://on.ft.com/3ujlPCk

– And a piece Lilah recommends from Laila Gohar about winter cabbage: https://on.ft.com/3MEv2vp

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Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Culture chat: Nathan Fielder and ‘The Curse’

Fri, 10 Nov 2023 05:00:54 GMT

For our first Friday culture chat, we talk about the new cringe-drama-comedy show The Curse, which dropped on Paramount Plus today. Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone play a couple who are making a problematic reality TV show, Flipanthropy, whose goal is to “ethically gentrify” an American neighbourhood. When they’re cursed by a child, their lives are turned upside down. Lilah’s joined by FT columnist Stephen Bush and assistant arts editor Rebecca Watson to talk about the show and how prestige TV is changing comedy. Why are we laughing less, and cringing more? And why is comedy so complicated right now?

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at lilah.raptopoulos@ft.com.

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Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):

– The Curse can be streamed on Paramount Plus and Showtime in the US from November 10. It airs on Paramount Plus in the UK from November 11

– The other shows we discussed are Nathan For You (2013-2017) and The Rehearsal (2022)

– Look out for the FT’s review of The Curse. TV critic Dan Einav’s review of The Rehearsal is here: https://on.ft.com/3SASwFM

– Rebecca Watson’s novel is called Little Scratch. She’s on X at @rebeccawhatsun

– Stephen Bush’s daily UK politics newsletter is called Inside Politics. You can trial it for free here. He’s on X at @stephenkb

– Stephen recommended, as films where children act like children, the new British film Scrapper and the 2021 Belgian film Playground. Rebecca added the 2022 film Aftersun

– Lilah recommended the comedian Rachel Kaly

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Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Athens is crowded. Where else should you go?

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 05:00:36 GMT

In our inaugural episode of Life and Art from FT Weekend, we go to Athens. The FT’s Greece and Cyprus correspondent Eleni Varvitsioti is a lifelong Athenian, and for the past 16 years she has lived in the centre of town, in the shadow of the Acropolis. But as Athens has become more popular with tourists, the centre has become less and less livable. This week, Eleni tells us what exactly is causing the congestion, and what should be done about it. She and Lilah also suggest alternate Greek itineraries, from coastal day trips within an easy drive from Athens, to their favourite islands.

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We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram and X @lilahrap. You can email her at lilah.raptopoulos@ft.com.

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Links:

– Eleni’s essay on living in Athens’ city centre: https://on.ft.com/3QJo373

Greece recommendations:

– From Athens, Eleni suggests you drive 15km-20km along the coast to around Cape Sounio, where there are beautiful beaches. Visit the Temple of Poseidon and visit a taverna underneath it.

– Lilah recommends Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, about 500km north of Athens. There are two perfect restaurants for sit-down gyros and soutzoukakia (Greek meatballs): Diagonios and Diavasi.

– Eleni suggests, if you’re visiting Thessaloniki, to also visit Vergina, which is the tomb of Philip II of Macedon (Philip the Great).

– For islands, Eleni recommends Sifnos. Lilah recommends Skopelos, and the much less discovered southern coast of Crete.

– Other recommendations that we didn’t have space for in the episode: Eleni suggests taking a drive from Athens down along the coastlines of the Peloponnese, or to visit the northwest of the country, Ioannina, if you like nature and hiking. Lilah recommends climbing Mount Olympus, which is an actual thing you can do (you can take day hikes or stay overnight at the peak), and visiting Meteora, a complex of 14th century monasteries built precipitously on the tops of immense towering rocks.

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Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clip courtesy of Sony Pictures.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Introducing: Life and Art, from FT Weekend

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 06:00:57 GMT

Starting Monday we will be bringing you a whole new show! It’s called Life and Art, from FT Weekend. Join host Lilah Raptopoulos for two new episodes each week right here in this feed.

On Mondays, we’ll talk about life and how to live a good one. We’ll chat about food, creativity, travel and more.

On Fridays, Lilah will host a roundtable that will dive deep into a piece of culture that’s in the air right now. Every week, we’ll invite two colleagues from around the FT for the conversation.

So don’t go anywhere! Life and Art from FT Weekend debuts this Monday November 6.

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‘Halloween’ and what makes a good horror film

Fri, 27 Oct 2023 04:00:22 GMT

We’re entering Halloween weekend, so today we’re bringing you a special episode about why we like to be scared, and what scares us! We are dissecting the 1978 horror classic Halloween, by John Carpenter. This week marks its 45th anniversary. The film follows a masked serial killer, Michael Myers, as he returns to his hometown on a killing spree, and is 19-year-old Jamie Lee Curtis’ debut. It’s become one of the most popular horror franchises in history. But how does it hold up now? We’re joined by FT magazine editor/scary movie aficionado Matt Vella, and executive audio producer/occasional horror fiction writer Manuela Saragosa to talk about the film and what makes a horror film work. They also try to convince Lilah that horror films are, indeed, important and good. Be sure to listen to the intro for a special announcement!

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We love hearing from you. You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We tweet @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Manuela’s short story appears in ‘Six Scary Stories selected by Stephen King’ (2016).

– You can find Matt and Manuela on X, formerly Twitter, @mattvella and @manuelasaragosa

– Our film review of Dr Jeckell: https://on.ft.com/3Q9oBBD

– FT’s video interview with Jamie Lee Curtis, ‘A Life in Acting in a Changing Hollywood’ (May): https://on.ft.com/3QdBJWl

– Check out Luke Edward Hall’s column on how to host a pagan Halloween party (2021): https://on.ft.com/3QwpoxI

– This isn't halloween related, but we loved this recent piece on how to cook a six-dish autumn feast (the formatting of the recipes really makes it easy to throw a dinner party): https://on.ft.com/3rXgzE0

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Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clip courtesy of Sony Pictures.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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The Eras tour movie: can Taylor Swift get any bigger?

Fri, 20 Oct 2023 15:13:10 GMT

This week, we’re talking about the show, and pop star, of the century: Taylor Swift just released the film version of her Eras concert in theatres, and it’s already breaking records. Lilah hosts a roundtable on both the film and the Taylor phenomenon with HTSI Editor Jo Ellison and US media correspondent Anna Nicolaou. How did we all get wrapped up in the hype? Is there anywhere else for Swift to go? Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or at http://ft.com/ftweekendpodcast.

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We love hearing from you. You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We tweet @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– the FT’s review of the Taylor Swift concert documentary: https://on.ft.com/46Hl0lh

– Anna has been writing about the Taylor Swift phenomenon for years, including here and here

– read Jo's column on seeing Taylor, which came out the day this episode dropped. You can find Jo on Twitter and Instagram at @jellison

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Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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The best food writing is personal

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 04:00:47 GMT

This week, we bring you a conversation about food memoirs from the recent FT Weekend Festival. Cooking and eating are two of the most sensory and universal experiences we have, which makes food an excellent vehicle for stories. And food memoirs have become an extremely popular genre. Lilah speaks about it with three food-based storytellers: chef and FT columnist Ravinder Bhogal; 19-year-old baker and Instagram star Kitty Tait, who wrote a book about how baking bread saved her life; and Angela Hui, who wrote a popular memoir about growing up in a Chinese takeaway in rural Wales.

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We love hearing from you. You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

-Ravinder’s most recent recipe is here: https://on.ft.com/3ZVQiCz

-Angela’s book is called Takeaway: Stories from a Childhood behind the Counter

-Kitty’s book is called Breadsong: How baking changed our lives

-Kitty is on Instagram @kittytaitbaker

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Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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How harpist Mary Lattimore went pop

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 04:00:16 GMT

This week, we talk to harpist Mary Lattimore. Mary is known for her earthy, experimental music and has collaborated with musicians like Kurt Vile and Kesha. As she releases her new album, Goodbye, Hotel Arkada, she tells guest host Lulu Smyth about what it's like to compose and perform in a whole new way on the 47-string instrument.

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We love hearing from you. You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Mary’s new album Goodbye, Hotel Arkada is out now.

– ‘Baltic Birch’ and ‘It Feels Like Floating’ are from Mary’s 2018 album Hundreds of Days.

– Mary is touring a number of cities in the US, including Brooklyn, New York on November 3-5th.

– You can follow Mary on X @marylattimore and Instagram @maryoverthere

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Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Clips courtesy of Ghostly International.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Author Andrew Lipstein on ‘The Vegan’ and morality

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 04:00:37 GMT

This week, we talk about morality with the author Andrew Lipstein. Andrew's novel The Vegan is a satire about a hedge fund manager, Herschel, who decides to go vegan after accidentally poisoning one of his dinner party guests. Andrew talks about the novel, the state of ethics today, and why our actions don't always match our intentions.

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We love hearing from you. You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Andrew’s new novel is called The Vegan, and is out now.

– His first novel is called Last Resort.

– You can follow Andrew on X, formerly Twitter, at @ailipstein

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Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to host the perfect dinner party

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 04:00:25 GMT

This week, Lilah is talking to the FT's food and drink editor, Harriet Fitch Little, about how to host the perfect dinner party. And by "perfect" Harriet means one that you as the host will actually enjoy! Harriet shares practical tips and tricks for putting together a spread and an ambiance, but most importantly she wants you to be yourself – even if that means foregoing homemade everything.

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We love hearing from you. You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Tim Hayward on ‘no effort dinner parties’: https://on.ft.com/3rfKiHU

– ‘Who’d invite their boss to dinner?’ by Anjili Raval: https://on.ft.com/46mwf1S

– Harriet’s dinner music recommendation is A Piano and A Microphone by Prince

– From the magazine’s wine special, Jancis Robinson answers 121 of your questions about wine: https://on.ft.com/3EMh5Y8 ,

The FT Magazine’s dinner party special is out this weekend. It features hosting tips and recipes from Bao founder Erchen Chang.

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Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shania Twain returns with ‘Queen of Me’

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 04:00:25 GMT

This week, we talk to country-pop sensation Shania Twain, one of the best-selling female artists of all time. Shania is touring in the UK this month and has just released an extended edition of her iconic 90s album Come on Over, which features her greatest hits. After more than a decade of battling Lyme disease, she tells us how it feels to be back on stage.

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We love hearing from you. You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

Lulu’s interview with Shania Twain, ‘Writing a novel is easier than writing a three-minute, 22-second story that says something profound’: https://on.ft.com/3sDklCc

Come on Over: The Diamond Edition is available now.

Shania’s 2023 album is called Queen of Me.

Shania Twain is performing at the O2 in London on 16 and 17 September. Her Vegas residency is announced for May 2024.

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Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Clips courtesy of Republic and Mercury Records.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coming soon: Can AI help us speak to animals?

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 04:00:08 GMT

Subscribe now to the FT's Tech Tonic podcast: Some scientists believe that rapid advances in artificial intelligence may also hold the key to decoding animal sounds, allowing us to ‘translate’ them into human language. In a new season of Tech Tonic, FT innovation editor John Thornhill and series producer Persis Love explore how the same technology that powers ChatGPT is being applied to research in animal communication. Could we one day learn to ‘speak whale’ or even chat with bats? And if so, can we trust ourselves to do so responsibly?

Presented by John Thornhill, produced by Persis Love, sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa and Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.

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Best Of: Why fine dining isn’t fine

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 04:00:01 GMT

The announcement last winter that the world’s top restaurant, Noma, will close in 2024, has spawned dozens of think pieces asking whether this is the end of fine dining. So this weekend, we went to the FT’s renowned food critic Tim Hayward to learn about the state of the industry. Running a restaurant has never been more expensive in cities such as New York and London. And now, in the middle of a cost of living crisis, Tim says a bloodbath is coming: in order to stay afloat restauranteurs must ditch a corporate business model and return to more nimble roots. Tim tells Lilah that the good news is that he’s seeing it happen.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– ‘The restaurant industry faces a bloodbath. But there are ways to survive’, by Tim Hayward: https://on.ft.com/3lfo2u6

–The column Tim mentions on The North Circular’s Ace Cafe, which has perfect hospitality: https://on.ft.com/3Yl3dMr

–Tim’s piece ‘A 14-course tasting menu? Don’t. Just don’t’: https://on.ft.com/40GuBGq

– Our previous episode on Noma is here: https://www.ft.com/content/04bd9722-1d17-496d-aefc-fdae46d5d3b2

– Tim Hayward is on Twitter and Instagram @timhayward.

Clips from The Menu, copyright Searchlight Pictures

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How western eaters get Chinese food wrong, with Fuchsia Dunlop

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 04:01:16 GMT

This week, we explore Chinese cuisine with cook and food writer Fuchsia Dunlop. In the west, misconceptions and prejudices surround Chinese food: that it’s unhealthy, or oily, or simple. In reality, it’s a cuisine with ancient roots, that Fuchsia strongly believes is “endlessly thrilling”, and among the best and most sophisticated in the world. Fuchsia is the author of six books on Chinese food, including her newest, Invitation to a Banquet. She tells Lilah there’s a lot the west can learn from how people in China approach food.

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We love hearing from you. You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Fuschia’s book is called Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food

– Our episode with Fuschia on the noodles of Shanxi on Apple, Spotify and our website

– The FT’s review of Fuchsia’s book: https://www.ft.com/content/29a158e8-6b30-494e-91d4-d6348a12cfde

A few relevant pieces we love published in the FT by Fuchsia:

– “Tofu is a cornucopia of taste. No, really” https://www.ft.com/content/ea3d24e8-fd27-42e8-8f9d-805da91769d1

– ”The west hasn’t got a clue about bamboo”: https://www.ft.com/content/aea65ab3-f6c0-402b-83fa-e27f8262af3f

– ”How to cook with lettuce — a Fuchsia Dunlop recipe”: https://www.ft.com/content/1cfbee9f-b92a-444e-a468-aaeea3f0e605

–Fuchsia is on Instagram at @fuchsiadunlop

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Join us at the FT Weekend festival, on Saturday September 2 at Kenwood House in London. It’ll be a day of debates, tastings, Q&As and more. For £20 off your festival pass, use promo code FTWeekendPod here: https://www.ft.com/festival

Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://www.ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He spent 10 years in a museum. This is what he learned

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 04:00:54 GMT

This week, we go to one of the world’s largest museums, so a former guard can teach us new ways to appreciate art. Patrick Bringley was a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a decade. He recently wrote a memoir about his time there titled All the Beauty in the World. He takes Lilah on a tour of the museum, and they explore how to appreciate the nuances of the space: everything from how lighting changes how loud people talk in a gallery, to why it is important to visit museums alone. How do you figure out if you like Van Gogh? Should you be asking that question in the first place?

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We love hearing from you. You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Patrick Bringley’s memoir is called All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me

– The Water Lilies by Monet that Patrick and Lilah were looking at: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437137

– A recent review of the current Met show of Van Gogh’s Cypresses, by Ariella Budick: https://on.ft.com/3qDrKRB

– An FT series on the world’s best house museums: https://on.ft.com/3KU6tdk

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Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How pasta became political in Italy

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 04:00:24 GMT

This week, we're talking about the politics of Italian food. Earlier this year, the FT's Marianna Giusti wrote a viral article called "Why everything I, an Italian, thought about Italian food was wrong", which looked at the origins of classic Italian dishes like pizza and pasta carbonara. In response she got dozens of furious emails and was condemned by some of Italy's top politicians. Today Mari is on with the man whose research she profiled, historian Alberto Grandi, to discuss how Italy's right wing has taken up what Alberto calls “gastronationalism”.

– Mari’s viral article with Alberto: ‘Everything I, an Italian, thought about Italian food is wrong’ https://on.ft.com/45yV1LO

– The FT’s Amy Kazmin on Italy’s efforts to protect Italian food against insect protein and lab-grown meat: https://on.ft.com/45iq3b9

– Slate’s Decoder Ring also featured Alberto and Mari on the origins of parmesan cheese: https://slate.com/podcasts/decoder-ring/2023/07/parmesan-cheeses-journey-from-italy-to-wisconsin

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We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Our FTWeekend Festival is back on Saturday, September 2 at Kenwood House in London! It’ll be a day of debates, tastings, Q&As and more. For £20 off your festival pass, use promo code FTWeekendPod here: http://ft.com/festival

Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Introducing: The Russian Banker

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 04:00:29 GMT

Who is Sergei Leontiev? To the US asylum system, he’s an exiled Russian banker who was persecuted by the state and forced to flee. To Russia, he’s said to be responsible for massive fraud. On The Russian Banker, a new series from the Financial Times, reporters Courtney Weaver and Stefania Palma try to uncover the truth, and find a story that tells us about Russia today and how people in the west build stories about who’s good and who’s bad. The Russian Banker is a special series that will run on the Behind the Money podcast starting Aug. 30. Listen to The Russian Banker by subscribing to the Behind the Money podcast here.

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Jenny Lewis walks us through her new album

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 17:28:04 GMT

This week, musician Jenny Lewis joins Lilah to break down how she writes a song. Lewis’s music has paved the way for many famous pop stars and singer-songwriters today. She brings us through her trajectory: from child actor supporting her family, to lead singer of the beloved indie band Rilo Kiley, to solo artist who just, at 47, came out with her fifth solo album, Joy’All. Lilah asks her what she had for breakfast, she says “one weed gummy”, and they’re off.

– Read Lilah’s profile of Lewis at https://on.ft.com/45jih08

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We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Clips used:

Psychos and Giddy Up from the album Joy’all (2023), Blue Note Records

Rabbit Fur Coat from the album Rabbit Fur Coat (2006), Team Love Records

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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FT Edit presents: Global sperm counts are falling. This scientist believes she knows why

Wed, 09 Aug 2023 04:00:06 GMT

Shanna Swan is a scientist who has spent decades chasing a mystery: why global sperm counts have seemingly dropped significantly since the 1930s. At its heart, this story is simply a brilliant yarn. It has got all the elements of a Hollywood movie: this heroic dog-with-a-bone scientist, recalcitrant big business in the role of the baddie, and the looming threat of a global fertility crisis caused by harmful chemicals in everyday plastics such as baby bottles, garden hoses, and

that Tupperware you use to heat up your lunch.

You can also find this story in FT Edit, an iPhone app that gives you a taste of the very best of FT journalism. After a month’s free trial, it is 99p or 99 cents a month for the next six months. Try it out if you want the best global politics, analysis and opinion pieces.

Learn more about FT Edit.

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David Byrne on Talking Heads and ‘Here Lies Love’

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 14:37:16 GMT

This week, musician David Byrne joins Lilah in the FT’s New York newsroom to talk about how he makes creative choices. Byrne has been an enduring cultural figure for more than four decades, known for always doing something new. His current project is Here Lies Love, a disco musical on Broadway about Imelda Marcos, a former politician and first lady in the Philippines. He’s also revisiting his days with Talking Heads, as a remastered version of their seminal concert documentary Stop Making Sense will be rereleased this month by the indie studio A24. Byrne rewatched it recently, about 40 years after its release. “I’m looking at my younger self … and he seems like a stranger,” he tells Lilah. “And I go, ‘Who is this strange guy?’”

– Read Lilah’s profile of Byrne at https://on.ft.com/44SpQLK

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We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Clip of Burning Down The House is from Stop Making Sense (1984)

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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FT Edit presents: Disney struggles to revive the magic

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 21:52:56 GMT

For the next few weeks, we will be bringing you some of our most popular articles from the FT Edit app.

Elemental, the new movie from Pixar studios, recently disappointed at the box office.

On this episode, Chris Grimes, the FT’s Los Angeles correspondent, takes us inside Disney, the owner of Pixar, and asks whether it can regain its creative crown after a few years of concentrating on lucrative sequels to its existing franchises and on its streaming business, Disney+. It has been a long time since Toy Story, and critics are fretting that Pixar has lost its touch. Even Marvel, which was reliably turning out annual blockbusters, has stumbled recently with the likes of Ant-Man. Chris wrote this article shortly after the release of Elemental.

Learn more about FT Edit.

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Wildfires are getting worse. Here's how we fight them now

Fri, 28 Jul 2023 04:00:35 GMT

This week, as wildfires rage across Greece, Italy and Algeria, we talk about why fires have become so much bigger, wilder and more dangerous. The FT's chief features writer Henry Mance takes us to a wildfire training camp in Poland, where experts from around the world are struggling with how to handle these new megafires. Because of climate change, they behave differently than old fires: they burn quicker and longer, they leap across trees and rivers, and they defy most traditional rules of firefighting. Henry tells us what it's like to confront them, and whether it's possible to prevent them.

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We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Henry’s article, https://on.ft.com/3DvKtRF

– The FT’s coverage of wildfires in Rhodes: https://on.ft.com/3Oxpbte

– The FT”s coverage of wildfires in Algeria: https://on.ft.com/3KgCFqI

Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Archival clip in this episode from the BBC.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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FT Edit Presents: Can an English Chef become a pizza master?

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 04:00:25 GMT

For the next few weeks, we will be bringing you some of our most popular articles from the FT Edit app.

This week, it’s a story about one of the world’s most loved foods: pizza. Every year, the top 700 or so pizza chefs gather in Parma, in the north of Italy, for the Pizza World Championship. And this year, an English chef from Norfolk named Danny Child is hoping to win. But can a self-trained chef beat Italy's finest pizza masters?

Learn more about FT Edit.

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Author Lorrie Moore on her first novel in 14 years

Fri, 21 Jul 2023 14:54:15 GMT

This week, author Lorrie Moore is on the show. Lorrie is one of the most celebrated living writers in the United States, drawing comparisons with Chekhov and Alice Munro. And she just released her novel, I Am Homeless if This is Not My Home. It's her first in 14 years, and it is hard to describe. Let's call it a magical realist love story, in which a man takes a road trip with the corpse of his dead ex-lover. Lorrie talks to Lilah about her writing process, and how she treads the line between hilarious and devastating.

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We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Lorrie Moore’s novel is called I Am Homeless if This is Not My Home

– FT review: https://on.ft.com/44puMaB

– Lorrie’s best-known books include A Gate at the Stairs (2009), Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? (1994), and Self-Help (1989).

Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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The UK companies acting like the police

Thu, 20 Jul 2023 16:21:01 GMT

This week, we explore the question of what it means to privatise justice. The FT's Kadhim Shubber explains how, in the UK, private companies are hired to file and prosecute legal cases — even when the police think those same cases shouldn't be tried. Kadhim and Lilah discuss how private prosecutions work, why they exist, and what it could mean for the future of the justice system.

Correction: This episode has been updated to remove suggestions that private prosecution does not exist in the United States. Private prosecutions exist in a more limited form in the United States.

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We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com, we’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Kadhim’s magazine piece: https://on.ft.com/3qxsKGj

– Follow Kadhim on Twitter @kadhim

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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AI hits the music industry

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 17:45:13 GMT

Note: We want to be clear that this episode does include material that has been generated by Financial Times journalists using AI tools...we've done it to illustrate just how much AI is influencing the music industry.

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AI has arrived in the music world, and the industry is being forced to wrangle with it. The technology is now sophisticated enough to create entirely new deepfake songs. This year, millions of fake covers, and songs that clone the voices of musical artists, have appeared online. The FT’s pop critic Ludo Hunter-Tilney has fallen down a wormhole to make sense of how these programs work. He actually made a song of his own, an original fake song in the style of Tom Waits. He plays it for us, and it’s pretty bad.

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We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Ludo’s piece for FT Life and Arts: Can AI make me a musical star? https://on.ft.com/3XRMnoZ

– Ludo is on Twitter @ludohunter

– Anna Nicolaou on why Spotify has ejected thousands of AI-made songs: https://on.ft.com/3rvSqnq

– One of Ludo’s recent stories – a review of Glastonbury festival: https://on.ft.com/3rvSq6U

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Songs played: “Downtown Train” written by Tom Waits, published by Island Records. “Gritty Troubador’s Backstreet”, written by chatGPT, Ludo Hunter-Tilney, Voicify.ai and Boomy.

Songs referenced: “Dancing Queen” written by Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson, published by Stockholm Records and MCA/Universal. “Ni**as in Paris” written by Kanye West, Shawn Carter, John Altschuler, Dave Krinsky, Jeff Cox and Dave Cox, published by Roc-A-Fella, Roc Nation and Def Jam. “A Thousand Miles” written by Vanessa Carlton, produced by Ron Fair and Curtis Schweizer, published by A&M.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Unhedged podcast: Where’s the recession?

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 18:14:09 GMT

The US economy remains confusing. Markets continue to predict a slowdown but unemployment remains low. Today on the show, we try to figure out what job numbers, manufacturing and credit can tell us about a possible recession and an end to rate rises. Also, we are long the bros at Three Arrows Capital (sort of), and the US stock market.

Subscribe to the Unhedged newsletter

Follow Ethan Wu (@ethanywu) and Katie Martin (@katie_martin_fx) on Twitter

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Best Of: The secret lives of MI6’s women spies

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 04:00:04 GMT

This episode was modified to correct an inaccuracy in the intro. We said Britain has appointed one of the women interviewed for this story to director of GCHQ. Britain did recently appoint the first woman director of GCHQ, but it wasn’t one of the women interviewed for the story.

This week, we return to one of our favourite episodes, to hear about the secret lives of women spies. Our colleague Helen Warrell got exclusive access to the women at the top ranks of Britain’s MI6 agency. For the first time, they reveal what it’s like to be a woman in espionage, and how pop culture – from James Bond to John le Carré novels – has made it harder for MI6 to recruit a diverse team of spies. Then, we’re joined by behavioural economist and friend of the podcast Tim Harford, who makes a compelling case for learning when it’s time to quit.

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We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Our coverage of Anne Keast-Butler’s appointment as head of GCHQ: https://on.ft.com/3JJiMIG

– Helen’s exclusive story trailing the women at the top of MI6: https://on.ft.com/3Im2962

– Helen is on Twitter @HelenWarrell

– Tim’s column on why quitting is underrated: https://on.ft.com/3vEBVnx

– Tim’s podcast is called Cautionary Tales and he’s on Twitter @TimHarford

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Why we should read translated novels, with author Georgi Gospodinov

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 04:00:40 GMT

This week, we highlight the winner of the International Booker Prize: the novel ‘Time Shelter.’ Lilah speaks with Bulgarian novelist Georgi Gospodinov, along with his English-language translator, Angela Rodel. The book is a beautifully written and biting critique of the world's recent populist movements. Georgi and Angela let us in on some of the secrets to writing and translating it.

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We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com, we’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– An FT piece on Bulgaria’s reaction to Time Shelter winning the International Booker: https://on.ft.com/46umoIf

– Our literary editor, Fred Studeman, was one of the judges of the International Booker Prize. Read his recent interview with another Eastern European author, historian Katja Hoyer, here: https://on.ft.com/3JD5lKt

– The Summer Books supplement is out now! Here are a few of our favourite lists:

– FT journalists’ top picks for summer reads: https://on.ft.com/46rmeS0

– A list of the best fiction in translation, compiled by Ángel Gurría-Quintana: https://www.ft.com/content/ebd55a2f-b1f2-421f-af9a-236a59f47854

– A list of the best fiction so far this year, compiled by deputy books editor Laura Battle: https://www.ft.com/content/79becc39-6ded-4fa8-a5bd-ae97ce0c8824

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of 20th Century Studios.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Don’t run away and buy a vineyard

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 04:00:03 GMT

You may have had this fantasy: quit your job in the big city, move to Napa or Greece, buy a straw hat and make wine. Sales of wine-estate properties have, in fact, been rising across southern Europe for years. But the reality is, owning a vineyard is stressful, volatile and financially precarious, and the FT's Marianna Giusti warns us to avoid it at all costs. Mari's family runs a vineyard in Tuscany, Italy. As the oldest child, she is first in line to inherit it. But she doesn’t want it! This week, she joins Lilah to discuss the highs and lows of vineyard life, and explain how hard it is to make really good wine.

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We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com, we’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Mari’s piece, The many perils – and occasional pleasure – of owning a vineyard: https://on.ft.com/46vKMcL

– Mari is on Instagram @mauipippi and on Twitter @mauipippa

– Jancis Robinson on what the rise in wildfires means for fine wine: https://on.ft.com/3NKbczK

– Another recent column by Jancis, about a vineyard in New Zealand battered by heavy rainfall, ‘the first vineyard visit that left me feeling sad’: https://on.ft.com/3NIwjCA

– A more uplifting article by Jancis, on biodynamic wine: https://on.ft.com/3pfq93D

– And one on how German wine has transformed itself, but buyers haven’t noticed: https://on.ft.com/3NIoHAd

– We also mentioned A Good Year (2006) directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of 20th Century Studios.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Food and Drink mini-series: Rethinking Mexican food and drink

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 04:00:12 GMT

Welcome to the final bonus episode in our mini-series on food and drink. This week we are joined by two women who are at the forefront of a movement to elevate Mexican food and drink around the world: chef Pati Jinich and tequila maker Bertha González Nieves. Pati and Bertha were interviewed by the FT’s drinks columnist Alice Lascelles during a live conversation at the US FT Weekend Festival. Pati is a chef on a mission to educate people about the diversity of Mexican food, which she explores on her PBS show La Frontera. Bertha leads a luxury small-batch tequila brand called Casa Dragones, which is working to redefine tequila as a spirit to sip and savour. She’s also the first woman tequila distiller to earn the title “maestra tequilera”.

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Lilah’s interview with Pati Jinich for the podcast last year: https://link.chtbl.com/FTW-patijinich

– The tequila story featuring Bertha Gonzáles Nieves in FT Weekend Magazine: https://on.ft.com/3CBVsJ1

– Lilah recommends Pati’s cookbook Treasures of the Mexican Table: https://patijinich.com/cookbook/treasures-of-the-mexican-table/

– Pati’s original nachos recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021572-the-original-nachos

– A recent piece in the FT by Jancis Robinson about Mexican wine: https://on.ft.com/3NCFrYv

– A food tour of Mexico City from the FT: https://on.ft.com/3PnlN4Z

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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This episode was produced by Zach St Louis. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to have the perfect summer

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 04:00:46 GMT

This week, we're talking about how to have the best summer ever. FT magazine editor Matt Vella joins us, and we go through suggestions from listeners, from putting everything in the freezer to getting your ice-cream truck driver's phone number. We also chat about this summer's cultural highlights, and how you might be better off skipping Beyoncé and going to see a local or second-tier band.

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We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com, we’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Matt’s cultural recommendations: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will be out 28 June. Check your local listings for tour dates for Beyoncė, Shania Twain, and Le Tigre

– We also mentioned the Talking Heads documentary Stop Making Sense.

– A beautiful column by our colleague Enuma Okoro: The pleasure and possibility of summer https://on.ft.com/3P7sAzM

– The best summer music festivals worldwide: https://on.ft.com/3p4pLF2

– The perfect menu for your first summer meal outdoors (Ravinder Bhogal recipes): https://on.ft.com/3NtZHMN

– You can browse the entire summer food and drink special here: https://on.ft.com/3Ct9Q67

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Food and Drink mini-series: Dan Barber says good food starts with seeds

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 04:00:03 GMT

Welcome to the third bonus episode in our mini-series on food and drink. This week, we have a conversation with star chef Dan Barber, live from the recent US FT Weekend Festival. Dan is the chef and co-owner of Blue Hill in Manhattan, as well as Blue Hill at Stone Barns, a two-star Michelin restaurant in upstate New York. He has been a thought leader for almost two decades, and what he wants to talk about most right now are seeds. He says 65% of the world's seed supply is produced by four companies. "We have to start with seed,” he tells the FT’s arts editor Jan Dalley. “If you get the wrong seed, you get everything wrong."

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod.

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Links:

– Dan Barber’s organic seed company is called Row 7 Seed Company

– His book is The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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This episode was produced by Zach St Louis. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing Unhedged

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 16:00:00 GMT

We want to tell about a new podcast coming soon! On Unhedged, Ethan Wu, Katie Martin and other markets nerds at the Financial Times explain the big ideas behind what’s happening in finance right now. Unhedged launches June 13, you can follow the show here!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Food and Drink mini-series: demystifying wine with André Mack

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 21:31:02 GMT

Welcome to the second bonus episode in our mini-series on food and drink. This week, Lilah demystifies wine with sommelier, winemaker and restaurateur André Hueston Mack at his restaurant in central Brooklyn. The wine world has been historically inaccessible, and over the past few decades it's become younger, trendier and even countercultural. André has been at the forefront of this change. He explains how different wines come into fashion, from Georgian wine to Beaujolais. Then, he and Lilah open two bottles to learn how to smell and taste. A wine can be dry or sweet, but can also taste like an old attic or an oyster by the sea!

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Lilah and André were at André’s seafood restaurant Kingfisher in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn

– André’s Bon Appétit YouTube show is called World of Wine. Here’s an episode Lilah loves: https://youtu.be/2lsHvoxCqAI

– The Beaujolais André and Lilah tasted was a Domaine Chapel Fleurie Charbonnieres 2020

– The Sancerre was a Noël et Jean-Luc Raimbault Sancerre Blanc 2022 from the Loire Valley

– André is on Instagram @andrehmack. His wine label is called Maison Noir

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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This episode was produced by Zach St Louis. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The gangs risking their lives for copper in South Africa

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 04:00:37 GMT

This week, we meet the South African gangs stealing copper to survive. When the journalist Monica Mark moved to Johannesburg, she noticed that copper theft was causing disruptions across the country: power went out, trains were cancelled, and her neighbourhood Whatsapp group was livid. She wanted to find out who was behind it. So she tracked down a man who used to be in a copper gang. His story is a unique look at South Africa's current struggles with high unemployment, vast inequality and a global market willing to turn a blind eye for profit.

Don’t forget! Send us your top summer tip: what’s one thing that you’d recommend people do to have the perfect summer? Deadline is Sunday, June 4. Record a message here: http://sayhi.chat/15xxg

You can also email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com, tweet us @ftweekendpod, or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Monica’s magazine piece: https://on.ft.com/43gop8N

– Follow Monica on Twitter @nickswicks

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Food and Drink mini-series: Tamar Adler on cooking leftovers

Wed, 31 May 2023 04:00:33 GMT

Welcome to the first bonus episode in our mini-series on food and drink. Every Wednesday, as we inch closer to summer, we'll host a fun conversation with a different expert. Lilah’s first guest is chef and food writer Tamar Adler. Twelve years ago, Tamar wrote the bestselling book An Everlasting Meal, which shared her philosophy that every meal you make can come from the meal before it. She recently expanded it into The Everlasting Meal Cookbook, an encyclopedia for cooking leftovers, with more than 1,500 little recipes. Tamar joins Lilah to talk through making second, third and even fourth meals out of what we have in our kitchens, from leftover pasta to wilting lettuce to an old deli sandwich.

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Tamar’s most recent cookbook is The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A-Z.

– Lilah also recommends her original book, An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace

– Tamar’s recent piece for FT Weekend on her dream dinner party: https://on.ft.com/43pTres

– Tamar is on Instagram @tamar.e.adler

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We’re still collecting your top summer tips: what’s one small thing that you’d recommend people do this summer, that would make their summer 90% better? Record a message here: http://sayhi.chat/15xxg

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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This episode was produced by Zach St Louis. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Romantic comedies, with novelist Curtis Sittenfeld

Fri, 26 May 2023 15:33:14 GMT

This week, bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld joins us to talk about romantic comedies. Curtis is a long-time fan of rom-coms – her most recent novel is, in fact, called Romantic Comedy. She loves love. But she also knows that there’s a difference between how love is portrayed in TV and movies, and what it’s like in real life. Curtis speaks with Lilah about the state of romantic comedies today: how they’ve changed, and where they could go next.

Don’t forget! Send us your top summer tip: what’s one thing that you’d recommend people do to have the perfect summer? Record a message here: http://sayhi.chat/15xxg

You can also email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com, tweet us @ftweekendpod, or message Lilah on Instagram or Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Curtis’ latest novel is called Romantic Comedy

– The FT’s review of Romantic Comedy: https://on.ft.com/3OGt4wC

– Curtis’ other novels include Rodham (an alternate history of the life of Hillary Clinton) Prep (set in an American boarding school), Eligible (a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice), and American Wife (a romance based loosely on the life of Barbara Bush)

– Follow Curtis on Twitter @csittenfeld

Romantic comedies mentioned:

– When Harry Met Sally

– Say Anything

– Notting Hill

– Four Weddings and a Funeral

– Dirty Dancing

– Jerry Maguire

– You’ve Got Mail

– Ticket to Paradise (starring Julia Roberts and George Clooney)

– Rye Lane

– Fire Island

– Russian Doll

– Something’s Gotta Give

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Clips courtesy of Columbia Pictures, Universal Pictures, and Vestron Pictures / Lionsgate Entertainment.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What advice would you give your older self?

Fri, 19 May 2023 04:00:43 GMT

Robert Shrimsley has written a satirical column for the FT for years, and this week we talk through one where he gives advice to his older self. As it turns out, forecasting who you might become is an exercise in recognising who you are now – and coming to terms with your genuine interests and limitations. Then Lilah speaks with Alice Lascelles, the FT’s drinks contributor, about the rise of non-alcoholic beverages. Turns out, making a cocktail that’s non-alcoholic and good is the ultimate challenge for bartenders.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Robert is the FT’s UK chief political commentator and UK editor-at-large. He has two columns, one on UK politics and one in the FT Weekend Magazine

– Robert’s ‘Advice to my older self’ column: https://on.ft.com/41GYoy2

– Another column by Robert: ‘What’s with all the farmer’s markets?’: https://on.ft.com/3IgOIU8

– One more column by Robert: ‘Humanity has built AI in its own image, heaven help us’: https://on.ft.com/41QmfLW

– Alice’s column on the World Alcohol Free awards: https://on.ft.com/3IgsGAX

–Robert is on Twitter at @robertshrimsley. Alice is on Instagram and Twitter @alicelascelles.

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Her parents fled Iran. Her art tells their story

Fri, 12 May 2023 04:00:11 GMT

This week, we speak with artist Sheida Soleimani. Soleimani grew up in the American Midwest hearing stories of her parents’ escape from Iran: her father spending years in hiding, her mother imprisoned in solitary confinement. Now, she is using three-dimensional collages to tell their story. And she’s doing it in collaboration with them.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Lilah’s profile of Sheida Soleimani, from the FT Weekend Magazine’s recent photography special: https://on.ft.com/3MjCQTB

– You can explore Ghostwriter on the Edel Assanti website. It’s on view at their gallery in London until May 13: https://edelassanti.com/exhibitions/115-sheida-soleimani-ghostwriter/

– Sheida Soleimani’s 2021 work Proof: https://dennygallery.com/artists/sheida-soleimani/

– Ghostwriter will be on view at the Denny Gallery in Manhattan in September

– Sheida is on Instagram at @sheidajanam

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Our US edition of the FTWeekend Festival is back! Join Hillary Clinton, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Waters, your favourite FT writers, and more on May 20 in Washington, DC, and online. Register now and save $20 using the promo code weekendpodcast at ft.com/festival-us

Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to have a good death

Fri, 05 May 2023 14:49:16 GMT

This week, we consider what it means to have a good death. As nursing strikes escalate throughout the UK and Ireland, the writer Imogen Savage couldn't help but think of her mother Anne, who spent more than 45 years working in end of life care. Imogen spent her childhood watching Anne help people die comfortably and with dignity. Today, we speak with them both about what they've learned about death, and why we shouldn’t cut corners when it comes to caring for the dying.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Imogen’s article about her mother: https://on.ft.com/426JTED

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Succession's Arian Moayed on how to play a good bad guy

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 04:00:08 GMT

This weekend, we meet actor Arian Moayed. You may know him as Stewy Hosseini from HBO’s Succession, a scheming private equity shark who loves money and fears no one. He's also currently in A Doll's House on Broadway opposite Jessica Chastain, playing Torvald Helmer, one of theatre history's most famous chauvinists. He talks to Lilah about the difference between a trope bad guy and a complicated person, and how to play unlikeable characters as fully formed people. Arian and his family fled from Iran in the 1980s. He says when he sees A Doll’s House, all he sees is Iran. We discuss how his culture informs his work as an actor.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Succession airs on HBO in the US and SkyAtlantic in the UK. The finale is on Sunday, May 28. Here’s the FT’s review of season 4: https://on.ft.com/3LdbxZA

– A Doll’s House, adapted by Amy Herzog and directed by Jamie Lloyd, is at the Hudson Theatre on Broadway through to June 10: https://adollshousebroadway.com/

– A column by the FT’s Jo Ellison on why the Succession wardrobe is so good https://on.ft.com/3VcfulE

– A profile of director Jamie Lloyd: https://on.ft.com/3Ldbyg6

– Our conversation with Michael Patrick Thornton: https://link.chtbl.com/ftweekend-mpt

– Arian is on Twitter and Instagram @arianmoayed. His non-profit, Waterwell, is at https://www.waterwell.org/

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Our US edition of the FTWeekend Festival is back! Join Jamie Lee Curtis, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Waters, your favourite FT writers, and more on May 20 in Washington, DC, and online. Register now and save $20 using the promo code weekendpodcast at ft.com/festival-us

Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music.

Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Clips in this episode courtesy of HBO.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks on making art about Covid

Fri, 21 Apr 2023 04:00:08 GMT

This week, Lilah speaks to Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, whose new show Plays for the Plague Year asks us to remember, process and grieve the pandemic. Suzan-Lori is best known for her 2001 play Topdog/Underdog, which was reprised on Broadway in the autumn. But her new show is different: she wrote one short play a day through the pandemic, and collected them into a lively, music-filled theatrical event. Suzan-Lori and Lilah talk through big questions: when is the right time to look back? What does ‘back to normal’ mean? What can and should we do with our memories? And how do you create complex art about difficult things?

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Plays for the Plague Year by Suzan-Lori Parks is running at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater until April 30 https://publictheater.org/productions/season/2223/plays-for-the-plague-year2/

– Suzan-Lori’s Pulitzer-Prize winning play is Topdog/Underdog: https://bookshop.org/p/books/topdog-underdog-suzan-lori-parks/10486222?ean=9781559362016

– The FT interviewed Suzan-Lori and Cynthia Erivo on the alchemy of Aretha Franklin (2021): https://on.ft.com/3V120Jt

–Suzan-Lori is the playwright in residence at the Public, and does a regular virtual ‘watch me work’ session over zoom for people to get writing done together, and ask her questions: https://publictheater.org/productions/season/2122/watch-me-work/

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Clips in this episode courtesy of The Public Theater

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing Behind the Money: Night School

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 04:00:42 GMT

There’s been a lot of big finance and economics news in 2023. Whether it's stories about rising interest rates, tech industry layoffs or bank runs, it can almost feel like you need an MBA just to make sense of it all. That’s why the Financial Times is launching a bonus series called Behind the Money: Night School.

Over the next five weeks, this show will help you understand the concepts behind the biggest economic stories of this year. U.S. managing editor Peter Spiegel chats with FT journalists as they unpack the basics around things like energy markets, inflation and the rise of artificial intelligence. This series is supported by Blinkist. If you want to find out more about conversations like this, check out the Blinkist app.

Behind the Money: Night School is out now. Find it by subscribing to the Behind the Money podcast wherever you listen.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The secret gamblers using AI to hack horse racing

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 04:00:48 GMT

This week, we go to a racetrack in Miami, Florida to drink some beers, place some bets, and discover how AI is changing the sport of horse racing. FT data journalist Oliver Roeder joins Lilah to talk about how the ancient sport is being upended by anonymous computer-assisted bets. These secretive gamblers are injecting billions of dollars into the pools, and aggressively tipping the odds, and it’s putting the whole sport at risk.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Oliver’s piece on horse betting: https://on.ft.com/3UDrX1t

– Oliver’s on Twitter at @ollie

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Our US edition of the FTWeekend Festival is back! Join Jamie Lee Curtis, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Waters, your favourite FT writers, and more on May 20 in Washington, DC, and online. Register now and save $20 using promo code weekendpodcast at ft.com/festival-us

Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We love tequila. It’s causing problems

Sat, 08 Apr 2023 15:30:46 GMT

This week, we talk tequila. Over the last 20 years, it has become wildly popular, celebrity-endorsed, and top-shelf. Tequila and mezcal are the fastest-growing spirit category in the US; this year, they are set to overtake vodka as the country's best-selling spirit. But the impact on local Mexican farmers and distillers has been damaging, and demand is outpacing supply. Ivy Mix, author of Spirits of Latin America and owner of respected Brooklyn bar Leyenda, talks us through what's at risk – and what can be done. Then, we head to Mexico City to learn the traditional way to drink the spirit from Gina Barbachano, one of the city's top bartenders.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Lilah’s magazine piece, ‘How Americans ruined tequila – and the true believers saving it’: https://on.ft.com/40QnpXW

– Ivy’s book is called Spirits of Latin America. She’s on Instagram @IvyMix

– Gina is bartender and co-owner of Hanky Panky, in Mexico City. She’s on Instagram @GinaBarbachano

– Ivy poured Lilah Tequila Ocho, Siembra Azul, and Fortaleza, as examples of tequilas doing good work. Gina poured us Caballito Cerero

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Special discounts for podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

Our US edition of the FTWeekend Festival is back! Join Jamie Lee Curtis, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Waters, your favourite FT writers and more on May 20 in Washington, DC, and online. Register now and save $20 off using promo code weekendpodcast at ft.com/festival-us

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Additional clips this week copyright Atlantic Records and Universal Music Group.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Best of: How Shakespeare gave actor Michael Patrick Thornton his life back

Sat, 01 Apr 2023 16:30:32 GMT

This weekend, we bring you a conversation with actor Michael Patrick Thornton, who is currently in a buzzy Broadway production of A Doll's House alongside Jessica Chastain. When Michael was 24, he had a series of spinal cord strokes. Reciting Shakespeare's sonnets taught him how to breathe and speak again, and continue his career. Michael is at present the only actor on Broadway who uses a wheelchair. The interview was recorded a few months ago, while Michael was on stage in Macbeth with Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga. Then, we learn about Melissa Dring, Britain's top forensic artist, from journalist Will Coldwell, and the techniques she uses to catch criminals — they are surprisingly cute, and include a jar of strawberry jam.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Will’s profile of Melissa Dring, ‘To catch a criminal: what a forensic artist knows about the mind’: https://on.ft.com/3rw0lht

– Michael Patrick Thornton’s theatre company, The Gift: https://thegifttheatre.org/ – Michael is on Twitter @ThorntonMPT, and Will is on Twitter at @Will_Coldwell

– A Doll’s House is on Broadway through June 10 https://adollshousebroadway.com/

– Select coverage of the war in Ukraine is free to read at https://www.ft.com/freetoread

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

Our. US edition of the FTWeekend Festival is back! Join Jamie Lee Curtis, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Waters, your favourite FT writers and more on May 20 in Washington, DC, and online. Register now and save $20 off using promo code weekendpodcast at ft.com/festival-us

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The art of the celebrity interview, with Sam Fragoso

Mon, 27 Mar 2023 18:21:11 GMT

This week, Lilah compares notes on interviewing with podcaster Sam Fragoso. Sam's show Talk Easy features in-depth conversations with some of the biggest names in culture: from Cate Blanchett and Judd Apatow, to Noam Chomsky. He tells Lilah about his highlights and difficult moments, and they discuss what makes a great conversation. Then, we challenged listeners to submit boring topics for us to make interesting, and this week we take on the UK citizenship test. To become a British citizen, you have to pass a uniquely esoteric test about "British customs, traditions and laws". What do the questions suggest about what it means to be British? And should these tests exist at all?

Note: After this podcast was aired, Jonathan Majors was arrested for assault. His lawyer says he is "completely innocent".

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Sam’s podcast, Talk Easy, is available to listen wherever you get your podcasts, and is on Instagram at Twitter @talkeasypod

– Sam and Lilah discuss conversations with Ke Huy Quan and Kara Swisher. Sam also recommends his conversations with Norman Lear and journalist Maria Ressa. Lilah recommends Sam's conversation with Lena Dunham: https://talkeasypod.com/lena-dunham/

– Professor Thom Brooks’ Ted Talk: ‘Should the British citizenship test be a barrier or a bridge?’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNHpyJPbXNI

– A guide to passing the citizenship test, by the FT’s Federica Cocco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn9k29PWmMU

– The FT’s Alan Livsey on his experience of the test: ‘For Better or Worse, I’m British now’: https://on.ft.com/3JCRQtj

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Special shout out to producer Lulu Smyth.

Additional clips from Pushkin and the BBC’s Live at the Apollo.

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Audio changed to include an edit on 3/24/2023.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ben Okri on poetry and politics. Plus: graffiti legend 10 Foot

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 04:00:49 GMT

This week, we host a writer and an editor in conversation. Booker-winning novelist and poet Ben Okri and outgoing FT Weekend editor Alec Russell meet in the studio on Alec’s last day in the role. They reflect on the political power of poetry, what fiction and non-fiction can teach each other, and the vital role of art. Then, we meet one of London’s most notorious and prolific graffiti writers. His name is 10 Foot, and his tag is famous, but he’s anonymous. Journalist Miles Ellingham spent months with him, and he and Lilah discuss graffiti’s role and the question of who owns a city.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Ben Okri’s piece, ‘The Famished Road and my quest for the imaginative richness of Africa’, from Alec’s final edition of FT Weekend: https://on.ft.com/3FqbpUr

– Miles Ellingham’s profile of graffiti writer 10 Foot: https://on.ft.com/3FyP3Qz

– Ben Okri’s poem for the FT, ‘Grenfell Tower, June 2017’: https://on.ft.com/40bFq2i

– Alec is on Twitter at @AlecuRussell. Miles is on twitter @milesellingham

–The whole Africa special is here, and free-to-read

– Other stories by Ben Okri in the FT: https://www.ft.com/stream/f89dd99d-32d8-35de-95df-6e791313c63f

–Miles recommends the classic 1982 documentary, ‘Style Wars’: https://youtu.be/7DXD1HBaLX0

– He also recommends ‘Jisoe’ (2014), which has been described as “the best graffiti film ever made”: https://youtu.be/gp8ZNqaG-dE

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Our U.S. edition of the FTWeekend Festival is back! Join Jamie Lee Curtis, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Waters, your favourite FT writers, and more on May 20 in Washington, D.C., and online. Register now and save $20 off using promo code weekendpodcast at ft.com/festival-us

Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elif Batuman rethinks Russian literature

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 05:00:13 GMT

This week Lilah speaks with author Elif Batuman about rethinking Russian literature given Russia’s war in Ukraine. Since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, cultural institutions have grappled with what to do about Russian artists and works of art. Should they be banned if we want to support Ukraine? Elif talks us through the literary dimension of the debate. And she says go ahead, read the Russian classics. But learn about the history and culture of the time as you’re doing it. Then, FT music critic Arwa Haider comes on to talk Lilah through recent trends in music: from the resurgence of pop punk to the loss of the superstar.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–Elif Batuman’s essay on reading Russian literature in the shadow of the war in Ukraine: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/01/30/rereading-russian-classics-in-the-shadow-of-the-ukraine-war

–Elif wrote the bestselling novels The Idiot and Either/Or. Here’s our first conversation with her, about Either/Or: https://www.ft.com/content/703dcdbf-cf67-4c40-bd46-a97903a8d6c3

–Mary Elise Sarotte on Putin’s misuse of history: https://on.ft.com/3kVkfmd

–An essay Elif recommends by Ukrainian writer Oksana Zabuzhko’s on the same topic: https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/russian-literature-bucha-massacre-essay-oksana-zabuzhko

–You can find Arwa Haider’s FT music reviews here: https://www.ft.com/stream/d52c64d7-bc56-3cae-bfb9-65bb15f69b9d

–Arwa is on Twitter at @ArwaHaider

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Copyright for additional music this week: Geffen-Interscope Records; Warner Music Group; Saddle Creek Records; Sony Music Entertainment; Rimas Entertainment

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Best of: Chef Mashama Bailey on reclaiming African-American food

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 05:00:24 GMT

This week Lilah goes to Savannah, Georgia, to visit chef Mashama Bailey. In 2022, Mashama won Outstanding Chef at the James Beard Awards. Since 2014, she has been chef and partner at The Grey, a restaurant located in a formerly segregated bus station. And she has been redefining American food by reclaiming its African-American roots. But because so much of this history hasn't been documented, how do you find and preserve it, and also expand on it? Mashama explains her creative process. We also speak with Stephen Satterfield, host of the Netflix docuseries High on the Hog. Stephen is the founder of Whetstone Media, which is dedicated to tracing food stories back to their roots of origin.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Lilah’s written piece on Mashama in the FT Magazine: https://on.ft.com/3I8v4br

– Mashama and her business partner John O Morisano’s memoir about The Grey is called Black, White, and the Grey

– Stephen is the founder of Whetstone Magazine and Whetstone Media. You can learn more at https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/

– Whetstone Radio Collective has a suite of podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/whetstone-radio/id6442689915

– Stephen’s Peabody-winning Netflix docuseries is called High on the Hog

– Dr Jessica B Harris’s seminal book on African-American food history is called High on the Hog: a Culinary Journey from Africa to America

– Edna Lewis is considered the first lady of Southern cooking. Her groundbreaking cookbook, published in 1976, is called The Taste of Country Cooking

– Lilah also recommends Bryant Terry's 2021 cookbook Black Food, and the work of Michael W Twitty. Michael is on Instagram at @thecookinggene and has an excellent Masterclass session on tracing your roots through food

– Mashama is on Instagram at @mashamabailey. Stephen is at @isawstephen

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ukraine one year on, with filmmaker Nadia Parfan

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 05:00:14 GMT

This week marks a year since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In this episode, Lilah speaks with Ukrainian director Nadia Parfan, whose documentary short 'I did not want to make a war film' is a first-person essay about how life has changed. Nadia was in Egypt when the war began, but a few weeks later, she chose to return to Ukraine because she feared isolation more than physical danger. She joins us from a coffee shop in Kyiv to talk about making the film, what life is like in Ukraine for civilians, and why making art can be a form of resistance.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Nadia Parfan’s film ‘I Did Not Want To Make A War Film’ is available now. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx9yrdjPKQ4

– FT Magazine cover, ‘A 12 year journey into Ukraine’ by Christopher Miller: https://www.ft.com/content/f1983056-c34f-4646-946a-6328200d65e7

– A year in review: ‘How Putin blundered into Ukraine – and doubled down:’ https://www.ft.com/content/80002564-33e8-48fb-b734-44810afb7a49

– Mary Elise Sarotte on Putin’s misuse of history: https://www.ft.com/content/24f81b4d-420e-4217-b498-cf13c6e254f2

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Artist Nick Cave on police violence and history repeating

Fri, 17 Feb 2023 05:00:06 GMT

This week, we speak with visual artist Nick Cave. Cave is best known for his ‘Soundsuits’: vibrant, whimsical costumes that entirely cover the face and body. But the Soundsuits are not just playful. He made the first after police beat Rodney King in 1991, and they are meant to help process collective sorrow through celebration, and to give armour to the marginalized. In the wake of police killing Tyre Nichols last month, we speak with Nick about how his work has changed over 30 years, even as history repeats. Then, FT Weekend columnist Nilanjana Roy joins us to discuss what makes a great book club, and how to start your own.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Nick’s exhibition ‘Forothermore’ is on at the Guggenheim museum in New York until April 10. See the art and video performance from the show here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAw4bemr0NQ

– The FT’s excellent review of the exhibition, by the great Ariella Budick: ‘turning bric-a-brac into joyful, furious art’: https://on.ft.com/3Eg6zsm

– The horses in Grand Central Station: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBALj_Um1fc

– ‘In praise of book clubs – and how to do them well’ by Nilanjana Roy: https://on.ft.com/3xtmmjF

– Nilanjana’s newest novel Black River will be published in June. Her most recent book is The Girl Who Ate Books (2016).

– Nilanjana is on Twitter @nilanjanaroy. Nick Cave is on Instagram @nickcaveart

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why fine dining isn’t fine

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 05:00:54 GMT

The announcement that the world’s top restaurant, Noma, will close in 2024, has spawned dozens of think pieces asking whether this is the end of fine dining. So this weekend, we went to the FT’s renowned food critic Tim Hayward to learn about the state of the industry. Running a restaurant has never been more expensive in cities such as New York and London. And now, in the middle of a cost of living crisis, Tim says a bloodbath is coming: in order to stay afloat restauranteurs must ditch a corporate business model and return to more nimble roots. Tim tells Lilah that the good news is that he’s seeing it happen.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– ‘The restaurant industry faces a bloodbath. But there are ways to survive’, by Tim Hayward: https://on.ft.com/3lfo2u6

–The column Tim mentions on the The North Circular’s Ace Cafe, which has perfect hospitality: https://on.ft.com/3Yl3dMr

–Tim’s piece ‘A 14-course tasting menu? Don’t. Just don’t’: https://on.ft.com/40GuBGq

– Our previous episode on Noma is here: https://www.ft.com/content/04bd9722-1d17-496d-aefc-fdae46d5d3b2

– Tim Hayward is on Twitter and Instagram @timhayward.

Clips from The Menu, copyright Searchlight Pictures

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’ author Gabrielle Zevin

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 05:00:32 GMT

This week, we’re joined by Gabrielle Zevin, author of the novel ‘Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’. One of last year's bestsellers, it traces the lives of two friends, Sam and Sadie, who meet as kids and become world famous video game creators. Gabrielle tells Lilah why she focused on games, and how video games from Pac-Man to Mario influenced a generation of people. Then, we learn about a Rolex watch ‘grey market’ with Jeff Maysh. Try to buy a Rolex – you're unlikely to find one on the shelves. Jeff found out why that’s the case (crypto has something to do with it).

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Fill out our survey to tell us what you think of the show! You could win a pair of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: http://ft.com/weekendsurvey.

Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin, is available now in paperback.

– The FT review of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: https://on.ft.com/3JYGtvv

– Jeff’s piece on the Rolex grey market in the FT: https://on.ft.com/3hQggFW

– Jeff’s piece on the 30 million dollar lottery scam https://t.co/IyDQnNxStZ (The Atlantic) and on Donald Trump and the Sweepstakes scammers https://t.co/TTfyJnAd2I (New Yorker)

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oscar-nominated directors: ‘Everything Everywhere’ and ‘Triangle of Sadness’

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 05:00:53 GMT

The Oscar nominations have been announced. This weekend, we revisit two of our interviews from last year, with filmmakers behind two of the most nominated films: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who directed ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’, and Ruben Östlund, director of ‘Triangle of Sadness’. Both are nominated for best director and best picture, and both are unexpected: 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' is praised for combining genres from indie comedy to sci-fi to kung fu. 'Triangle of Sadness' is a dark comedy critique of wealth and power. The interviews are a wild ride, and among our favourites.

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What do you think of the show? Fill out our survey! You could win a pair of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: http://ft.com/weekendsurvey.

Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– The FT’s roundup of this year’s Oscar nominees: https://on.ft.com/3ZZAIp3

– Our review of Everything Everywhere All at Once: https://on.ft.com/3R6cjdr

– Our review of Triangle of Sadness: https://on.ft.com/3Hblu7J

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Surviving US healthcare. Plus: Prince Harry’s 'Spare'

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 05:00:01 GMT

This weekend, the FT's Claire Bushey asks a question that sounds poetic but is actually entirely unsentimental: how much is my life worth? In 2021, Claire learned she had breast cancer. The cost of her treatment points us to how, exactly, the US healthcare system is broken. Then, Lilah takes on Prince Harry's autobiography Spare with chief features writer Henry Mance. After so much Harry and Meghan content, what can we possibly still learn?

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We love hearing from you! Fill in our feedback survey here: http://ft.com/weekendsurvey. You can also email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Claire’s column, ‘How much does my life cost? A tale of US cancer care’’: https://on.ft.com/3HeGyeS

– Claire recommends the book Never Pay The First Bill, by Marshall Allen. She also references The Undying: A Meditation on Modern Illness by Anne Boyer

– Henry Mance’s review of Spare, by Prince Harry: https://on.ft.com/3J2oDcy

– Claire is on Twitter @Claire_Bushey. Henry is @HenryMance. Henry has a book called How to Love Animals.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How AI is changing art. Plus: winter cooking

Fri, 13 Jan 2023 05:00:37 GMT

This weekend, we learn about AI-generated art. Type any sentence, such as “Sea otter with a pearl earring by Johannes Vermeer” into a website, and you’ll get an uncanny visual approximation created entirely by AI — with no input from humans. Our gaming critic Tom Faber joins Lilah to explore what impact it could have on human creativity. Then, we talk about deep winter cooking with the chefs behind our food column: Honey and Co. Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer give us tons of ideas, from soup to shanks to citrus salads.

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We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Tom’s magazine cover, ‘The Golden Age of AI-generated art is here’, including AI-generated images: https://on.ft.com/3CIlY3V

– You can make your own AI art at openai.com/dall-e-2. FT readers have submitted some great ones here: https://on.ft.com/3iztEOV

– Honey and Co’s latest recipe, a delicious tomato and rice soup with basil oil: https://on.ft.com/3GDpg9w

– Cabbage stuffed with beef, rice and prunes: https://on.ft.com/3W1xJZP

– Winter jams, spreads and chutneys: https://on.ft.com/3kdK4ge

– A collection of citrus recipes, from treacle-cured salmon to lemon fizz: https://on.ft.com/3X8zNk9

– Their cookbooks are called Honey and Co the cookbook, Honey and Co at home, Golden (which has baking recipes), and Chasing Smoke: cooking over fire around the levant

– Tom is on Twitter @_TomFaber. Itamar and Sarit are on Instagram @honeyandco.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The secret lives of MI6’s women spies

Fri, 06 Jan 2023 05:00:48 GMT

This week, we learn about the secret lives of women spies. Our colleague Helen Warrell got exclusive access to the women at the top ranks of Britain’s MI6 agency. For the first time, they reveal what it’s like to be a woman in espionage, and how pop culture – from James Bond to John le Carré novels – has made it harder for MI6 to recruit a diverse team of spies. Then, we’re joined by behavioural economist and friend of the podcast Tim Harford, who – just in time for your New Year's resolutions – makes a compelling case for learning when it’s time to quit.

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We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Helen’s exclusive story trailing the women at the top of MI6: https://on.ft.com/3Im2962

– Helen is on Twitter @HelenWarrell

– Tim’s column on why quitting is underrated: https://on.ft.com/3vEBVnx

– Tim’s podcast is called Cautionary Tales and he’s on Twitter @TimHarford

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tamagotchis and reality TV: 2023 cultural predictions

Fri, 16 Dec 2022 05:00:10 GMT

It’s our last episode of the year, and our annual predictions episode for 2023! Lilah is joined by FT Magazine editor Matt Vella to talk through listener call-ins, from dog trends to speed dating to what White Lotus says about the end of the world. Matt and Lilah also add some hopes, dreams and guesses of their own. Then, FT editors and journalists share their predictions for what will happen in art, fashion, music, tech and more.

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We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Matt is on Twitter @mattvella. You also heard from fashion editor Lauren Indvik (@laureni), arts editor Jan Dalley, music critic Arwa Haider (@ArwaHaider), deputy arts editor Raphael Abraham (@RaphAbraham), and San Francisco correspondent Patrick McGee (@PatrickMcGee_)

– Raph’s film recommendations are Aftersun (2022, out now), directed by Charlotte Wells. The Fabelmans (January 2023), directed by Stephen Spielberg and Alcarràs (January 2023), directed by Carla Simón

–Here’s Raph’s interview with Aftersun director Charlotte Wells: https://on.ft.com/3Twlweq

–A column from Jan on how rich bashing is back, onscreen, with White Lotus: https://on.ft.com/3UaFX18

–Lauren has a new excellent newsletter on the business of the $2.5tn fashion industry, called Fashion Matters. Subscribe here: https://on.ft.com/3Xa4Nk5

– A full list of FT columnists’ predictions for 2023 will be published on the FT’s website at the end of this month

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

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Clip courtesy of HBO

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The big debate in climate tech. Plus Jancis Robinson

Fri, 09 Dec 2022 05:00:12 GMT

This week, we talk through the most compelling technology being developed to combat climate change, with FT business columnist and climate expert Pilita Clark. And there’s a big debate among scientists: should we focus on older technology, such as solar and wind, or the latest innovations like direct carbon capture and even nuclear fusion? Then, wine columnist Jancis Robinson gives Lilah her holiday drink recommendations, and discusses one of the year's most controversial trends: canned and boxed wine. According to Jancis, we should be taking it seriously.

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You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Listen to the latest season of Tech Tonic, hosted by Pilita here https://www.ft.com/tech-tonic, or wherever you get your podcasts

– Pilita’s columns are https://www.ft.com/pilita-clark

– the latest from Jancis at the FT: https://www.ft.com/life-arts/jancis-robinson

– Jancis has her own very active website at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/. It features her brand new podcast: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/we-launch-podcast

– Pilita is on Twitter @pilitaclark. Jancis is at @jancisrobinson.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Tracking down Nigeria’s stolen artefacts

Fri, 02 Dec 2022 05:00:01 GMT

This week, we talk about the Benin Bronzes, a group of sacred artefacts stolen by British colonisers from the west African Kingdom of Benin. Guest host Lulu Smyth speaks to Aanu Adeoye and Josh Spero, who have been reporting on the efforts to trace thousands of them. For years western museums, which hold the bulk of the Benin Bronzes, refused to collect and share inventory, meaning they could not be returned to Nigeria. Now, a new digital project is doing just that. Then, it’s the first of our ‘boring topic’ challenges. We talk to author Benjamin Lorr about supermarkets and their secret – and not-so-secret – ways to lure us in.

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Tell us your cultural prediction for 2022! You can record a voice message here: https://sayhi.chat/jzdg3

If you prefer, you can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Aanu and Josh’s story, ‘The Benin Bronzes and the road to restitution’: https://www.ft.com/content/1b32105e-428a-49e8-b2f2-d3ba381c4c65

– Digital Benin can be explored here: https://digitalbenin.org/

– The song we played is Egbo: The Song of Praise for Oba Eware, by Roseline Obogdu. You can listen to it here: https://digitalbenin.org/oral-history#filter_none&interview_7

– Aanu is on Twitter @aanuadeoye. Josh is at @joshspero.

– Benjamin Lorr’s book is The Secret Lives of Groceries.

– You can follow Benjamin on Twitter @BenjaminLorr.

‘Egbo: Song of Praise for Oba Eware’ by Roseline Ogbodu, is courtesy of Digital Benin.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Best Of: The international mystery of 'the Hum'

Fri, 25 Nov 2022 05:00:02 GMT

This week, we return to one of our favourite episodes. We go searching for the Hum, a mysterious noise that has plagued the residents of Halifax, West Yorkshire. It’s an uncomfortable, low-frequency sound that has also been heard in towns across the world, from New Mexico to Ontario to Scotland. The FT's Imogen West-Knights tells us that it's mostly heard by middle-aged women. So is it a real noise, an imaginary illness, or both?

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Tell us your cultural prediction for 2022! You can record a voice message here: https://sayhi.chat/jzdg3

If you prefer, you can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–Imogen West Knights on the mystery of the hum: https://on.ft.com/3pe43ve

– The FT’s Best Books of the Year series is now available to read across the FT: https://www.ft.com/content/2dd61d03-13ac-4278-8214-678c1d9a33c1

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Travel mini-series: Nomadic Matt’s travel hacks

Wed, 23 Nov 2022 06:00:01 GMT

In the fourth and final episode of our special mini-series on travel, Lilah talks with Matt Kepnes, the creator of the popular travel blog Nomadic Matt. Matt has been traveling the globe for nearly 20 years, and he’s written about it in his books How to Travel the World on $50 a Day and Ten Years a Nomad. Over the years, Matt has amassed a knowledge of all the best ways to see the world without spending a fortune. And on this episode, he shares those tips and more.

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Matt is on Twitter and Instagram at @NomadicMatt

– The Nomadic Matt blog: https://www.nomadicmatt.com/

– Matt on how to earn points by paying your rent: https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/bilt-rewards-review/

– 11 cheap places to travel on the US dollar: https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/cheap-places-to-visit-on-the-us-dollar/

– The flight deal websites Matt recommends are Scott's Cheap Flights and Holiday Pirates

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50 per cent off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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This episode was produced by Zach St Louis. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why your brain craves Despacito. Plus: books of 2022

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 05:00:10 GMT

This week, we learn why we love the music we love. Lilah speaks with Susan Rogers, who was a recording engineer for Prince on albums such as ‘Purple Rain’. Now she's a neuroscientist who has studied what music does to the brain. Her book, 'This Is What It Sounds Like', helps us make sense of our own musical preferences. Susan joins us to listen to some music and explain how it affects us. Why is Despacito one of the most listened to songs of all time? Why does one person love techno, and another just not care? Then, ahead of the FT's Books of the Year special, our literary editors Fred Studemann and Laura Battle come on to share their personal favourite fiction books from 2022.

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Tell us your cultural prediction for 2022! You can record a voice message here: https://sayhi.chat/jzdg3

If you prefer, you can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Susan’s book is called This Is What It Sounds Like: What The Music You Love Says About You: https://www.thisiswhatitsoundslike.com/

– Here’s the Spotify playlist, which you should listen to while reading the book: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5FwghDk8f8jgJdGPIF1RNM

– Fred is on Twitter @frederick65. Laura is on Twitter @battlelaura

– The FT Books of the Year will be published across the FT on 26th November

Books mentioned by Fred and Laura:

– Trust by Hernan Diaz. FT review: https://on.ft.com/3GkYZOW

– Iron Curtain by Vesna Goldsworthy. FT review: https://on.ft.com/3OfuYBT

– The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li. FT review: https://on.ft.com/3tCvtg7

– Punishment by Ferdinand von Schirach

– Grand: Becoming My Mother’s Daughter by Noelle McCarthy

– A Sort of Life by Graham Greene, in Slightly Foxed Magazine

– Magnificent Rebels: The First Romantics and the Invention of the Self by Andrea Wulf

– An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

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Clips courtesy of Universal Music, DFA/Virgin / Parlophone, and Warner

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Travel mini-series: the FT’s travel editor talks tourism

Wed, 16 Nov 2022 06:00:48 GMT

In the third episode of our special mini-series on travel, Lilah talks with our travel editor, Tom Robbins. Tom is an expert on the tourism industry. We discuss the biggest trends in travel, and he gives us an honest account of where we are today: how social media has changed the places we visit, how governments are dealing with over-tourism, and how James Bond helped make Iceland cool.

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

– Tom is on Twitter at @TRtravels

– 2022 travel predictions: https://www.ft.com/content/f90a73bc-1dbb-472a-bb05-4977728dc3fe

– Skiing the Dolomites in a day: https://www.ft.com/content/8b02efc0-45e6-42dd-96c5-ef9d82301df7

– Deep in the woods, a ski retreat that’s straight from a fairytale: https://www.ft.com/content/868c1b97-ff9d-4502-8244-467dfb5677f1

– Video: a pilgrimage to Europe’s highest hotel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT583c2E1Vc

– This winter’s most exciting ski destination: Albania’s Accursed Mountains: https://www.ft.com/content/3f1e25cf-3aac-4c6b-9dc3-4952a02095d1

– More on Bhutan’s tourist tax https://www.ft.com/content/9baed03d-ce88-4023-a656-52e772d7864d

– One of the most remote places to visit in the world: https://www.ft.com/content/b88abb8d-6383-48f4-95db-3c0dda12ff7c

– On overtourism: https://www.ft.com/content/fd66019e-d960-4187-968f-ca2206081f30

– Glamping in Greenland: https://www.ft.com/content/e5314b60-e1e9-11e8-8e70-5e22a430c1ad

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50 per cent off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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This episode was produced by Zach St Louis. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chef Eric Ripert’s secret to outlasting trends

Sun, 13 Nov 2022 12:57:26 GMT

This week, we speak to legendary chef Eric Ripert on the 50th anniversary of his restaurant Le Bernardin, possibly the most consistently critically beloved restaurant in the world. Keeping a restaurant relevant over time takes work and constant change. More than 30 years in, he tells us what it takes to lead a lasting institution. Then, FT Weekend editor Alec Russell and senior editor Horatia Harrod join Lilah to talk comedy. As comedians navigate artistic expression, respect, and where to draw the line onstage, we explore what makes something funny today.

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Tell us your cultural prediction! You can record a voice message here: https://sayhi.chat/jzdg3

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Eric has a PBS series called Avec Eric and a delightful video series called Get Toasted: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NefJDmTgX08

– Eric’s three books are the cookbooks Vegetable Simple and the Le Bernardin Cookbook, and the memoir 32 Yolks

– Lilah’s piece on comedy: https://on.ft.com/3G5WDmJ

– Alec is on Twitter @alecurussell. Horatia is on Twitter @horatiaharrod

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Travel mini-series: Jessica Nabongo visits every country

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 06:00:49 GMT

In the second episode of our special mini-series on travel, Lilah talks with Jessica Nabongo. Jessica is one of the few people, and the first black woman on record, to have visited every country in the world. Her book, The Catch Me If You Can, was published by National Geographic earlier this year. Jessica tells us about acts of kindness in Iraq, Zanzibar’s beaches, the food in Senegal, and more stories from some of the 195 countries she’s visited. She also gives us tips for where to go and how to travel well.

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links:

Jessica’s travel blog: https://thecatchmeifyoucan.com/

Her list of destinations: https://thecatchmeifyoucan.com/destinations

Jessica is on Instagram @thecatchmeifyoucan and Twitter @thecmiyc

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50 per cent off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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This episode was produced by Zach St Louis. Mixing and sound design by Tommy Bazarian.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Triangle of Sadness with director Ruben Östlund

Fri, 04 Nov 2022 04:00:48 GMT

This week we meet Swedish film director Ruben Östlund. His new movie Triangle of Sadness won the Cannes Film Festival’s top prize, the Palm D’Or, and is one of the most talked-about releases of the year. It seems like an ‘eat the rich’ story, but Ruben disagrees. He says it’s a critique not just of the wealthy, but of all of us. Then, we take a tour of first-class airplane food. After losing nearly $200 billion during the pandemic, airlines are pouring money into high-end meals. Journalist Kitty Drake did a taste test, and came away with bigger questions around what we look for from luxury.

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Triangle of Sadness is out now in all US and UK theatres

– The FT’s review of Triangle of Sadness: https://on.ft.com/3FHKlkw

– Arts editor Jan Dalley wrote about rich-bashing, featuring Triangle of Sadness: https://on.ft.com/3fyXTUK

– Kitty’s article on plane food: ‘The airline industry is in trouble. Is bottomless caviar the

answer?’ https://on.ft.com/3DCkc3M

– Kitty is on Twitter @kitty__drake.

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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If you want to try FT Edit (8 stories a day, hand-picked by senior editors), it’s available in the iOS app store here: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/ft-edit/id1574510369

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Travel mini-series: planning a trip, with FT Globetrotter

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 13:55:39 GMT

Welcome to the first episode of our special mini-series on travel. Every Wednesday, a different expert will teach us something new. Today, Lilah talks with the editors of FT Globetrotter, Rebecca Rose and Niki Blasina. Globetrotter is home to our journalists’ guides on what to do in cities around the world. Rebecca and Niki give us tips for planning, but not overplanning, your next trip.

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links to a few recent highlights from FT Globetrotter:

– FT Globetrotter is on Instagram @ftglobetrotter. Rebecca is on Instagram @rebeccarosegoes and Niki is on Instagram and Twitter @nikiblasina

– You can explore FT Globetrotter at www.ft.com/globetrotter. Most pieces are behind the paywall, but below are a few free articles:

– Doing karaoke in Tokyo with your boss: https://on.ft.com/3TX7NOR

– Where to drink coffee in Miami: https://on.ft.com/3DrZPq7

– Lilah on New York’s Korean food scene: https://on.ft.com/3zyMeMz

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50 per cent off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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This episode was produced by Zach St. Louis. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Woman King, with producer Cathy Schulman

Sat, 29 Oct 2022 04:00:42 GMT

This week, we talk about the Hollywood blockbuster The Woman King, starring Viola Davis. It's an epic that features a group of women warriors fighting for the kingdom of Dahomey—and it's got a lot of Oscar buzz. Lilah goes behind the scenes with Academy-Award winning producer Cathy Schulman to discuss what it took to get it made. Then, we look into what happened to plant-based meat. A few years ago, it was all over the news—but the hype died down. Has it been absorbed into our diets, or was it just a fad?

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– The Woman King is available to watch in cinemas now across the UK and US.

– Cathy's handbook on advancing gender parity in Hollywood: https://bit.ly/3NgKWeA

– The FT’s review of The Woman King: https://on.ft.com/3DdbKI6

– A profile of director Gina Prince-Bythewood by FT film critic Danny Leigh: https://on.ft.com/3DlUArE

– Emiko’s piece on how inflation will affect plant-based meat: https://on.ft.com/3sGJNDI

– Emiko’s Big Read on whether the appetite for plant-based meat has peaked: https://on.ft.com/3U4cKVN

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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If you want to try FT Edit (8 stories a day, hand-picked by senior editors), it’s available in the iOS app store here: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/ft-edit/id1574510369

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Clips courtesy of Sony and Burger King.

Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jane Austen, forever. Plus: trans inclusion in sports

Sat, 22 Oct 2022 04:00:36 GMT

Two hundred years after Jane Austen’s novels were published, adaptations are still going strong. This summer saw the release of Fire Island, a gay adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, and the Netflix original, Persuasion. Brooke Masters, our US investment and industries editor and a lifelong Jane Austen fan, and University of Maine literature professor Caroline Bicks, join Lilah to talk about the novelist’s enduring appeal. Then, the Boston Marathon has a new non-binary gender category. This is one of three approaches to trans inclusion that elite sports have taken so far. Lilah invites US sports business correspondent Sara Germano on to discuss.

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Brooke is on Twitter @brookeamasters. Sara is on Twitter @germanotes

– The FT’s review of Fire Island: https://on.ft.com/3gtH11R and Netflix’s Persuasion: https://on.ft.com/3MTbB0X

– A recent FT Magazine piece by Sara: ‘What next for Brittney Griner – and for women’s sport?’ https://on.ft.com/3eUMbDG

– To stay up to date on the business of sports, you may like the FT newsletter Scoreboard: https://www.ft.com/scoreboard

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Clips courtesy of Paramount, SearchLight Pictures, Sony Pictures, Miramax and Universal.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Artist Shirin Neshat on the women-led protests in Iran

Sat, 15 Oct 2022 04:00:45 GMT

This week we speak with Shirin Neshat, one of the most famous contemporary artists from Iran, about the protests in her home country. Shirin’s work focuses on the lives and struggles of Iranian women. The protests have been raging for a month, which, as Shirin says, makes them the longest-running demonstrations since the 1979 Islamic revolution. We talk about what they mean, why this time they’re different, and her art, some of which has been recently projected on buildings in London and Los Angeles. Then, we hear about a new trend in drug research. Scientists can now grow entire human mini-organs in labs. Could that lead to a world without animal testing? The FT’s Clive Cookson and Hannah Kuchler join us to discuss.

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Shirin Neshat is on Instagram at @shirin__neshat

– Shirin’s video installation Turbulent, 1998: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCAssCuOGls

– Some photos of Shirin’s Women of Allah series: https://www.matronsandmistresses.com/articles/2021/4/29/shirin-neshat

– Baraye, by Shervin Hajipour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPyHuCZzsVA

– An interview with Shirin in the FT from September 2021: https://on.ft.com/3zVaVk8

– How science is getting closer to a world without animal testing, by Clive, Hannah and Joe Miller: https://on.ft.com/3SPlFuA

– Hannah is on Twitter @hannahkuchler, and Clive is on Twitter @clivecookson

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

HBO’s 'Industry', and Esther Perel

Sat, 08 Oct 2022 04:00:53 GMT

This weekend, we discuss Industry on HBO with chief features writer Henry Mance. The show is part of a trend: like Succession and Euphoria, it depicts a pretty harsh version of the world we live in. So why do we keep getting sucked in? Then you'll hear a conversation between star psychologist Esther Perel and FT contributing editor Lucy Kellaway from the FT Weekend Festival. They discuss how remote work might change us, whether TikTok is teaching kids to be anxious, and more. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or at ft.com/ftweekendpodcast.

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Here’s the link to leave us a message for our listener callout: https://sayhi.chat/6gci2

What’s a topic people would find boring, but you think we could make interesting on the podcast? Challenge us!

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– The entire Esther Perel and Lucy Kellaway conversation is here: https://youtu.be/BjdvwbJyyxo

– Henry on Industry Season 1: Has TV finally captured the reality of the City in BBC series Industry? https://on.ft.com/3yn8MPu

– Henry writing about being on Industry: https://on.ft.com/3ypgl8n

– Lucy Kellaway writes about her conversation with Esther: https://on.ft.com/3ynuGlM

– Esther’s podcasts are called Where Should We Begin? And How’s Work?

– Henry is on Twitter @henrymance. Lucy is on Twitter @lucykellaway. Esther is on Instagram and Twitter @estherperelofficial and @estherperel

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jamaica Kincaid and Enuma Okoro on writing

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 04:00:43 GMT

Writer Jamaica Kincaid is one of the best known writers on race and colonialism in the US. Her writing is biting and fearless, and she’s been a keen observer of her native Antigua and the US since publishing her first essay in 1973. This week she joins Lilah together with the FT’s Enuma Okoro in a recording made at the recent FT Weekend Festival in London. Then we share some conversations we had in person with listeners during the festival.

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Here’s the link to leave us a message for our listener callout: https://sayhi.chat/6gci2

We’re challenging you to challenge us with a topic that most people would think is boring, and that you want us to make interesting on the podcast!

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Full recording of the conversation with Jamaica and Enuma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOB10hGIhwM&t=2s

-Jamaica’s classic book A Small Place about Antigua: https://tinyurl.com/mshm32ha

-A great recent essay by Jamaica Kincaid on gardening: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/09/07/the-disturbances-of-the-garden

-Enuma’s essay on pleasure: https://tinyurl.com/59eda3vm

-And another on how our spaces shape us: https://tinyurl.com/ycxt2uv4

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How NFTs shook up the art world

Sat, 24 Sep 2022 04:00:30 GMT

NFTs were a big sensation, but the market for them has crashed. This week, we invited a crypto-sceptic, FT columnist Jemima Kelly, to answer all the questions you were afraid to ask. What are NFTs exactly? What happened with them? And have they changed the way we think about art? Jemima hosts the latest season of our FT podcast Tech Tonic, which is all about the cult of crypto.

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Tech Tonic is available wherever you listen to your podcasts, or at www.ft.com/tech-tonic. The episode on NFT mania is here

– Jemima’s most recent column, ‘Don’t believe the maximalists: bitcoin can’t be separated from crypto’: https://on.ft.com/3SaAAia

– Jemima is on Twitter @jemimajoana

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do young Brits feel about the monarchy?

Sat, 17 Sep 2022 04:00:19 GMT

This week we discuss how young people view the late Queen Elizabeth with journalist Imogen West-Knights and our own producer Lulu Smyth. For many Millennials and Gen Zers, the first royal succession in 70 years is also the first time they’ve considered their stance on the monarchy more broadly. And it’s eliciting some mixed feelings. Then, we explore how we’re spending money on culture now. The FT’s US business editor Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson explains all the ways our post-pandemic restlessness is colliding with growing inflation. It turns out we’re now more discerning in how we stay in and how we go out.

Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

Imogen’s dispatch from Buckingham palace: https://on.ft.com/3eVMr50

The FT Weekend essay this week, ‘King Charles and the future of the monarchy’: https://on.ft.com/3qPsVcM

Edge and Lilah’s conversation on Instagram live: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ch20tSdJQ8v

Imogen is on Twitter @ImogenWK. Edge is on Twitter @Edgecliffe.

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The legacy of Queen Elizabeth II

Sat, 10 Sep 2022 04:00:50 GMT

Queen Elizabeth II has died after a 70-year reign. This weekend, we reflect on her legacy, life and cultural impact with FT Weekend editor Alec Russell. Then, producer Lulu Smyth takes us to meet the people gathered outside Buckingham Palace.

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Links:

Simon Schama, ‘Elizabeth II: an appreciation’: https://on.ft.com/3qsNI64

Jo Ellison, ‘The Queen’s constancy never went out of style’: https://on.ft.com/3qpwOVF

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Have we hit peak TV? Plus, our debt to bees

Sat, 03 Sep 2022 04:00:36 GMT

This week, guest host Topher Forhecz is joined by Los Angeles bureau chief Chris Grimes to hear about the future of TV's streaming wars. Since the pandemic, streaming services have poured huge amounts of money into new content, but it's unclear how long this boom will last. Then, we talk to Nature Therapy columnist Jonathan Guthrie about bees. He's estimated that we owe bees nearly $160bn for their pollination services. What's at stake if we can't repay that debt?

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Chris Grimes’ piece on the peak of TV streaming: https://www.ft.com/content/0e95cf55-dda1-4f63-bb6b-bf475f974f30

– Jonathan Guthrie’s Nature Therapy column, ‘Our £135 bn debt to the humble bee’: https://www.ft.com/content/286dff35-9634-4fd7-9497-3d2de3a555a4

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Clip from Prime Video.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The art of sound design. Plus: summer hits of 2022

Sat, 27 Aug 2022 07:00:00 GMT

This weekend, we meet a British pioneer of sound design. Errol Michael Henry invites us to the Air-Edel studios in London to show us how a song gets made. Errol is one of the few black sound designers in the UK. He’s been producing music through his independent label, Intimate Records, since the 1980s. He breaks down how he creates his distinct sound, layer by layer. Then, we explore what makes the perfect summer track with music critic Arwa Haider. She and Lilah take a tour through the top hits of the season, from Beyoncé to Bad Bunny to Pussy Riot.

Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

Links and mentions from the episode:

-Yasmin Jones-Henry’s piece in HTSI: ‘My father, the pioneer of sound design’ https://on.ft.com/3JpA2zD

-Errol’s music is under the name The Sound Principle

-“You Threw Our Love Away”, by The Jones Girls, sound designed by Errol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-vpFCn6Ros

-“You Left Me Lonely”, by Lulu (1993), sound designed by Errol: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UILaejQFcJA

-You also heard Intimate Records tracks “Please Come Back” by Dean Edwards and “Keep It Comin” by Julianne, both written and produced by Errol

-Here’s the song Errol says is closest he’s gotten to designing something that matched what he’d imagined: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFPgZv-5zbQ

-Errol’s organisation is called Music Justice

-Arwa Haider is on Twitter @ArwaHaider. Errol is on Twitter @ErrolMHenry, and on Instagram @thesoundprinciple. Yasmin is on Instagram @yasminrjh

-Arwa’s review of Lady Gaga live: https://on.ft.com/3ANGkrV

-Arwa’s music recommendations: "Renaissance" by Beyoncé, "Verano Sin Ti" by Bad Bunny, Nigerian singer-songwriter Tems, "Hold the Girl" by Rina Sawayama, "Matriarchy Now" by Pussy Riot, and opera singer Julia Bullock.

Music clips copyright: Streamline, Interscope, Parkwood, Columbia Records, Rimas and Neon Gold. Julia Bullock clip from NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert (2020)

Special offers for FT Weekend listeners can be found here. Join us at the FT Weekend festival in London on September 3rd: ft.com/ftwf. Your special £20 off promo code: FTWFxPodcast22

Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ukraine’s digital war. Plus: how computers changed chess

Sat, 20 Aug 2022 04:00:09 GMT

This weekend, we go to Ukraine. FT columnist Gillian Tett introduces us to the tech entrepreneurs and engineers who have built strong links with Silicon Valley and western tech companies over the past few decades. These connections are helping them fight what she calls an ‘open source war’ against Russia. Then, data journalist Oliver Roeder invites us into the elite world of professional chess. Now that computers are magnitudes better than humans, the game has dramatically changed.

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Gillian’s piece, ‘Inside Ukraine’s open-source war’: https://on.ft.com/3QE08n5

– Oliver Roeder’s article, ‘Enter the inner sanctum of elite chess:’ https://on.ft.com/3Cd47CG

– Oliver’s book is called Seven Games: A Human History

– Gillian is on Twitter @gilliantett. Oliver is on Twitter @ollie.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Food & Drink mini-series: Natasha Pickowicz on creative desserts

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 11:00:37 GMT

Welcome to the fourth and final episode of our summer Food & Drink mini-series, where every Wednesday an expert teaches us something new. Today, we meet pastry chef Natasha Pickowicz. Natasha used to lead pastry in fine dining kitchens such as Altro Paradiso in New York. Now she does DIY pop-up bake sales around New York City to raise money for good causes. She’s a three-time James Beard award finalist for outstanding pastry chef, and her style is playful and free. She tells us how to be creative when it comes to dessert.

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links to a few of Natasha’s recipes:

Natasha is on Instagram @natashapickowicz, where you can find out about her future bake sales and her upcoming cookbook.

Carrot cake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xey5eblVtR8

Layer cake: https://www.bonappetit.com/story/stunning-layer-cakes-natasha-pickowicz

Olive oil cake: https://www.glwd.org/blog/natasha-pickowiczs-pride-cake/

Easy scones: https://www.vice.com/en/article/43pkyq/easy-scone-recipe

How to make a savoury tart out of your leftovers: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/17/magazine/leftovers-savory-tart-potato-radicchio.html

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This episode was produced by Molly Nugent. Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Chef Mashama Bailey on reclaiming African-American food

Sat, 13 Aug 2022 04:00:18 GMT

This week Lilah goes to Savannah, Georgia, to visit chef Mashama Bailey. Mashama recently won Outstanding Chef at the James Beard Awards. Since 2014, she has been chef and partner at The Grey, a restaurant located in a formerly segregated bus station. And she has been redefining American food by reclaiming its African-American roots. But because so much of this history hasn't been documented, how do you find and preserve it, and also expand on it? Mashama explains her creative process. We also speak with Stephen Satterfield, host of the Netflix docuseries High on the Hog. Stephen is the founder of Whetstone Media, which is dedicated to tracing food stories back to their roots of origin.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

Lilah’s written piece on Mashama in the FT Magazine: https://on.ft.com/3I8v4br

Mashama and her business partner John O Morisano’s memoir about The Grey is called Black, White, and the Grey

Stephen is the founder of Whetstone Magazine and Whetstone Media. You can learn more at https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/

Whetstone Radio Collective has a suite of podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/whetstone-radio/id6442689915

Dr Jessica B Harris’s seminal book on African-American food history is called High on the Hog: a Culinary Journey from Africa to America

Edna Lewis is considered the first lady of Southern cooking. Her groundbreaking cookbook, published in 1976, is called The Taste of Country Cooking

Lilah also recommends Bryant Terry's 2021 cookbook Black Food, and the work of Michael W Twitty. Michael is on Instagram at @thecookinggene and has an excellent Masterclass session on tracing your roots through food

Mashama is on Instagram at @mashamabailey. Stephen is at @isawstephen

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Food & Drink mini-series: Jancis Robinson on wine trends

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 16:11:13 GMT

Welcome to our summer Food & Drink mini-series, where every Wednesday for four weeks an expert teaches us something new. Lilah’s third guest, Jancis Robinson, is the FT’s wine columnist and one of the most respected wine experts in the world. She joins us from France to talk through today’s top wine trends: oak is out, concrete is in. Heavy reds are out, paler and more acidic reds are in. And more!

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Last time Jancis was on the podcast, she told her story and taught us how we can begin our journey with wine. Listen here: https://www.ft.com/content/53fb48ad-183a-47df-8535-4ab3e9bb0ce7

– A recent column by Jancis: ‘Why the era of ageing wine in concrete may finally have come’: https://on.ft.com/3Cz7thu

– Jancis’s website is www.jancisrobinson.com and she’s on Instagram and Twitter at @jancis_robinson

– The two books Lilah mentioned are The World Atlas of Wine and The 24-Hour Wine Expert.

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50 per cent off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

Want to join us at the FT Weekend Festival in London on September 3? Here’s a special £20 off promo code, specifically for FT Weekend listeners: FTWFxPodcast22. Buy your ticket at ft.com/ftwf.

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This episode was produced by Molly Nugent. Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Author Elif Batuman. Plus, our obsession with feedback

Sat, 06 Aug 2022 04:00:43 GMT

This week, we talk to the author Elif Batuman about her new novel ‘Either / Or’. The book is set in the 1990s, and follows Elif’s fictionalised alter ego, Selin, as she navigates life as a Harvard student. Elif reflects on looking back at the ’90s from a contemporary perspective and talks about what we’ve learnt since. Then, we hear about feedback from deputy FT Magazine editor Esther Bintliff. We live in a culture obsessed with feedback. But what kind of feedback is actually effective?

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Either/Or by Elif Batuman is available in all good bookstores.

– Esther’s piece on feedback, https://www.ft.com/content/a681ac3c-73b8-459b-843c-0d796f15020e

– Bradley Whitford describing the three-step reaction on WTF with Marc Maron http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-909-bradley-whitford

– If you want to hear Kim Scott talking about Radical Candour at Inbound Bold Talks, 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj9GLeNCgm4

– Elif Batuman is on Twitter @BananaKarenina. Esther is on Twitter @estherbintliff.

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Silicon Valley clip courtesy of HBO.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Food & Drink mini-series: Ayesha Nurdjaja on how to flavour

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 16:00:55 GMT

“I always like a bite of food to feel like the Fourth of July in your mouth: small explosions of flavour where each bite is different.” Welcome to our summer Food & Drink-themed mini-series, where every Wednesday for four weeks, an expert teaches us something new. Lilah’s second guest is Ayesha Nurdjaja, executive chef and partner of Shuka and Shukette in New York. Ayesha is an expert at flavour. Her Italian and Indonesian heritage, childhood in Brooklyn and travels to the Middle East have fused into a signature style. She explains how balancing flavour is like making music, how to develop and push your palate, and how to taste.

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Ayesha is on Instagram at @ayesharare

– Ayesha teaches us to cook shakshuka: https://www.today.com/video/learn-how-to-make-shakshuka-a-one-pot-meal-for-the-holidays-127622213623

– Ayesha shares her mother’s Italian meatball recipe: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=580377019271350

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

Want to join us at the FT Weekend festival in London on September 3? Buy a ticket at ft.com/ftwf. And here’s a special £20 off promo code, specifically for FT Weekend listeners: FTWFxPodcast22

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This episode was produced by Molly Nugent. Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new weight-loss drug works. Is that good?

Sat, 30 Jul 2022 04:00:55 GMT

This week, we hear about a new 'miracle' weight-loss drug called Wegovy. It has unprecedented clinical results and endorsements from celebrities such as Queen Latifah. But critics say it deals with the symptom but not the cause. Then, we’re joined by Lauren Indvik, the FT's fashion editor. She explains how to efficiently pinpoint your personal style, and build a wardrobe that saves money, time and carbon emissions. Plus, she answers listener questions.

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Hannah Kuchler’s piece, ‘A new ‘miracle’ weight loss drug really works – raising huge questions’: https://on.ft.com/3vpSBQh

– Lauren Indvik’s dispatch from the Paris runway, ‘A return to decadence at Paris couture’: https://on.ft.com/3BoXNrl

– Hannah Kuchler is on Twitter @hannahkuchler. Lauren is on Twitter @laureni.

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Food & Drink mini-series: Andy Baraghani on finding your home cooking style

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 16:00:00 GMT

Welcome to our summer Food & Drink-themed mini-series! Every Wednesday for the next four weeks, an expert will teach us something new. Lilah’s first guest is the chef and well-known food writer Andy Baraghani, who recently came out with a cookbook called 'The Cook You Want to Be'. He teaches us how to take the food that excites us, the food we grew up on and the food that we like now, and build it all into a personal home cooking style.

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Andy’s cookbook is called The Cook You Want to Be

– Andy’s Kuku Sabzi recipe: https://youtu.be/OJFoIfzY7eI

– “I Hid Who I Was for So Long. Until I Became a Cook.” https://www.bonappetit.com/story/andy-baraghani-cooking-and-identity

– The series on Iranian cooking that Andy worked on with his mother for Saveur in 2012: https://www.saveur.com/article/Kitchen/Behind-the-Story-Iran/

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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This episode was produced by Molly Nugent. Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why are tennis players fixing matches?

Sat, 23 Jul 2022 04:00:55 GMT

This week, we look at the dark side of professional tennis, where underpaid players are selling matches just to break even. Ranked around 200th in the world, a player named Nicolás Kicker was found guilty of match-fixing in 2018. His story reveals a lot of systemic problems within the sport. Then, we hear about the phenomenon of 'vice signalling' from columnist Stephen Bush. It’s similar to 'virtue signalling,' but instead of publicly gesturing towards altruism the vice signaller panders by promising cruelty. Think Donald Trump’s border wall, or Boris Johnson’s threats to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.

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Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– William Ralston’s piece ‘The fixer, the cheat and the corruption crisis in global tennis’: https://on.ft.com/3v9nW9L

– Nicolas Kicker fixing a match at the 2015 Barranquilla Challenger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcF9hq668Ow

– Stephen Bush’s piece ‘How ‘vice-signalling’ swallowed electoral politics’: https://on.ft.com/3BqNtzd

– Stephen Bush’s piece ‘Failed Rwanda asylum flight puts all of the UK on a rocky course’: https://on.ft.com/3BccmhW

– Christopher Grimes’ column ‘Disney chief’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ drama is a crisis of his own making’: https://on.ft.com/3IYQ98D

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Martin Wolf on how to change one's mind

Sat, 16 Jul 2022 04:00:02 GMT

This week, Lilah talks to Martin Wolf about having the confidence to change your mind. Martin is our chief economics commentator and one of the most influential economics journalists in the world. He reflects on how he forms a worldview, and how his opinions have shifted over the past half-century. Then, we hear about the 'gentle parenting' craze on Instagram from Washington correspondent Courtney Weaver. There are no punishments, no bribes, and it encourages your child to have big feelings. But is it asking too much of parents?

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We’re collecting your questions about feedback for an upcoming episode! Are you looking for advice on how to give or receive difficult feedback? Send your questions to us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com.

Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–Martin’s upcoming book is called The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/305263/the-crisis-of-democratic-capitalism-by-wolf-martin/9780241303412

–Martin’s most recent column, ‘Inflation is a political challenge as well as an economic one’: https://on.ft.com/3ciWO1m

–Martin’s economics book picks for the summer: https://on.ft.com/3yHzuSo

–Courtney Weaver’s piece, ‘Inside gentle parenting’: https://on.ft.com/3APRpZS

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our summer books and films special: what to read and watch

Sat, 09 Jul 2022 04:00:40 GMT

This week is our summer books and films spectacular, full of recommendations of things to read and watch. First, Lilah is joined by literary editors Fred Studemann and Laura Battle to explore the FT's Summer Books special. They suggest a range of light summer reads, sharp non-fiction, deep dives, thrillers and classics to take on your summer holiday, and talk trends in book publishing. Then, deputy arts editor Raphael Abraham recommends the top films to look out for this summer. After watching 24 films in less than a week at the Cannes film festival, he's filtered the new releases down to a must-see list.

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Tell us about your own favourite new books and films! We’ll share them alongside the episode on our social platforms. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Here’s Laura’s list of the best fiction summer reads: https://on.ft.com/3AvtuPg. The whole summer books special is at http://ft.com/summerbooks.

Books mentioned:

–Audiobooks: Bad Actors by Mick Herron and Ulysses by James Joyce

–Novels that span centuries: To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara and Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel

–Beach read: You Made a Fool of Death with your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

–Fun non-fiction: Circus of Dreams by John Walsh

–Empire books: Legacy of Violence by Caroline Elkin and In the Shadow of the Gods by Dominic Lieven

–BRussian influence: Putin’s People by Catherine Belton and Butler to the World by Oliver Bullough

–AI simulation: The Anomaly by Hervé Le Tellier

Stories mentioned:

–Marriage in all its divine tedium: https://on.ft.com/3KXOBfm

–Edward Luce on whether America is headed for another civil war: https://on.ft.com/3yJ43az

Films to watch this summer, from Raph:

–Aftersun: https://on.ft.com/3uUt9lJ

–Nitram: https://on.ft.com/3auhgvs

–Hit the Road

–McEnroe

–Three Thousand Years of Longing: https://on.ft.com/3nMshLK

–Elvis: https://on.ft.com/3P1Uaeu

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to live forever

Sat, 02 Jul 2022 04:00:51 GMT

This week, we return to one of our favourite episodes to ask the question: what does it mean to defy death? Rock climber Leo Houlding tells us about his terrifying family holidays, scaling vertical cliff-faces with his two young kids. We also explore radical life extension with science writer Anjana Ahuja. How close are we scientifically to extending the human lifespan to 150 or 200? What are the implications when we get there? And do we really want to live forever?

Links from the episode:

— Leo Houlding’s extreme family holiday in Wyoming’s wild west: https://www.ft.com/content/0bcba30a-bb46-4bc1-8a7d-9166dc43a5e8

— Anjana Ahuja on whether we can live forever: https://www.ft.com/content/60d9271c-ae0a-4d44-8b11-956cd2e484a9

— Inside the life extension market, with Tiffanie Darke: https://www.ft.com/content/867e647b-c0e8-4aeb-9777-fedff7ec3476

Want to say hi? Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

If you want a great discount on an FT subscription or a $1/£1/€1 month-long trial, we’ve got you: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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A Strange Loop, the Tony-winning queer black best new musical

Sat, 25 Jun 2022 04:00:13 GMT

This week we speak with Michael R. Jackson, playwright of A Strange Loop, which just won the Tony award for Best Musical and Best Book. Jackson is a queer, black writer whose musical is about a queer, black writer writing a musical about a queer, black writer.. Hence the strange, but incredibly entertaining loop. Then, we learn about the dark side of Copenhagen's world-famous fine dining restaurant scene from Imogen West-Knights. Denmark seems to be turning a blind eye to abuses in its hottest – and extremely lucrative – hospitality industry.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Imogen’s article ‘Fine dining faces its dark truths in Copenhagen’: https://on.ft.com/3NlO6Mq .

– Lilah’s article ‘How far does a chef have to go to be truly good?’: https://www.ft.com/content/246cdc2a-f135-4d3d-9d74-e524e9217699.

– Michael’s musical A Strange Loop is on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre.

– Imogen is on Twitter @ImogenWK, and Michael is @TheLivingMJ.

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Warhol’s Marilyn tells us about the art market

Sat, 18 Jun 2022 04:00:33 GMT

Last month, Andy Warhol's "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" sold for $195mn, making it the second most expensive piece of art to sell at auction, ever. And as prices keep going up, the art market — auction houses, gallerists, dealers, collectors — want to keep it that way. On the heels of a ‘stonking’ art season, we invite two heavy hitters into the studio to walk us through it: arts editor Jan Dalley and art market columnist Melanie Gerlis. Then, Christie's head of 20th- and 21st-century art, Alex Rotter, pulls back the curtain on these record-breaking sales.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Melanie’s article ‘Art Basel’s Swiss fair defies gloomy economy with soaring sales’: https://on.ft.com/3QtSagn

– Melanie’s auction season roundup: https://on.ft.com/38jn363

– Columnist John Gapper on how ‘The art market cannot get enough Andy Warhol Marilyns’: https://on.ft.com/3O3GeAm

– Jan’s most recent art column, on whether we should send art back to Russia: https://on.ft.com/3OeLzF2

– Robert Armstrong’s profile of Larry Gagosian: https://on.ft.com/3IfT0sD

– Melanie’s books are called The Art Fair Story and Art as an Investment?

– Melanie is on Twitter @mgerlis, and Alex is on Instagram @rottweilernyc.

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The rich interior lives of pigs

Sat, 11 Jun 2022 04:00:14 GMT

This week, we explore new scientific research behind: pigs! They have far more sentience and complexity than we give them credit for. Chief features writer Henry Mance joins to discuss how pigs and other animals think and feel, and the bigger questions around how we farm and eat them. Then, we look at a New York City architectural phenomenon: skinnyscrapers. Architecture critic Edwin Heathcote tells us about these new, super-thin towers that shoot up more than a quarter of a mile into the sky. How does a city’s architecture reflect its identity?

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Henry Mance’s article: ‘What cutting-edge science tells us about pigs’: https://on.ft.com/3MEe6Cz

– Henry’s book is called How To Love Animals: In A Human-Shaped World

– Edwin Heathcote on 111 W 57th and Manhattan’s skinnyscrapers: https://on.ft.com/3aMIehZ

– Henry Mance is on Twitter @henrymance, and Edwin is at @edwinheathcote.

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing: Hot Money

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 14:33:56 GMT

A bonus episode! We’ve just launched a new podcast on porn, power and profit.

When FT reporter Patricia Nilsson started digging into the porn industry, she made a shocking discovery: nobody knew who controlled the biggest porn company in the world. Now, she and her editor, Alex Barker, reveal who is behind it and much more. This eight-part investigative podcast reveals the secret history of the adult business and the billionaires and financial institutions who shape it. Brought to you by the Financial Times and Pushkin.

To listen to Episode 2, search ‘Hot Money’ wherever you listen.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tina Brown and Simon Schama on the royal family

Sat, 04 Jun 2022 04:00:35 GMT

This weekend, we're marking the Queen's Platinum Jubilee with a spirited discussion on what’s next for the Windsors. Tina Brown, author The Palace Papers, speaks with historian Simon Schama and HTSI editor Jo Ellison about the state of the royal family. As Britain celebrates 70 years of Elizabeth II on the crown, what will the royal family look like over the next decade? We bring you this conversation from the recent US FT Weekend festival stage.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– FT interview with Tina Brown, by Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson: ‘Nobody is remotely real around royals’ https://on.ft.com/3v19UqW

– Tina’s new book is called The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor--the Truth and the Turmoil

– Jo is on Twitter @jellison and Instagram @jellison22. Tina is On Twitter @TinaBrownLM. Simon is on Twitter @simon_schama.

– You can watch the full interview with Tina, Jo and Simon by buying an on-demand pass to the FT Weekend festival: https://usftweekendfestival.live.ft.com/page/2064102/program

A few more great FT Weekend pieces on the Jubilee:

– Simon Okotie: ‘Why, after all, I will celebrate the Jubilee’ https://on.ft.com/3xfTj3I

– Sarfraz Manzoor: ‘A constant Queen for a changing realm’ https://on.ft.com/3zhkooK

– Nilanjana Roy: ‘Elizabeth in India: the steel beneath the hats’ https://on.ft.com/38L5P1G

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

If you have an iPhone and want to try FT Edit (eight pieces of journalism a day, handpicked by senior editors, for much less than an FT subscription), search ‘FT Edit’ in the App Store.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The story of a stolen cookbook. Plus, Elizabeth Strout

Sat, 28 May 2022 04:00:30 GMT

In the 1930s, Alice Urbach wrote a beloved cookbook in Vienna. But during the Holocaust it was stolen: Aryanized, peppered with Nazi ideology and republished under someone else's name. The publisher refused to change it back for more than 85 years. Alice got her intellectual rights restored by her granddaughter Karina Urbach, a historian, who joins us to tell the story.

Afterwards, we bring you a conversation with Elizabeth Strout, Pulitzer Prize winning novelist, from our recent US FT Weekend festival. She’s in conversation with FT Globetrotter editor Rebecca Rose.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–FT review of ‘Alice’s Book: How the Nazis stole my Grandmother’s Cookbook’, by Katrina Urbach https://on.ft.com/3z0D8bQ

–A recent piece by Elizabeth Strout for the FT Weekend Magazine, on Judith Joy Ross’s photography: https://on.ft.com/3JdFF4U

–Watch the whole FT Weekend Festival on demand here (paid): https://usftweekendfestival.live.ft.com/page/2064102/program

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

If you have an iPhone and want to try FT Edit (eight pieces of journalism a day, handpicked by senior editors, for much less than an FT subscription), search ‘FT Edit’ in the App Store.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why US abortion rights are under attack

Sat, 21 May 2022 04:00:33 GMT

It’s about to become much harder to find safe abortion care in America, in a country where some states already make it almost impossible. This week, we make sense of what’s happening and how we got here. Lilah speaks with Rhiannon Hamam, a Texas public defender and host of the popular show 5-4 (“a podcast about how much the Supreme Court sucks”) to make sense of Roe vs Wade, the seminal law that is expected to be overturned. Then, we pass the mic to three people providing abortion services in three states that will face some of the biggest changes: Wisconsin, Alabama and Illinois. They tell us what they’re seeing, and how they’re preparing for a post-Roe world.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– You heard this week from Rhiannon Hamam, co-host of the podcast 5-4. Listen everywhere, or here: https://www.fivefourpod.com. Rhiannon is on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AywaRhiannon

– Dr. Kristin Lyerly is an obstetrician and gynaecologist in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. She's on Twitter at https://twitter.com/kristinlyerly?lang=en

– Robin Marty is author of ‘The New Handbook for a Post-Roe America’ and operation director of the West Alabama Women’s Center in Tuscaloosa. She recently wrote an op-ed for the FT: https://on.ft.com/3wr0HZK. You can find her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robinmarty

– Marie Khan is director of programs for the Midwest Access Coalition, a practical abortion fund. You can learn more about them at https://midwestaccesscoalition.org/

– Key coverage of the war in Ukraine is free to read: https://www.ft.com/freetoread

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast. If you have an iPhone and want to try FT Edit, search ‘FT Edit’ in the app store.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner.

Archival clip courtesy of CBS.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Behind the Money is back!

Wed, 18 May 2022 10:00:04 GMT

Behind the Money is back with all-new episodes! From hostile takeovers to C-suite intrigue, Behind the Money takes you inside the business and financial stories of the moment with reporting from Financial Times journalists around the world. The podcast returns May 25. You can follow the show now!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Shakespeare gave actor Michael Patrick Thornton his life back

Sat, 14 May 2022 04:00:49 GMT

This weekend, Lilah talks to actor Michael Patrick Thornton, who appears in the buzzy new Broadway production of Macbeth. When Michael was 24, he had a series of spinal cord strokes. Reciting Shakespeare's sonnets taught him how to breathe and speak again, and continue his career. Michael is at present the only actor on Broadway who uses a wheelchair. We ask him about the power of language and his role in the play (which also stars Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga). Then, we learn about Britain's top forensic artist from journalist Will Coldwell, and the techniques she uses to catch criminals — which include a jar of strawberry jam.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Will’s profile of Melissa Dring, ‘To catch a criminal: what a forensic artist knows about the mind’: https://on.ft.com/3rw0lht

– Michael Patrick Thornton’s theatre company, The Gift: https://thegifttheatre.org/

– Macbeth – starring Daniel Craig, Ruth Negga and Michael – is on Broadway’s Longacre Theatre until July 10

– Michael is on Twitter @ThorntonMPT, and Will is on Twitter at @Will_Coldwell

– Select coverage of the war in Ukraine is free to read at https://www.ft.com/freetoread

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

If you have an iPhone and want to try FT Edit (eight pieces of journalism a day, handpicked by senior editors, for much less than an FT subscription), search ‘FT Edit’ in the App Store.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'Everything Everywhere All at Once' with Daniels

Sat, 07 May 2022 04:00:34 GMT

This week, Lilah interviews Everything Everywhere All at Once directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, also known as Daniels. Their film, starring Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis, has received rave reviews for successfully combining genres from indie comedy to sci-fi to kung fu. Then our colleagues Leo Lewis and Eri Sugiura join us from Tokyo to explain Japan's succession crisis. Small and medium-sized companies employ 80 per cent of people in the country, but many owners’ children do not want to inherit the family business.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–Everything Everywhere All At Once is out now in the US. It will be released in the UK on Friday 13th May. The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxN1T1uxQ2g

– You can follow Daniels on Twitter @daniels.

–Leo and Eri’s FT Magazine piece, ‘The pervasive succession crisis threatening Japan’s economy’: https://www.ft.com/content/dc5c19f7-5f4b-4bf5-809a-f46859fb5c39

–Leo Lewis’ piece on Japan’s ageing population and the plunging yen: https://www.ft.com/content/c18281da-3036-4b50-9757-334ad3a82620

–Eri Sugiura on Kyoto’s empty house tax, a story she broke in February about how Japan is dealing with a declining population https://www.ft.com/content/9b87824b-f9a2-4098-8f59-345e174ec736

– Leo is on Twitter at @Urbandirt, and Eri is at @SugiuraEri.

–Select coverage of the war in Ukraine is free to read at https://www.ft.com/freetoread

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Morality in the Twitter era. Plus: China’s language revolution

Sat, 30 Apr 2022 04:00:04 GMT

This weekend, we think about morality in the age of social media. According to writer Dan Brooks, we're great at pointing out where good is missing, but we’ve forgotten how to be good people. Then, Yale professor Jing Tsu tells us the story of how China standardised its complex language of 80,000 characters into something that could fit on a keyboard. It wasn’t easy, but it helped make the country the global digital superpower that it is today.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Dan Brooks’ FT Magazine piece, ‘What we need now that social media has fully weaponized morality’: https://on.ft.com/3LyIE9c

–The dreaded tweet that inspired Dan’s piece: https://twitter.com/mimismartypants/status/1498332885362823170

–Jing’s book is called Kingdom of Characters. The FT’s review is here: https://on.ft.com/3nJqzey

–Jing’s 2020 piece for the FT, ‘Why sci-fi could be the secret weapon in China’s soft-power arsenal’: https://on.ft.com/3y2WbBF

–Dan Brooks is on Twitter @dangerbrooks, and Jing Tsu is at @tsu_jing.

–Tech Tonic Season 3, about the US/China tech race, is available now. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or at https://www.ft.com/tech-tonic

–Select coverage of the war in Ukraine is free to read at https://www.ft.com/freetoread

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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The first US FT Weekend Festival is on Saturday, May 7 in Washington, DC! To attend virtually or in person, buy tickets at http://ft.weekendfestival.com – use the discount code FTFriends2022 for 50% off.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Tommy Bazarian.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The good life, with chefs Daniel Humm and Alice Waters

Sat, 23 Apr 2022 04:00:38 GMT

This weekend we’re returning to the first-ever episode of the FT Weekend podcast, from September. Lilah talks to Eleven Madison Park’s Daniel Humm and Chez Panisse’s legendary Alice Waters to discover how the world’s top chefs are finding purpose beyond their restaurants. Humm created a buzz in May when he announced that his world-famous restaurant would be going entirely plant-based. Has that risk paid off? And what does it mean to do good as a chef?

Plus: the FT’s design critic Edwin Heathcote gives us a tour of the world’s most vengeful architecture, and reporter Madison Darbyshire shares tips for how to furnish your home with old things.

Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Links from the episode

Lilah’s piece on chefs: https://www.ft.com/content/246cdc2a-f135-4d3d-9d74-e524e9217699

Edwin on the architecture of spite: https://www.ft.com/content/1161fbbe-5ae1-4328-bf59-dcd8b1d6564f

Madison’s masterclass in flea-market chic: https://www.ft.com/content/6c8bf8a2-ddee-11e9-9743-db5a370481bc

Sound design and mixing is by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor Music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The story behind one of reggae’s most sampled songs

Sat, 16 Apr 2022 04:00:20 GMT

This week, we bring our classic Life of a Song series to your ears, with the dramatic story behind 'Bam Bam', Sister Nancy's reggae dancehall classic. Despite being one of the most sampled reggae tracks of all time, it didn't make Sister Nancy a penny for more than 30 years, Alice Kemp-Habib tells us. Then, undercover economist Tim Harford teaches us how to think about failure. What can we learn from an early 2000s Broadway flop that went on to win a Tony award?

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–Life of a Song, ‘Bam Bam – said to be the most sampled reggae track of all time’: https://ig.ft.com/life-of-a-song/bam-bam.html

–To learn more about reggae and dancehall music, Alice recommends Inna de Yard: Soul of Jamaica (2019) directed by Peter Webber. Here’s the Spotify playlist

–Tim’s podcast is called Cautionary Tales. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or at https://www.pushkin.fm/show/cautionary-tales/

–Tim’s latest Undercover Economist column for FT Magazine, ‘The lesson humble sea urchins offer about resilience’: https://on.ft.com/3Ectq6S

–Volumes 1 and 2 of The Life of A Song: The fascinating stories behind 50 of the world’s best loved songs are available in bookshops. A paperback of both volumes together will be out in August.

–Alice is on Twitter at @Alice_Khabib. Tim is on Twitter at @TimHarford.

–Key coverage of the war in Ukraine is free to read at https://www.ft.com/freetoread

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner.

Clips from:

”Bam Bam," courtesy Observer Music

”Le’ts Go to Zion," courtesy Studio One Records

”Zungguzungguguzungguzeng," courtesy Greensleeves Records

“Revolution," courtesy VP Records

“Tear Off Mi Garment," courtesy UMG Recordings

“Scenes From an Italian Restaurant,” courtesy BMG Music Entertainment

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Cameo is changing celebrity. Plus: designing your home

Sat, 09 Apr 2022 04:00:19 GMT

This weekend, we delve into the world of celebrity via the app Cameo. What does it mean that we can now pay celebrities to send us personalised video greetings? And how has our interaction with famous people shifted over the last decade? Lilah talks to gaming critic Tom Faber about the ethics and absurdities of fame in 2022. Then, interior design columnist Luke Edward Hall gives us his top tips on making your home really feel like yours.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–Tom Faber on Cameo: https://on.ft.com/3FIF7kF

–Luke Edward Hall on the magic of your own murals: https://on.ft.com/3jjN4UY

–Luke’s five design principals: https://on.ft.com/2OZGXcH

–Luke Edward Hall is on Instagram at @lukeedwardhall, and Tom Faber is on Twitter at @_TomFaber

–Key coverage of the war in Ukraine is free to read: https://www.ft.com/freetoread

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The first US FT Weekend Festival is on Saturday, May 7 in Washington, DC. To attend virtually or in person, buy tickets at http://ft.weekendfestival.com – use the discount code FTFriends2022 for 10% off.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing Tech Tonic: The US/China Tech Race

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 10:00:38 GMT

A new six-part series of Tech Tonic brings you stories from the frontlines of the battle between the US and China for global technological supremacy. At stake is the future of technologies that will shape all our lives, from the way the internet is used to the way we govern our societies. Join the FT’s Global China Editor James Kynge as he charts China’s dramatic transformation into a global tech superpower, sparking rivalry with the US over who controls our technological future.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Poet Maria Stepanova. Plus: Inside the FT newsroom

Sat, 02 Apr 2022 04:00:33 GMT

This week, guest host Marc Filippino discusses the FT's war coverage in Ukraine with our Editor, Roula Khalaf. How does a news organisation make decisions during wartime? Then Marc talks with Maria Stepanova, author of In Memory of Memory, which was short-listed for the Booker Prize last year. Maria tells us why so many intellectuals are leaving Russia and what it’s like to be Russian and against the war.

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–Key coverage of the war in Ukraine is free to read: https://www.ft.com/content/77ab8dcf-cb02-4e57-aff0-85c8a84f5a1f

-In late March the FT published an exchange on NATO’s red lines between our Chief Economics Commentator Martin Wolf and Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator Gideon Rachman: https://www.ft.com/content/7640ea89-cc1f-4e41-a64f-95e88de19454

–Maria Stepanova, ‘The War of Putin’s Imagination’: https://www.ft.com/content/c2797437-5d3f-466a-bc63-2a1725aa57a5

–Maria’s International Booker Prize shortlisted novel is called ‘In Memory of Memory.’ Here’s a quick review we ran when it first appeared in English: https://www.ft.com/content/bad0513d-f67c-4e0e-9b2d-962040fa6422

–This weekend’s FT Magazine cover story, ‘21 days in Ukraine: a diary’: https://www.ft.com/content/391232c8-b05c-480f-a189-4e9e21d1bd4a#comments-anchor

–You can also keep up with FT coverage by following @financialtimes on Instagram and Twitter.

–Marc Fillipino is on Twitter at @mfilippino and hosts the FT News Briefing. You can listen at the following link, or by searching for ‘FT News Briefing’ wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.ft.com/ft-news-briefing

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Garrett Tiedemann.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Art in times of war, plus: Anish Kapoor

Sat, 26 Mar 2022 04:00:48 GMT

This weekend, guest host Taylor Nicole Rogers talks to Ukrainian filmmaker Iryna Tsylik, director of the documentary The Earth is Blue as an Orange. It won a major directing award at Sundance in 2020 and has now become one of the films being used to explain the current war in Ukraine around the world. The film was shot in 2017 in a disputed area of eastern Ukraine, and focuses on a family making home movies during the conflict. Iryna reflects on the power of art now that she’s had to flee her own home. Then we hear from Louis Wise, who recently interviewed the sculptor Anish Kapoor about his grand plans for this year's Venice Biennale.

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–Key coverage of the war in Ukraine is free to read: https://www.ft.com/content/77ab8dcf-cb02-4e57-aff0-85c8a84f5a1f

–Iryna Tsylik’s documentary, ‘The Earth is Blue as an Orange’ https://www.sundance.org/projects/the-earth-is-blue-as-an-orange

– Iryna writes public updates using her Facebook account here: https://www.facebook.com/ira.tsilyk You can also keep up with FT coverage by following @financialtimes on Instagram and Twitter.

–Louis Wise on Anish Kapoor: https://www.ft.com/content/6a371cb7-9042-4f6f-8cc3-5a7f0f8444ad

–Louis is on Instagram @louisquinze

–Jan Dalley, ‘Is it right to cancel Russian artists?’ https://www.ft.com/content/c5b1a01a-dc5b-41a6-a941-2480d2123fe9

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is how Russia weaponizes disinformation

Sat, 19 Mar 2022 04:00:13 GMT

This weekend, we discuss the power of disinformation, and how Russia has been using it in Ukraine. We are joined by Natalia Antelava, who has reported in Ukraine and Eastern Europe for years. Natalia is editor-in-chief of the popular news website called Coda Story, which focuses on global digital crises, and has been closely covering Putin’s disinformation machine in Ukraine and beyond. We step back and examine the narratives Russia has used since 2014 to confuse, distort, and spread lies.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–Key coverage of the war in Ukraine is free to read: https://www.ft.com/content/77ab8dcf-cb02-4e57-aff0-85c8a84f5a1f

–Coda Story, Natalia’s news website: https://www.codastory.com/

-Coda’s Disinformation Matters newsletter: https://www.codastory.com/newsletters/disinfo-matters-newsletters/

– Natalia is on Twitter @antelava. You can also keep up with FT coverage by following @financialtimes on Instagram and Twitter.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner

Clips this week from Euronews, CNN and the BBC.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Understanding Ukraine’s identity. Plus, the Oscars

Sat, 12 Mar 2022 05:00:42 GMT

This weekend, we speak with Ukrainian journalist Olga Tokariuk, who is currently in western Ukraine. Olga reflects on how Ukrainians forged the resolve they are showing now in the fight against Russia. She shares how Ukraine’s identity has shifted and strengthened over the past 30 years since its independence, especially in the seven years since the Maidan revolution. Then, FT film critic Danny Leigh joins us to discuss this year's Oscars nominees, from ‘Power of the Dog’ to ‘Don't Look Up’. With a drop in viewership over the years, it seems the Academy is scrambling to make us care. But should we?

Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–Key coverage of the war in Ukraine is free to read: https://www.ft.com/content/77ab8dcf-cb02-4e57-aff0-85c8a84f5a1f

–Olga is on Twitter @olgatokariuk. You can also keep up with FT coverage by following @financialtimes on Instagram and Twitter.

–Mary Elise Sarotte on Ukraine’s history since 1991: https://www.ft.com/content/742f15fc-675a-4622-b022-cbec444651cf

–Danny’s roundup of this year’s Oscars nominees: https://www.ft.com/content/d9000eb2-11ec-40af-aa8f-2e5f654bde4e

–Danny’s review of Power of the Dog: https://www.ft.com/content/8f2af17e-cad5-4fc6-9ea7-68e5402dda5d

–Lilah made a Hark list of some of our favorite moments from the show so far, which you can listen to here https://short.harkaudio.com/3pwwAMH

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Hannis Brown.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The stories we tell, with Elif Shafak

Sat, 05 Mar 2022 05:00:55 GMT

This week we bring you one of the most popular episodes from our archive: a conversation with Elif Shafak, the most widely read woman novelist in Turkey. She and Lilah discuss national identity, the generational pain of conflict, and writing in countries that don't have freedom of speech. This conversation feels especially poignant today, as the war in Ukraine becomes even more devastating. This episode also features columnist Enuma Okoro on loving our cities, and economist Tim Harford on feeling less pressure to get everything done.

We’ll be back with a new episode, on the cultural side of the war in Ukraine, next week.

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We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Links from the episode:

––Key coverage of the war in Ukraine is free to read: https://www.ft.com/freetoread. You can also keep up with FT coverage by following @financialtimes on Instagram and Twitter.

—Enuma Okoro’s love letter to New York City: https://www.ft.com/content/e2507d84-9a12-4755-a9c7-41c9ea116947

—Lilah’s piece about visiting Armenia: https://www.ft.com/content/2e2f38b0-e7a1-11e8-8a85-04b8afea6ea3

—Review of Elif Shafak’s novel, The Island of Missing Trees: https://www.ft.com/content/1a064a06-bd19-43c7-8237-38931853d0e2

—Tim Harford on to-do lists: https://www.ft.com/content/06ffe40d-fdcc-4be8-b536-810cedce7ed1

—Oliver Burkeman on how not to waste your life (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/dd0d477b-c1f7-4d74-af68-c1ef1692566c

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Sound design and mixing is by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor Music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The international mystery of the 'Hum'

Sat, 26 Feb 2022 13:03:44 GMT

Russia has invaded Ukraine. We begin this episode with a visit from FT Weekend editor Alec Russell, a week after he joined us to discuss his years covering the fall of communism in eastern Europe. How can we make sense of this? Then, we go searching for the Hum, a mysterious noise that has plagued the residents of Halifax, West Yorkshire. It’s an uncomfortable, low-frequency sound that has also been heard in towns across the world, from New Mexico to Ontario to Scotland. The FT's Imogen West-Knights tells us that it's mostly heard by middle-aged women. So is it a real noise, an imaginary illness, or both?

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Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We are on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–Imogen West Knights on the mystery of the hum: https://on.ft.com/3pe43ve

–The FT’s key coverage on the war in Ukraine is free to read: http://ft.com/freetoread

– Here’s the piece Alec mentioned, ‘The road to war: how Putin wrote the requiem for peace’, by Mary Sarotte: https://on.ft.com/3HqSO8F

– Alec’s lunch with Lea Ypi: https://on.ft.com/3GHmi1J

–Alec is on Twitter at @AlecuRussell, and Imogen is on Twitter @ImogenWK

–Rob Armstrong’s profile of Larry Gagosian: https://on.ft.com/3ImMiBr

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing, sound design and sleuthing by Breen Turner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lea Ypi talks capitalism and freedom

Sat, 19 Feb 2022 05:00:00 GMT

This weekend, FT Weekend editor Alec Russell brings us to Albania for Lunch with the FT. He sits down with writer Lea Ypi, whose memoir ‘Free’ documents her childhood there, both under communism and after its fall. Ypi, a political theorist at the London School of Economics asks: does capitalism make us free? Plus: European tech correspondent Madhumita Murgia explores how science fiction shapes our attitudes towards the future, and how that translates across different cultures.

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Do you want to read the Financial Times? We have special discounts for listeners here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Exciting news! Lea Ypi will be speaking at the first FT Weekend Festival to be hosted in the US. To attend (virtually or in person) go to http://ft.weekendfestival.com – with 10% off using the discount code FTFriends2022. It’s on Saturday May 7th at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–Alec Russell’s Lunch with Lea Ypi: https://on.ft.com/3GHmi1J

–FT review of Lea Ypi’s memoir Free: https://www.ft.com/content/b5455f0f-33a9-480e-9027-6884cc25faa4

–Madhu on how science fiction shapes our attitudes to the future: https://www.ft.com/content/2f35be37-9da8-4cf6-89b2-8488b36c5a63

–Madhu recommends the book Exhalation by Ted Chiang

–Chen Qiufan’s latest book is caled AI2041: Ten Visions for ur Future, co-authored with Kai-Fu Lee

– This weekend’s Lunch with the FT, with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas: https://www.ft.com/content/098ba985-1284-46c6-9abe-f626fa9e47f0

– Lunch with the Financial Times, edited by Lionel Barber, a selection of classic lunches: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/309/309448/lunch-with-the-ft/9780241400685.html

Alec is on Twitter at @AlecuRussell, and Madhu is at @madhumita29.

"Long Live Enver Hoxha!" copyright Believe Music and UMPG Publishing. "Astroboy" Copyright Tezuka Productions Co. Clip: AP Archive

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design is by Breen Turner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will Silicon Valley ruin Miami?

Sat, 12 Feb 2022 05:00:00 GMT

Miami is hot right now. In the pandemic, more people moved to Florida than to any other state by a long shot. Chief among them were the tech elite, who have made Miami—one of America’s most diverse cities—their next big conquest. But what happens when Silicon Valley falls in love with a place with such a singular culture? Will a new tech migration help Miami, or hurt it? We go to Miami with writer Joel Stein to meet the people investing in 'Miami 2.0', from A-Rod to Mayor Francis Suarez to its newest residents. We also hear from Miamians who have lived there for decades.

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Do you want to read the Financial Times? We have special discounts for listeners here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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To attend the first US FT Weekend Festival in the US (virtually or in person) go to http://ft.weekendfestival.com – with 10% off using the discount code FTFriends2022. It’s on May 7th at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–Joel Stein on how Miami became the most important city in America: https://on.ft.com/3LsiMfy

–Alec Russell’s Lunch with Lea Ypi (ahead of next week’s episode): https://on.ft.com/3GHmi1J

–Joel Stein is on Twitter at @thejoelstein

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design is by Breen Turner.

"Miami" by Will Smith. Copyright Sony Music Entertainment

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does Peloton trick us into working out?

Sat, 05 Feb 2022 05:00:00 GMT

This weekend, we look at the Peloton phenomenon. Is it a failing fitness cult or a lasting way to stay healthy? Lilah and San Francisco correspondent Patrick McGee explore the behavioural science behind why we don’t exercise and the tech that tricks our brains into doing it anyway. Then, management editor Andrew Hill tells us why so many bad business books exist at the airport, and what makes a good one

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If you want to explore the FT, use this link for special discounts for listeners: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–Patrick McGee on how connected fitness became the new obsession: https://on.ft.com/32YplFd

–Andrew Hill: ‘Pulp non-fiction: the worst business books of 2022’: https://on.ft.com/34ao7Hz

–All the winners and shortlisted books for FT and McKinsey's best business books of the year award https://ig.ft.com/sites/business-book-award/

–If you want to read more about the culture of Peloton, here’s ‘This is your brain on Peloton’, by Amanda Hess (NYT): https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/16/arts/peloton-cody-rigsby-content.html

–Anne Helen Peterson is the unofficial internet scholar on Peloton celebrity: https://annehelen.substack.com/p/towards-a-unified-theory-of-peloton

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design is by Breen Turner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Treasure hunting on the Thames, with Jo Ellison

Sat, 29 Jan 2022 22:30:09 GMT

This week, we look at two things that connect us to human history. First, How To Spend It editor Jo Ellison takes us mudlarking — sifting through low tide for treasure — to find remnants of ordinary life from hundreds of years ago. Licensed mudlark Lara Maiklem teaches us how. Then we explore the staying power of games: why do we love them? Why have we been playing some for more than 7,000 years? Our gaming critic Tom Faber joins us to discuss.

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If you want to explore the FT, use this link for special discounts for listeners: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– This week’s How To Spend It cover story and photoshoot: ‘Tide and seek: the hidden treasures of low tide’ https://www.ft.com/content/44a1a5be-d0de-4a5a-a02b-1386e0b7c84f

–Lara Maiklem’s books are called ‘Mudlarking’ and ‘A Field Guide to Mudlarking’

–Last time Jo went mudlarking was with jeweller Ruth Tomlinson for this November 2021 article: ‘Why I’m throwing my jewellery into the Thames’: https://www.ft.com/content/aacc19ef-d397-4c15-b943-a029a4954ca1

–A great piece Lilah recommends on mudlarking by novelist Daniel Wallace: https://gardenandgun.com/feature/daniel-wallace-explores-the-art-of-mudlarking/

–Tom Faber on the transformative power of games: https://www.ft.com/content/c2f8b5b6-1f30-48cc-a098-71484ded9a00

–Tom also wrote a great piece this week about the Cameo app and celebrity culture: https://on.ft.com/3FIF7kF

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design is by Breen Turner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pati Jinich and Gillian Tett on food, culture and power

Sat, 22 Jan 2022 05:00:00 GMT

This weekend, we look at our culture through new lenses. First, we go to Mexico. Lilah speaks to James Beard Award-winning chef Pati Jinich about how diplomacy is sometimes better achieved through the language of food. Then, anthropologist and FT columnist Gillian Tett looks at social phenomena through the lens of anthropology – from crypto to how tastemakers decide what is 'cool'. Gillian has a PhD in social anthropology and recently published a book called ‘Anthro-Vision’.

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If you want to explore the FT, use this link for special discounts for listeners: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–Pati’s cookbook is called ‘Treasures of the Mexican Table: Classic Recipes, Local Secrets’

–Pati’s show, ‘Pati’s Mexican Table’ is on PBS, with some episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BETE1-6Pzrk

–La Frontera is on PBS: https://www.pbs.org/show/la-frontera-pati-jinich/

–Salsa Matcha with pistachios, walnuts and pine nuts: https://patijinich.com/salsa-macha-with-pistachios-walnuts-and-pine-nuts/

–Gillian Tett’s book is called ‘Anthro-Vision’. FT review: https://www.ft.com/content/65d66cf7-f793-4531-9b82-1b54b70bbd21

– Gillian’s latest column: ‘A year on, we haven’t absorbed the lessons of the Gamestop saga’ (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/8bbd2ef9-41fe-4dfa-8f02-28b3f3dac200

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design is by Breen Turner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tracey Emin: ‘I want to be a happy ghost’

Sat, 15 Jan 2022 18:30:37 GMT

This week, we’ve got two GOATs – that’s Greatests Of All Time. Legendary artist Tracey Emin is starting an art school and studio compound in Margate, England, the seaside town where she grew up. On the week of her winning the Whitechapel Art Icon Award, we speak to Emin about the legacy she’s building and examine the work that came before, from scandalous installations like “My Bed” to her more contemplative work. Then, the FT’s wine columnist Jancis Robinson teaches us about the world of wine. Robinson was the first non-winemaker to receive the title of Master of Wine from the Institute of Masters of Wine, the world’s most prestigious wine organisation.

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Looking for a discount on an FT subscription? Use this link for special offers specifically for listeners of the show: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Louis Wise’s interview with Tracey Emin for How To Spend It: https://www.ft.com/content/ffd55216-7751-43d3-9ad8-f495cb08d7c7

–Tracey Emin’s video “Why I Never Became a Dancer” (1995): https://www.artforum.com/video/tracey-emin-why-i-never-became-a-dancer-1995-49262

–A free online exhibition of Emin's video works between 1995 and 2017 (Xavier Hufkens): https://www.xavierhufkens.com/exhibitions/video-works-1995-2017

–Jancis Robinson’s Wine Course (Youtube, 1995): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNahwe1nPHc&list=PL0smQshvSba5YYij7-R1HM-HT04woET9A

–Jancis’ latest column, “Bargain Burgundy”: https://www.ft.com/content/c59f4150-b431-4202-b7f3-60fab84ac4fb

–Jancis on the truth about the wine world and diversity (no paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/3dc097fc-dbd8-4248-82e6-69d5acc1b169

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design is by Breen Turner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happily ever after? Disney in the 21st century

Sat, 08 Jan 2022 05:00:00 GMT

Happy New Year! Our first episode of 2022 is dedicated to one of the world’s most powerful cultural forces: Disney. What happens when a company with that much influence just keeps growing? We visit Disneyland for a rare interview with CEO Bob Chapek, with FT reporters Chris Grimes and Anna Nicolaou. We explore where Disney Plus fits into the digital streaming wars. And Lilah speaks with a Disney expert, Sabrina Mittermeier, about how the company is reckoning with its prejudices 100 years into its history.

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If you want a great offer on an FT subscription specifically for listeners, use this link: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

– Chris and Anna’s profile of Bob Chapek, Disney CEO: https://www.ft.com/content/69e1cc1e-9c64-4000-b47f-a7e448107a5b

– And their follow-up on the streaming wars: https://www.ft.com/content/ae756fda-4c27-4732-89af-cb6903f2ab40

– Dr. Sabrina Mittermeier’s book, A Culture History of the Disneyland Theme Parks: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/C/bo70345519.html

–Follow Anna Nicolaou on Twitter @annaknicolaou

–Follow Chris Grimes on Twitter @grimes_ce

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design is by Breen Turner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Predictions for 2022: Britney, flip phones and the metaverse

Sat, 18 Dec 2021 05:00:00 GMT

It's our final episode of 2021, and we are marking the end of one unpredictable year and the start of another. What do you think will happen in 2022? Matt Vella, FT Weekend Magazine editor, joins Lilah to discuss listeners’ cultural predictions. A lot of them had an air of nostalgia: Will Britney make a documentary about her life? Will flip phones make a comeback? Then, our pop critic Ludovic Hunter-Tilney teaches us the art of the perfect holiday playlist.

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If you want a great offer on an FT subscription specifically for listeners (and not a bad Christmas gift!) use this link: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Thank you for listening to the show this year. We’ll be back on January 8! What culture will you be reading, watching, listening to during the holidays? Say hi and let us know! Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–Two books by the late, great bell hooks: The Will to Change, and All About Love

–The FT’s Christmas roundup-(the complete guide to eating, drinking, giving and self-caring your way to a very merry holiday this year): https://www.ft.com/content/3d6c80dd-dbc3-4e0e-939f-b917aa401dfc

Here are Ludo’s reviews of his favourite albums of the year (all free to read):

–The Weather Station: Ignorance https://www.ft.com/content/57aef341-cce1-4816-9939-3c71a3fe5edf

–Nation of Language: A Way Forward https://www.ft.com/content/ed7f3da8-d033-4ca0-90c7-1b7e4b425a19

–Pharoah Sanders, Floating Points and the London Symphony Orchestra: Promises https://www.ft.com/content/c00c0655-013d-4d3b-8c7c-bf7dea47c1fc

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Thank you to everyone who shared your notes, including: Andrei Berghianu from Romania, Olga Sihmane from Stockholm, Ashley Harris from Brooklyn, Lily Bland, Roger Ralph, Manish Prayaga, Helen Beedham, April from Los Angeles and so many more.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design is by Breen Turner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A trip to our secret book vault. Plus: the best books of 2021

Sat, 11 Dec 2021 16:31:53 GMT

This weekend, we’re going behind the scenes of the FT’s legendary Books of the Year roundup. Literary editor Frederick Studemann and deputy books editor Laura Battle take us into a secret room in the basement of the FT, where all the books sent in for review are kept behind lock and key. You’ll leave this episode with a lot on your reading list, including recommendations from editor Roula Khalaf, FT weekend editor Alec Russell, chief economics commentator Martin Wolf and more.

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If you want a $1 trial or 50% off a digital subscription, go to http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Want to say hi? Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

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We want your cultural predictions, wishes, or questions for 2022! Share them with Lilah and FT Magazine editor Matt Vella by Sunday, December 12. Open your phone’s voice memo app, get close to the mic and say your name, location and your thoughts, then email it to ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. You can write to us, too. But you’ll sound great on tape, we promise.

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Links and mentions from the episode:

–Roula Khalaf recommends Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe

–Pilita Clark recommends The Hydrogen Revolution by Marco Alvira and How to Blow Up a Pipeline by Andreas Malm. Her whole climate list: https://on.ft.com/3DFcYLr

–Alec Russell recommends Sentient by Jackie Higgins and Free by Lea Ypi

–Edwin Heathcote recommends Public House: A Cultural and Social History of the London Pub. His whole architecture and design list: https://www.ft.com/content/37545da9-7142-408b-a0bb-e458079ebd53

–One of Edwin’s favorite books of the past few years is Sandfuture by Justin Beal. Here’s his review (free to read): https://www.ft.com/content/91a35024-4e41-4325-81ca-2373321ae4ff

–Fred Studemann recommends Notes from Deep Time by Helen Gordon, The Passenger by Ulrich Boschwitz and Just the Plague by Lyudmila Ulitskaya

–Laura Battle recommends Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen, Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, and the audiobook of Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead. Her whole fiction list: https://www.ft.com/content/7a881a03-2462-459e-930c-f526e4e54449

–Martin Wolf’s economics list: https://www.ft.com/content/25ca2b59-8047-4f9b-bf99-e7f7c15d8d51

–Explore the whole Books of the Year package: https://www.ft.com/booksof2021

Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design is by Breen Turner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seeing Princess Diana, with ‘Spencer’ director Pablo Larraín

Sat, 04 Dec 2021 05:00:00 GMT

Do we need another Princess Diana film? Maybe we do, actually. This weekend, we’re talking about new ways to see old things. Lilah speaks with director Pablo Larraín, who our film critic calls ‘one of the most consistently interesting directors in cinema today’. He explains the creative process behind his new film Spencer, starring Kristen Stewart as Diana. Then, we ask the question: what is up with the House of Lords? The FT’s political editor George Parker explains why one of the world’s most prominent democracies has an entirely unelected house of legislature, with some seats passed down hereditarily to eldest sons.

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We want your cultural predictions, wishes, or questions for 2022! Share them with Lilah and FT Magazine editor Matt Vella by December 12. Here’s what to do: Open the voice memo app on your phone. Get close to the mic and say your name, where you’re from and your prediction, then email it to ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. You can write to us, too. But you’re going to sound great on tape, we promise.

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Go to http://ft.com/weekendpodcast for a special discount on an FT subscription!

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Links from the episode:

–Film critic Danny Leigh’s interview with Pablo Larraín: https://www.ft.com/content/87efb3c2-82ee-11ea-b6e9-a94cffd1d9bf

–Spencer review: https://www.ft.com/content/e05684d2-9161-4fdd-94cf-7d8f4576ffaa

–George Parker on the House of Lords: https://www.ft.com/content/d5aebb99-0316-41a9-b19a-505713e4fb41

–Last year’s predictions — forecasting the world in 2021: https://www.ft.com/content/cbfe6821-c70b-4e4d-977b-979bfe929fd3

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eat, drink and be merry

Sat, 27 Nov 2021 14:20:24 GMT

What do you think of when you hear the words ‘British food’? This week, to celebrate the FT Weekend Magazine’s food and drink holiday special, we’re digging in. Food critic Tim Hayward praises modern British cuisine and challenges his compatriots to be proud of their food culture. Our team visits one of the last standing eel and pie shops in London to explore how culinary traditions survive. Then, Lilah learns a great holiday cocktail from one of Brooklyn’s best mixologists, Shannon Mustipher, author of Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails and the first African-American bartender to write a cocktail recipe book in 100 years.

If you want a great discount on an FT subscription or a $1 month-long trial, go here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

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Links from the episode:

— Tim Hayward on how Britain overcame its culinary cringe: https://www.ft.com/content/5e718d4e-140f-4991-9dd1-2779d64732c5

— Tim in this weekend’s Magazine Food and Drink Special, about the merry hell of Christmas: https://www.ft.com/content/fb718958-a556-42bb-9ac9-33b394f8fc52

— The 25 best hotel bars in the world, including Lilah’s recommendation: https://www.ft.com/content/a51b0215-344e-4aa0-b3b4-c5a78ddd8299

— Shannon Mustipher’s book, Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails: https://www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9780789335548/

— You can explore the whole magazine issue here: https://www.ft.com/magazine

Shannon’s cocktail: Tha God’s Honest Truth, inspired by El Diablo

1.75 oz Casa Dragones Tequila Blanco, 1 oz Ginger Beer (with low sugar content, like Fever-Tree), .75 oz Hisbiscus Syrup, .75 lemon Juice. Combine all but ginger beer in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Collins glass. Tip off with ginger beer, garnish with a lime wheel, then serve.

Sorrel (Hisbiscus) Syrup

500 ml water, 500 ml sugar, 2 -3 cinnamon sticks, 5 whole cloves. In a saucepan, toast the cinnamon and cloves for 2 minutes, until aromas are released. Add the water and bring to a soft boil (don’t over-boil). Add the sugar, reduce to a low simmer and whisk briskly to dissolve. Add ¾ cup dried hibiscus and simmer for 30-45 minutes, until desired flavor extraction is achieved. To serve: Strain out the solids and chill prior to use.

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Want to say hi? Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The art of conversation, with Ruby Wax

Sat, 20 Nov 2021 05:00:00 GMT

This weekend, we talk about conversation. Columnist Enuma Okoro explores what makes certain conversations feel good. Lilah and US Managing Editor Peter Spiegel chase the mystery of who actually wrote the US constitution along with esteemed historian William Ewald. And Ruby Wax, the iconic celebrity interviewer of the 90s, tells us how she got stars good and bad—from the members of the Spice Girls to Bill Cosby—to open up and show us who they really are.

Links from the episode:

— The FT’s best books of 2021 (paywall): https://www.ft.com/booksof2021

— Enuma Okoro on the art of conversation: https://www.ft.com/content/7ea1d669-a490-418e-a4a0-5aa04175657a

— Watch Lilah’s full conversation with Ruby Wax: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E317YWBFyws

— Watch a lecture by UPenn law and philosophy professor William Ewald, on forgotten founding father James Wilson: https://vimeo.com/521928817

— Ewald’s published articles about Wilson: https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/do/search/?q=author_lname%3A%22Ewald%22%20AND%20author_fname%3A%22William%22

Want to say hi? Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

If you want a great discount on an FT subscription or a $1/£1/€1 month-long trial, we’ve got you: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor music. ‘Yankee Doodle’ was performed by Carrie Rehkopf. Clips of Ruby Wax are from BBC.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to live forever

Sat, 13 Nov 2021 05:00:00 GMT

This weekend, we ask the question: what does it mean to defy death? Rock climber Leo Houlding tells us about his terrifying family holidays, scaling vertical cliff-faces with his two young kids. We also explore radical life extension with science writer Anjana Ahuja. How close are we scientifically to extending the human lifespan to 150 or 200? What are the implications when we get there? And do we really want to live forever? PLUS: inside the luxury life extension market, with How to Spend it writer Tiffanie Darke.

Links from the episode:

— Leo Houlding’s extreme family holiday in Wyoming’s wild west: https://www.ft.com/content/0bcba30a-bb46-4bc1-8a7d-9166dc43a5e8

— Anjana Ahuja on whether we can live forever: https://www.ft.com/content/60d9271c-ae0a-4d44-8b11-956cd2e484a9

— Inside the life extension market, with Tiffanie Darke: https://www.ft.com/content/867e647b-c0e8-4aeb-9777-fedff7ec3476

Want to say hi? Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

If you want a great discount on an FT subscription or a $1/£1/€1 month-long trial, we’ve got you: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comfort food, with Danny Meyer

Sat, 06 Nov 2021 15:37:46 GMT

This weekend, we talk about food and home. Lilah has lunch with restaurateur Danny Meyer, chief executive of Union Square Hospitality Group, known for the likes of Gramercy Tavern and the $3bn Shake Shack empire. They eat at his favourite classic New York restaurant, Sparks Steakhouse, where Meyer found an unlikely mentor in his early years. What makes a restaurant an institution? We also visit the historic province of Shanxi, China, to learn about its legendary noodle arts. Listener Zhiwei Guo and award-winning FT food writer Fuchsia Dunlop take us there.

Links from the episode:

—Fuchsia Dunlop on the noodles of Shanxi: https://www.ft.com/content/86e7d353-27dc-4ce3-a60d-6304fc339571

—Fuchsia’s culinary tour of North Korea: https://www.ft.com/content/1f9bbfc0-9d93-11e7-9a86-4d5a475ba4c5

—Danny Meyer’s essay on Sparks: https://blog.resy.com/2021/09/the-most-amazing-things-can-happen-after-a-meal-at-sparks/

—More about Resy’s classics collaborations: https://blog.resy.com/2021/09/the-classics-remix-presented-by-american-express/

Want to say hi? Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

If you want a great discount on an FT subscription or a $1/£1/€1 month-long trial, we’ve got you: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

Mixing and sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why We Read: Books, Booker and COP26

Sat, 30 Oct 2021 04:00:00 GMT

This weekend, we’re talking about books. The prestigious Booker Prize is about to announce its 2021 winner, and we hear what it’s like to be a judge—and read a book a day!—with two colleagues, Horatia Harrod and Jan Dalley. We explore how the literary world has changed, from boozy lunches to viral Twitter campaigns, with columnist Simon Kuper and agent Jonny Geller. And ahead of the UN climate summit, join us on a journey with Moral Money editor Simon Mundy, who just traveled to 26 countries to document the climate crisis for his new book.

Links from the episode:

—Simon Mundy on his two year journey to the frontlines of the climate battle (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/e3bfb91d-2273-4da9-a7a7-eecf396f8d33

—Simon’s book is called Race for Tomorrow: Survival, Innovation and Profit on the Front Lines of the Climate Crisis

—Archive: Jan Dalley’s lunch with “naughty old thing” Booker Prize administrator Martyn Goff: https://www.ft.com/content/3e17b618-b4a0-11da-bd61-0000779e2340

—The Booker Prize 2021 shortlist and longlist: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Booker_Prize

—Simon Kuper on how book promotion has changed: https://www.ft.com/content/7dbc7e21-904c-492e-9313-5ce665a5ec45

—To follow our COP26 coverage, here’s Climate Capital. The entire FT will be free to read on Wednesday: https://www.ft.com/climate-capital

Want to say hi? Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

For an exclusive 50% online subscription (and a discounted FT Weekend print subscription!), follow this link: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

To watch the NextGen festival sessions, go here: www.nextgen.live.ft.com and use the promo code FTNextGenx2021

Sound design and mixing is by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor Music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hell of an Episode, with Jason Mott

Sat, 23 Oct 2021 04:00:00 GMT

It’s easy for our identities to look like checkboxes: white and black, woman and man, young and old. How do we speak about the communities we belong to without the weight of entirely representing them? Lilah speaks with Jason Mott, author of the National Book Award shortlisted novel Hell of a Book, about race, identity, masculinity and more. Plus, we go sneaker shopping with style columnist Rob Armstrong to dissect the unspoken rules of men’s fashion.

Links from the episode:

Robert’s style guide on sneakers for middle-aged men: https://www.ft.com/content/7e2a31d5-b456-4e02-9b4f-9b80531f470e

Rob’s day job, the Unhedged newsletter on markets and Wall Street: https://www.ft.com/content/31374c59-deb0-4b62-a9b2-f56ecb78e4d8

The FT’s video on the $6bn sneaker industry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez2cg-xo1L4

Jason Mott’s novel, Hell of A Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/670375/hell-of-a-book-by-jason-mott/

For an exclusive 50% online subscription (and a discounted FT Weekend print subscription!), follow this link: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

The FT NextGen festival is back! This Thursday the 28th of October! It'll be full of great panels. Here’s a promo code so you can attend for free. And if you're in London, there's an in person reception at the London Brewery. Sign up at www.nextgen.live.ft.com with promo code FTNextGenx2021

Sound design and mixing is by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor Music.

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Alice Cooper finds an Andy Warhol in his garage, plus: HBO's Succession

Sat, 16 Oct 2021 04:00:00 GMT

This week, rock legend Alice Cooper tells us about selling the multi-million dollar artwork he found rolled up in his garage — a story that involves Andy Warhol, Salvador Dalí and Dennis Hopper. We also explore the backstabbing families that have inspired HBO’s Succession with chief feature writer Henry Mance, ahead of its season three premiere. And finally: thank you for sharing your recommendations, they’re excellent. We’ve compiled them, alongside our colleagues’, for your listening pleasure.

What did you think of this episode? Write to us, or record and send us a voice note at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

Links from the episode:

—How To Spend It interview with Alice Cooper: https://www.ft.com/content/9c338ab3-6445-47ca-91a7-7bb4091dc1a4

—Henry Mance on Succession: https://www.ft.com/content/fda23812-d724-4112-a5ec-78b836a89894

—Henry Mance’s new book, How to Love Animals in a human-shaped world: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1118598/how-to-love-animals-in-a-human-shaped-world/9781787332089.html

A list of your recommendations:

Jamiroquai’s Instagram; Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl by David Wundrich; Space 1.8 by Nala Sinephro; Emily Mariko’s cooking Tiktoks; Netflix’s Squid Game; 1776-1789 US history; Dressed podcast; Cynar artichoke liqueur; Garden City by John Mark Comber; Titane and Raw directed by Julia Ducournou; The Dante Project at the Royal Opera House; Frieze London art fairs; Dries van Noten designer; A House Through Time on the BBC.

For an exclusive online subscription (and a discounted FT Weekend print subscription!), follow this link: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

Sound design and mixing is by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor Music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Into the depths of an erupting volcano

Sat, 09 Oct 2021 04:00:00 GMT

As we watch the climate shift before our eyes, this weekend we focus on the awesomeness of nature and how it humbles us. Travel writer Mark Stratton brings us to a live erupting volcano in La Palma, where “the lava flows like honey on a plate”. Columnist Nilanjana Roy introduces us to the prescient books that warned us of a climate crisis 50 years ago. Plus, 1970s interior design is back, baby! Subeditor Cherish Rufus defines the aesthetic, and defends its revival.

Listeners: this is your last chance to send us a recommendation! Email us one cultural thing you’re reading/watching/cooking/Googling etc that you can’t stop thinking about. We’ll use the best in next week’s episode. Write to us, or record and send us a voice note at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

Links from the episode:

—Mark Stratton on volcano tourism: https://www.ft.com/content/8c9b8847-2f8d-4a4f-8e07-9abc99b42b1f

—Nilanjana Roy on what 1971 climate writing can teach us today: https://www.ft.com/content/6bca430e-c9b6-4997-ae78-ee6f4f5f24f1

—Cherish Rufus on 1970s design: https://www.ft.com/content/184c7504-2a7a-4a33-b0a4-ed42679f6e54

—The Love Your Mother poster: http://collections.museumca.org/?q=collection-item/2010543613

For an exclusive 50% online subscription (and a discounted FT Weekend print subscription!), follow this link: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

Sound design and mixing is by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor Music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Behind the scenes with music's biggest mogul

Sat, 02 Oct 2021 19:04:55 GMT

How has the music industry changed over the past decade? The FT’s business and media reporters tell the dramatic tale, and introduce us to the most powerful exec in the business: Universal Chief Sir Lucian Grainge. Then, ethical philosopher Julian Baggini questions what our bookshelves say about us, and Work & Careers editor Isabel Berwick, a Duolingo master, makes the case for learning a new language from scratch. This weekend, we explore the forces that shape our cultural habits: how we listen to music, how we learn languages, and how we read.

Listeners: what are you reading, watching, eating, doing, that is making you happy? We want your recommendations, to use in a future episode. Write us, or record and send us a voice note at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

Links from the episode:

—Profile of Sir Lucian Grainge, the last music mogul, by Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson and Anna Nicolaou: https://www.ft.com/content/ae259b02-67a1-4eec-848c-7dc739efa910

—Julian Baggini on why we should get rid of our books: https://www.ft.com/content/3aac4854-997e-4391-b7e0-627142ba00e4

—Isabel Berwick on being a Duolingo champion: https://www.ft.com/content/872f057e-ec37-4f93-b72a-03e83ec107a4

––FT review of Ride Upon the Storm, one of the Danish shows Isabel loved (the other is called Rita): https://www.ft.com/content/f1ad0fda-1e5e-11e9-b126-46fc3ad87c65

For an exclusive 50% online subscription (and a discounted FT Weekend print subscription!), follow this link: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast

Sound design and mixing is by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor Music.

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How has lockdown changed us? Plus: a night on the Orient Express

Sat, 25 Sep 2021 04:00:00 GMT

This episode, we explore the question of how we’ve changed. Lilah talks to the writer Imogen West-Knights about the phenomenon of treat brain: how the pandemic spurred our desire to excessively indulge. Then, columnist Janan Ganesh describes why lockdown decidedly did not change him — and why he’s worried if it changed you. Plus: Maria Shollenbarger sweeps us away on the world’s most glamorous train.

Links from the episode:

—Imogen West-Knights describes Treat Brain: https://www.ft.com/content/3ed08931-80b0-43a0-9bba-6c4bcc1b3e70

—Janan Ganesh on the lockdown epiphany that wasn’t: https://www.ft.com/content/bf7c501e-12a5-4737-b297-15eba91b26a0

—Maria Shollenbarger aboard the Orient Express: https://www.ft.com/content/9f776436-8205-48cc-a879-7a053f388671

—Lilah’s Instagram Live with Esther Perel: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CULKKCcJXdq/

We want to hear from you! Follow us on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.

What are you reading, watching, eating, doing, that is making you happy? We want your recommendations, and may use them in a future episode. Write us, or record and send us a voice note at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com.

Sound design and mixing is by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor Music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The stories we tell, with Elif Shafak

Sat, 18 Sep 2021 04:00:15 GMT

Life & Arts columnist Enuma Okoro explores what our cities tell us about ourselves. Then, Lilah speaks with Elif Shafak—the most widely read woman novelist in Turkey—about writing in countries without freedom of speech, and her new book, The Island of Missing Trees. Plus: our prolific Undercover Economist Tim Harford makes a case for letting go of your to-do list.

Links from the episode:

—Enuma Okoro’s love letter to New York City: https://www.ft.com/content/e2507d84-9a12-4755-a9c7-41c9ea116947

—Lilah’s piece about visiting Armenia: https://www.ft.com/content/2e2f38b0-e7a1-11e8-8a85-04b8afea6ea3

—Review of Elif Shafak’s novel, The Island of Missing Trees: https://www.ft.com/content/1a064a06-bd19-43c7-8237-38931853d0e2

—Tim Harford on to-do lists: https://www.ft.com/content/06ffe40d-fdcc-4be8-b536-810cedce7ed1

—Oliver Burkeman on how not to waste your life (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/dd0d477b-c1f7-4d74-af68-c1ef1692566c

We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com.

Sound design and mixing is by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor Music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9/11 and the passing of time

Sat, 11 Sep 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Twenty years after the Twin Towers were brought down, host Lilah Raptopoulos explores where 9/11 sits in our memories. The FT’s New York correspondent Joshua Chaffin introduces us to billionaire developer Larry Silverstein, who bought the World Trade Center in July of 2001 and had to rebuild on the site of a tragedy. How do spaces change in meaning over time? The FT’s former Kabul correspondent Jon Boone introduces us to the “New Afghanistan” generation, what they were promised, and what was lost. Plus: we hear from a woman who fled the Taliban and is now waiting in limbo in Albania, suddenly a refugee.

For a special offer on FT Weekend for all our print and digital content visit ft.com/weekendpodcast.

We’re on Twitter at @FTWeekendpod. Lilah is on Twitter and Instagram @lilahrap.

Links from the episode:

Joshua Chaffin on Larry Silverstein: https://www.ft.com/content/f38a5067-58d1-491f-902f-568abcdd8a84#comments-anchor

Jon Boone on The Last Days of the New Afghanistan: https://www.ft.com/content/4a276093-cf85-4da7-9093-6af6443bb53a

Sound design and mixing is by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor Music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The good life, with chefs Daniel Humm and Alice Waters

Sat, 04 Sep 2021 04:00:00 GMT

In this first-ever episode of the FT Weekend podcast, host Lilah Raptopoulos talks to Eleven Madison Park’s Daniel Humm and Chez Panisse’s legendary Alice Waters to discover how the world’s top chefs are finding purpose beyond their restaurants. Humm created a buzz in May when he announced that his world-famous restaurant would be going entirely plant-based. Has that risk paid off? And what does it mean to do good as a chef?

Plus: the FT’s design critic Edwin Heathcote gives us a tour of the world’s most revengeful architecture, and reporter Madison Darbyshire shares tips for how to furnish your home with old things.

For a special offer on FT Weekend for all our print and digital content visit ft.com/weekendpodcast.

We’re on Twitter at @FTWeekendpod. Lilah is on Twitter and Instagram @lilahrap.

Links from the episode

Lilah’s piece on chefs (paywall) - https://www.ft.com/content/246cdc2a-f135-4d3d-9d74-e524e9217699

Edwin on the architecture of spite (paywall) - https://www.ft.com/content/1161fbbe-5ae1-4328-bf59-dcd8b1d6564f

Madison’s masterclass in flea-market chic - https://www.ft.com/content/6c8bf8a2-ddee-11e9-9743-db5a370481bc

Sound design and mixing is by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor Music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trailer: Introducing the FT Weekend podcast

Sat, 28 Aug 2021 04:00:00 GMT

Welcome to our new show: FT Weekend. Every Saturday, from September 4, join host Lilah Raptopoulos for inspiring conversations, in-depth storytelling, a bit of escapism and a lot of fun. Brought to you by the award-winning Life & Arts journalists at the Financial Times.

We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com.

Sound design and mixing is by Breen Turner, with original music by Metaphor Music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some news

Wed, 25 Aug 2021 04:00:00 GMT

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Shantell Martin on how to draw a line. Plus: Gris returns!

Fri, 18 Dec 2020 16:58:44 GMT

Welcome to our Season 3 finale! To wrap up the year, Lilah is joined by the artist Shantell Martin. Shantell draws big, bold lines. Everywhere. She makes a strong case for taking out a pen. We discuss how to teach art to the next generation, what it means to 'sell out' in the art world, British versus American racism, and an urgent question for this time: who are you? Afterwards, co-host Griselda Murray Brown stops in during maternity leave to talk about motherhood and this season's themes.

Thank you for joining us on this journey. You can keep in touch with Lilah on Instagram at @lilahrap, on Twitter at @lilahrap and @ftculturecall, and by email at culturecall@ft.com.

Links from the show:

For free 30-day access to all FT journalism, sign up to the Coronavirus Business Update newsletter with this special link.

—Shantell on Instagram

—Shantell's work at the New York City Ballet

—Dear Grandmother, a collaboration between Dot and Shantell Martin

—New Tricks, Shantell's British detective show recommendation, is on Amazon Prime

—Janelle Monáe music video for Turntables

—A great recent FT interview with Mary Gaitskill, author of Lost Cat

—Morning Song, a poem by Sylvia Plath

—Great back catalogue episodes: start the six-episode journey of this season with episode one: Miranda July! Some standout Gris interviews include Tyler Mitchell, George the Poet and Jia Tolentino. Some standout Lilah interviews include Ira Glass, Maaza Mengiste and Esther Perel.

---

“Turntables” is an original song by Janelle Monáe for the Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortés' 2020 documentary film All In: The Fight for Democracy. Courtesy Bad Boy, 2021

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Maaza Mengiste on telling lost stories: 'Archives are not innocent'

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 16:14:49 GMT

Maaza Mengiste is one of the FT's Women of the Year, and author of the epic historical novel The Shadow King. Her book, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, is about the Italian invasion of Ethiopia at the start of WWII. It asks massive questions about how history is remembered, recorded and retold. Maaza and Lilah talk about collective memory, women warriors, decolonising the archives and who will tell the stories of 2020. It's full of wisdom. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll take notes. Plus: Alice Fishburn, editor of FT Weekend Magazine, drops by to discuss the novel, our Women of the Year issue, and commissioning in a pandemic. We love hearing your thoughts! Email us at culturecall@ft.com. Message Lilah on Instagram or Twitter @lilahrap, and the podcast @ftculturecall.

Links:

For free 30-day access to FT journalism, sign up to the Coronavirus Business Update newsletter with this special link.

–Explore the FT Women of 2020 issue (paywall)

–A Big Read on the crisis in Ethiopia (FT) and a Twitter thread from Maaza on the humanitarian disaster

–What's going on currently in Armenia (Politico) and a history of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh (Jacobin)

–Project 3541, Maaza's online archive of the 1935-41 Italo-Ethiopian war

–An essay by Maaza on losing her father

–Maaza's book recommendations: Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah, Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez and Trieste by Dasa Drndic

–Alice mentioned two FT Magazine stories: The next pandemic: where is it coming from and how do we stop it? and Siri Hustvedt: ‘I think of the sirens as New York’s heartbreaking music’

–Alice's book recommendation: Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

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Simon Schama on what history can teach us

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Simon is one of the world’s premier historians and art historians, and also a colleague! After a tumultuous election, we've invited him on to help connect the dots and give us much-needed historical context. Plus: Neil Munshi, our west Africa correspondent joins us from Lagos to reflect on our conversation and discuss his recent piece on how companies are facing their brutal colonial histories. Two people with global and historical lenses through which to see 2020.

What do you think is possible now, that seemed impossible before? Email us at culturecall@ft.com. You can message Lilah on Instagram or Twitter @lilahrap, and find the podcast on Twitter @ftculturecall. We love voice notes – so send those, too.

Links from the episode:

–Simon's piece The two Americas: LBJ, MLK and what the dramas of 1965 can teach a polarised nation

–Simon's piece on statues: History is better served by putting the Men in Stone in museums

–Simon's BBC series the Romantics and Us is on YouTube

–Wendell Wilkie's One World

–September, by Gerhard Richter

–Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories is on Netflix

–Neil Munshi's piece, Belgium’s reckoning with a brutal history in Congo

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iO Tillett Wright on the American experiment

Fri, 06 Nov 2020 14:19:24 GMT

“I feel like America was an experiment that right now is yielding really hideous, ugly results". In the days after the US election, Lilah explores how divided the US is with artist and activist iO Tillett Wright. iO created the hit true-crime podcast The Ballad of Billy Balls. He just finished a ten-year project travelling to all 50 states to photograph 10,000 queer Americans and has a unique lens on America. They discuss the election, how Americans were taught to hate, the dangers of groupthink, the ebb and flow of the fight for queer rights, this generation’s fight for civil rights and what effective activism looks like.

iO's projects:

–The Ballad of Billy Balls

–His memoir, Darling Days

–Self Evident Truths: 10,000 Portraits of Queer America

–iO's Ted Talk, 50 Shades of Gay

–A conversation between iO and King Princess (Interview Magazine)

iO's recommendations:

–Rabbit Hole podcast, from the New York Times

–The Social Dilemma is on Netflix (here's an FT interview with its director, Jeff Orlowski)

–Swindled, a podcast about white-collar crime & corporate greed

–A General Theory of Love: a book about the science of human emotions and biological psychiatry

Ahead of our next episode, three pieces by Simon Schama:

–The two Americas: LBJ, MLK and what the dramas of 1965 can teach a polarised nation

–Simon Schama: History is better served by putting the Men in Stone in museums

–Plague Time: Simon Schama on what history tells us

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Who's afraid of Ai Weiwei? The Chinese dissident artist on what makes a powerful protest

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 16:42:44 GMT

After a summer defined by protest, we invite on Ai Weiwei, one of the most influential artists and activists of our time, to discuss whether we've changed. Weiwei describes how to protest creatively and powerfully ("you only see your power from your enemy's eye"), the symbolic meaning of this pandemic, and his view on the state of humanity. Plus: FT arts editor Jan Dalley joins Lilah to unpack the conversation and consider where art is going.

Links from the episode:

—Circa 2020 on Instagram. They're raising money for struggling UK artists with a £100 Ai Weiwei print here through October

—Watch Human Flow on Amazon Prime or here

—Watch Coronation, Ai Weiwei's most recent documentary, which compiled secret footage of Wuhan during the peak of the Covid crisis, on Vimeo

—13 Ai Weiwei works to know (Royal Academy of Arts)

—FT piece on the best new operas online (paywall)

—Jan Dalley's review of the art world in the 2010s

Clip credit: AT SEA consists of footage filmed by Ai Weiwei during the making of “Human Flow” in 2016. Since 2015, hundreds of thousands of refugees have attempted the dangerous sea journey trying to reach Europe. Alongside these scenes are shots of physical barriers erected across Europe, the cold response to the plea for safety and shelter from the world’s most vulnerable. Video edited by: Autumn Rin Quotes: The border is not in Lesbos, it is in our minds and in our hearts. – Ai Weiwei, Chinese artist (b. 1957) Music Credit: Karsten Fundal

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Bonus: Poet Natasha Trethewey on memory, grief and Black Lives Matter

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 04:00:00 GMT

In this bonus episode, we bring you a conversation between Lilah and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former US Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey. In her recent memoir, Memorial Drive, Natasha shares the painful story of her mother's murder at the hands of her stepfather when Natasha was 19. Natasha was born to a black mother and white father in the Deep South during the civil rights movement. When she was an infant, the KKK burned a cross in her family's front yard. In this interview she speaks to the cyclical nature of history, the disease of racism, and the power of memory. This interview was originally recorded at the FT Weekend Live Festival in early September 2020.

Get tickets to the virtual October 22 FT NextGen festival here for free, using the promo code FTPodcast.

—Watch this conversation between Natasha and Lilah on YouTube

—Read Natasha’s piece for the FT, America the Beautiful: three generations in the struggle for civil rights

—Read the FT review for Memorial Drive, written by playwright Bonnie Greer

—Read Natasha’s poem, Imperatives for Carrying On in the Aftermath

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Miranda July on releasing a feature film in a pandemic

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 04:00:54 GMT

Miranda July is an artist ahead of her time: a prolific filmmaker, writer, musician, actor and more. Her work deliberately leads us into discomfort – and then hugs us from behind. Her third feature film, Kajillionaire, now on US and UK general release, is an exploration of loneliness and love that feels especially prescient now. Miranda and Lilah discuss what it’s like to release a film during a pandemic, how to make art when we don’t know what we’ll want in the future, and how a weirder world has made her film a lot less weird. Plus: FT writer Harriet Fitch-Little joins Lilah to debrief on the interview and discuss why we all stopped going to digital events.

The coronavirus pandemic has broken so much open. And that gives us a very unique chance to reimagine. Welcome to the first of a six-part season. From now to the end of 2020, Lilah will be posing the question “what’s possible now?” to different creators and thinkers, to FT Life & Arts journalists, and to you.

Links from the episode:

Our Next Gen virtual festival, hosted by the FT’s young editors, is on October 22! Buy tickets here, and use our discount code, NextGen2020

Anthem, by Leonard Cohen

A deep dive on the line, “There is a crack in everything – that’s how the light gets in”

Lilah’s piece about living through history

Harriet Fitch-Little’s profile of Miranda July

FT’s Kajillionaire review by Danny Leigh (paywall)

Jenny Odell interviews Miranda July

Behind the scenes of Jopie, Miranda’s crowdsourced film

An excerpt of John Giorno’s memoir, Great Demon Kings

@newyorknico on Instagram

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We're back for Season 3!

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 04:00:50 GMT

The season kicks off on Friday, October 9! With co-host Griselda Murray Brown on maternity leave, Lilah Raptopoulos presents a new series of conversations with creators and thinkers about our radically transformed cultural landscape.

We are living through history. The pandemic has exposed deep cracks in our systems, giving us an unprecedented chance to reexamine and upend. This six-episode season is based around the following question: what’s possible now?

Join Lilah, star guests and the team behind the Financial Times’ critically-acclaimed Life & Arts journalism to explore how culture is helping us envision what’s next.

Want to say hi? Email us at culturecall@ft.com, find Lilah on Instagram or Twitter at @lilahrap, and find the show on Twitter at @ftculturecall.

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Photographer Tyler Mitchell on black freedom

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 04:00:00 GMT

The world has changed. In the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, Gris speaks to Tyler Mitchell, a 25-year-old photographer, filmmaker and political artist who shot to fame when he photographed Beyonce for the September issue of American Vogue in 2018. In his work, Tyler explores what freedom means for black Americans, and all the ways in which it is denied. Gris first spoke to Tyler in early May - three weeks before police killed George Floyd - and they talked again just before this episode was published.

This is our finale for Season Two! Thank you for an incredible run. Gris is about to go on maternity leave, but Lilah will be back for Season Three in a few months’ time. In the meantime, you can still always find us talking about culture on Twitter @FTCultureCall or on Instagram at @lilahrap and @griseldamurraybrown, and you can email us at culturecall@ft.com.

Links and notes from the episode:

–Here is our massive list of listener recommendations for what to watch on streaming platforms. Thanks to all who shared their thoughts! There’s no paywall on this, so you can share it freely: https://www.ft.com/content/87f1f7fe-af30-11ea-a4b6-31f1eedf762e

–If you want free access to explore FT journalism for 30 days, sign up to the Coronavirus Business Update newsletter using this special link: https://www.ft.com/newsletter-signup/coronavirus?segmentId=0d92d58c-2c7d-178e-6aa8-81529dd53b1b

–White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo (You can also listen to an interview with Robin here: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/come-through/articles/5-robin-diangelo)

– Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

–The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

–I May Destroy You by Michaela Coel (BBC iPlayer and HBO)

–Here’s an excellent recent episode of our sister podcast, Behind the Money, on the history of police funding in America: https://www.ft.com/content/a6d56dd2-fd2c-4047-a502-c6c6d9dc3f90

–Tyler Mitchell on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tylersphotos

–Tyler’s new photo book I Can Make You Feel Good, published by Prestel on July 28: https://prestelpublishing.randomhouse.de/book/I-Can-Make-You-Feel-Good/Tyler-Mitchell/Prestel/e563080.rhd

–Inside Tyler’s exhibition I Can Make You Feel Good: https://www.anothermag.com/art-photography/12200/tyler-mitchell-photographer-i-can-make-you-feel-good-exhibition-new-york-2020

–Photographers who Tyler Mitchell cites as inspirations: Ryan McGinley, Larry Clark, and Petra Collins (who he calls ‘the first internet phenomenon photographer on some level’)

–Jeremy O Harris’s tweets on...

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Liana Finck, New Yorker cartoonist, on finding confidence and creativity in quarantine

Fri, 29 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

This week, Lilah talks to Liana Finck, a graphic novelist and New Yorker cartoonist with a fan base on Instagram that’s half a million strong. Liana is known for her funny and astute explorations of what it means to be human. She talks about how to free yourself up to be creative in quarantine, where confidence comes from, the most interesting human expressions to draw and what it’s like to have Ariana Grande slide into your DMs.

We also share some of your Netflix recommendations, which we are still collecting to publish! Let us know what we should be watching that the streaming algorithms are hiding from us. Fill out our short form at ft.com/culturecallout, or email us at culturecall@ft.com. If you want to get social, we're on Twitter @FTCultureCall and Instagram at @griseldamurraybrown and @lilahrap.

Links and notes from the episode:

–A special gift from us to you: sign up to the FT's Coronavirus Business Update newsletter and get free access to our journalism for 30 days https://www.ft.com/newsletter-signup/coronavirus?segmentId=0d92d58c-2c7d-178e-6aa8-81529dd53b1b

About Liana Finck:

–Liana's Instagram: https://instagram.com/lianafinck/

–Her graphic memoir is called Passing for Human

–Some of Liana’s New Yorker cartoons about quarantine: https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/some-drawings-from-week-three-at-home

–Unpopular likes and unpopular dislikes: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8pSyMMlHcG/

–Me/you/us, plotted: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Yy65xlYQB/

–Liana’s recommendations for which graphic novels to start with:

Everything is Flammable, by Gabrielle Bell
Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast
Wendy, by Walter Scott

–Lilah and listener Martha O’Neill’s film recommendation, Three Identical Strangers, is on Netflix

–Martin Wolf video: How might the world be different after the pandemic? https://www.ft.com/video/dafc3578-5c76-412a-8ba3-016495031bd1

–Martin Wolf column: Maintaining the lockdown and saving the economy are mutually compatible (paywall) https://www.ft.com/content/e486590e-8539-11ea-b872-8db45d5f6714

–Apps about trees: Tree Talk (London) and Leafsnap (US and UK)

–Gris' film recommendation, 120 BPM, is on Hulu and available to rent

–Listener Victoria Amico's Netflix recommendations are 13th (Ava DuVernay's documentary on racialised mass incarceration in the US) and The Great Hack (on the Cambridge Analytica scandal)

–Listener Kana Kamagae's Netflix recommendations are Never Have I Ever (Mindy Kaling’s TV series) and Tigertail

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Slave Play author Jeremy O Harris on the future of theatre

Fri, 15 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

This week, Gris talks to the brilliant 30-year-old playwright Jeremy O Harris about his Broadway sensation Slave Play and his autobiographical "Daddy". This is an interview that will stick with you for a long time. They discuss how black art is re-packaged by white institutions, how black and white audiences respond differently to his work, and how to make theatre more accessible — both for quarantine and for younger audiences (Harris is also an executive producer on Euphoria). Plus: a special appearance from Phoebe Waller-Bridge!

As always, we want to hear from you. This week, we'd love to know what gems the Netflix algorithm is hiding from us. What are you streaming that we should be watching? We'll publish your list! Fill out our short form at ft.com/culturecallout, or email us at culturecall@ft.com. f you want to get social, we're on Twitter @FTCultureCall and Instagram at @griseldamurraybrown and @lilahrap.

Links and notes from the episode:

–A special gift from us to you: sign up to the FT's Coronavirus Business Update newsletter and get free access to our journalism for 30 days! https://www.ft.com/newsletter-signup/coronavirus?segmentId=0d92d58c-2c7d-178e-6aa8-81529dd53b1b

–The recipe for kuku sabzi, a delicious Persian frittata: https://youtu.be/OJFoIfzY7eI

–A great piece about Jenny Odell's How To Do Nothing: https://www.latimes.com/books/la-ca-jc-jenny-odell-interview-how-nothing-20190509-story.html

–Wesley Morris on ESPN's The Last Dance https://www.nytimes.com/article/the-last-dance-jordan.html

–(More Wesley Morris content) Still Processing dissects Tiger King: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/09/podcasts/still-processing-tiger-king.html

–FT review of Becoming on Netflix (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/e46b7582-8df7-11ea-a8ec-961a33ba80aa

–Aisha Harris' review of Slave Play: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/07/opinion/slave-play-broadway.html

–Slave Play's set designer on the choice behind the onstage mirror: https://www.interviewmagazine.com/art/rihanna-mirrors-and-america-processing-slave-plays-set-design

–Genre defying women that Jeremy mentioned: Aphra Behn, Caryl Churchill, Suzan-Lori Parks

–Jeremy's recommendation of Perfect Blue by Satochi Kon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_Blue

–Jeremy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyoharris

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Bonus: Normal People author Sally Rooney

Wed, 06 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

This week, we've dusted off a little gem from our archives. Gris spoke to the writer Sally Rooney in 2018, just before her bestselling novel Normal People was published in the UK. It went on to win tremendous acclaim, prizes and the hearts of many readers. Fast-forward eighteen months, and Rooney's tale of passionate young love has been turned into a gripping 12-part TV series on the BBC and Hulu. It's all we can talk about: Marianne, Connell — and Connell's neck chain. But what were the origins of the novel? And what does it have to say about sex, class and power?

We love hearing from you. Have you watched Normal People? How do you think it compares to the book? Email us at culturecall@ft.com or tweet us at @FTCultureCall. Also, we're still collecting your cultural recommendations: what are you watching, reading and doing at home? Fill out our short form at ft.com/culturecallout, or record a short voice note on your phone and email it to us. You can also find us on Instagram at @griseldamurraybrown and @lilahrap.

Recommended links:

–Sign up for the FT's Coronavirus Business Update newsletter and get free access to our journalism for 30 days: www.ft.com/culturecallcovid

–Our colleague Horatia Harrod interviews film-maker Lenny Abrahamson about adapting Normal People (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/c590914c-8870-11ea-a01c-a28a3e3fbd33

–You know it's a phenomenon when a BuzzFeed writer digs deep into Spotify to unearth Sally Rooney's playlists for Connell and Marianne: https://www.buzzfeed.com/tatianatenreyrowhitlock/normal-people-playlists

–The FT's book review of Normal People (2018): https://www.ft.com/content/00461b64-b504-11e8-a1d8-15c2dd1280ff

–Neck chain hottake 1: 'Why Are Those Little Neck Chains So Sexy?': https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/bvgwp8/normal-people-connell-silver-chain

–Neck chain hottake 2: 'Is This the Sexiest Thing About Normal People?': https://www.thecut.com/2020/04/why-is-normal-people-connells-chain-so-hot.html

–'Normal people takes sex seriously': https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/arts/television/normal-people-hulu.html

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How is culture adapting to quarantine? Plus: our film critic on what to watch now

Fri, 01 May 2020 04:00:00 GMT

This week, we discuss the future of movies with FT film critic Danny Leigh. Will we see a wave of apocalypse dramas once this is over? Are mid-budget films under threat? And what little-known films should we be watching? In the second half of the show, Gris and Lilah take stock of how culture has been adapting to a new virtual reality, from online exhibitions to gigs on Instagram Live. What's working in URL vs IRL culture — and what isn't? Will the lockdown democratize the arts?

We’d love to hear your thoughts. Which cultural experiences have you been enjoying from your sofa? What are you watching, reading or listening to right now? Let us know at ft.com/culturecallout, or record a short voice note on your phone and send it to culturecall@ft.com. You can tweet us at @FTCultureCall, and you can find us on Instagram @lilahrap and @griseldamurraybrown.

Links from the episode:

–Sign up for the FT's Coronavirus Business Update newsletter and get free access to our journalism for 30 days: www.ft.com/culturecallcovid

–The TV adaptation of Normal People: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p089g8rs/normal-people, https://www.hulu.com/series/normal-people-57048262-2ca5-41ee-9b57-53bb9b9e1596

–Gris's podcast interview with Sally Rooney, author of Normal People, from 2018: https://www.ft.com/content/03af4b54-01a0-4220-8f52-168355b36024

–Danny Leigh's review of The Perfect Candidate (paywall), which you can stream online: https://www.ft.com/content/ae5d4364-741e-11ea-95fe-fcd274e920ca

–Danny Leigh's review of And Then We Danced (paywall), which you can stream online: https://www.ft.com/content/61c4f594-7016-11ea-9bca-bf503995cd6f

–Fiona Apple's album Fetch The Bolt Cutters on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0fO1KemWL2uCCQmM22iKlj

–BBC Museums in Quarantine - Warhol: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000hqml/museums-in-quarantine-series-1-1-warhol

–Cyprus Avenue at the Royal Court Theatre: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptCyZYzUx4M&feature=emb_logo&has_verified=1

–Dance Church on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dance_church/?hl=en

–Gris's FT piece on having a ballet lesson with Adam Cooper:

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Bonus: Esther Perel's advice for coping in a pandemic

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 04:00:00 GMT

This week, we turn to Esther Perel, psychotherapist and host of the hit podcast Where Should We Begin?, to help put our fears and emotions around coronavirus in context. She also gives us useful strategies for living in lockdown. There are insights in this episode that we think will help listeners in any circumstance, so we've decided to drop it early.

We hope you enjoy the episode, and would love to hear your thoughts. Email us at culturecall@ft.com or tweet us at @FTCultureCall. We're also still collecting your cultural recommendations under quarantine: what are you watching, reading and doing at home? Fill out our short form at ft.com/culturecallout, or record a short voice note on your phone and email it to us. We'll use a selection in upcoming episodes.

Links:

–Our last episode with Esther, on surviving (and thriving) at work: https://www.ft.com/content/e271eac4-e41a-4577-b6e3-6c24e4e01c75

–Esther Perel's podcast, Where Should We Begin? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/where-should-we-begin-with-esther-perel/id1237931798

–Roxane Gay on the value of giving people money to help them get through Covid-19 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8XQpOrAgWs

–A great article on ways to help during this pandemic (US focus): https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/4/14/21212199/donate-masks-blood-coronavirus-stimulus-checks

–Another resource with ways to help (UK focus): https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/27/coronavirus-and-volunteering-how-can-i-help-in-the-uk

–Lucy Kellaway's piece, "Is it okay to be happy in lockdown?" (paywall) https://www.ft.com/content/2203813e-797e-11ea-9840-1b8019d9a987

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Chef Samin Nosrat on home cooking in trying times

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 04:00:00 GMT

We can't stop thinking about food: how to cook it, where to buy it, how many meals are too many meals and why everyone's making bread. This week, Lilah talks to Samin Nosrat, of bestselling cookbook and Netflix hit Salt Fat Acid Heat, about tips for cooking in a pandemic, the meaning of comfort food, her next cookbook — and the long-term effects of coronavirus on the restaurant industry.

We’d love to hear what you're turning to these days. What are you watching, reading, listening to...or cooking? Let us know at ft.com/culturecallout, or record a short voice note on your phone and send it to culturecall@ft.com. You can also tweet us at @FTCultureCall. Stay safe, and stay in touch.

Links from the episode

–It's your last chance to tell us what you think of the podcast (and be entered to win a pair of Bose wireless headphones!): ft.com/culturecallsurvey

–Christine and the Queens EP La Vita Nuova: https://youtu.be/EIdSORj_dd0

–Samin's new podcast, Home Cooking https://homecooking.show/

–Samin's foccacia recipe: https://www.saltfatacidheat.com/fat/ligurian-focaccia

–Kenji Lopez's guide on food safety and coronavirus, recommended by Samin: https://www.seriouseats.com/2020/03/food-safety-and-coronavirus-a-comprehensive-guide.html

–Sarah O'Connor's FT column on essential workers: "The people we need the most are often the ones we value the least." (free to read): https://www.ft.com/content/2b34269a-73f8-11ea-95fe-fcd274e920ca

–FT piece on China retailers facing a hard truth: if you reopen, they won't come (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/07bd5ad6-6979-400f-a26e-bb0eefac1e6d

–The FT Bunker Food series (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/c84f3fdc-73b2-11ea-95fe-fcd274e920ca

–Every day, the FT makes a selection of our coronavirus coverage free to read. You can find it all here: ft.com/coronavirusfree

–Lilah's interview with Mission Chinese chef Danny Bowien: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culture-call/id1179847741

–Pedro Almodóvar’s lockdown diary: https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/features/pedro-almodovar-coronavirus-lockdown-diary-part-1 (in English) and https://www.eldiario.es/autores/pedro_almodovar/ (in Spanish)

–The two guides Lilah depends on for making sourdough bread:

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This American Life host Ira Glass on storytelling during Covid-19

Thu, 02 Apr 2020 04:00:00 GMT

Lilah chats with Ira Glass, the host of This American Life, the long running, seminal and wildly popular radio show that launched a genre of podcasting. But what does its name really mean? And what does American life look like today? They discuss reporting during a pandemic, whether the show has spurred or stifled creativity in audio, how having a more diverse staff has changed their stories — and why Ira is so often name-checked on online dating sites.

We’d love to hear what's keeping you centered and whose work you're turning to in these uncertain times. Let us know here: ft.com/culturecallout

You can also tweet us at @FTCultureCall. Stay safe, and stay in touch.

Links from the episode

Tell us what you think of Culture Call (and be entered to win a pair of Bose wireless headphones): ft.com/culturecallsurvey

A great example of New Journalism: Frank Sinatra Has a Cold, by Gay Talese https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a638/frank-sinatra-has-a-cold-gay-talese/

FT piece on gardening as ‘weeding the psyche’ (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/2ce783ba-6944-11ea-a3c9-1fe6fedcca75

DJ D-Nice, who hosts Club Quarantine funk and hip hop dance parties on Instagram Live: https://www.instagram.com/dnice

The Salt Drop, Lilah’s workout recommendation: https://www.instagram.com/thesaltdrop

FT piece on the rise the lockdown celebrity (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/a51fa513-423e-4e93-9097-bef36129d0a4

Gris’ film recommendation, Honeyland, is on Hulu

Lilah’s TV recommendation, Unorthodox, is on Netflix

---

Recommended This American Life episodes

'The Test', a recent episode about coronavirus: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/698/the-test

'We Come from Small Places', about Brooklyn’s West Indian Day Parade: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/685/we-come-from-small-places

'Are We There Yet', about the refugee crisis in Greece: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/592/are-we-there-yet

'Tell Me I'm Fat', one of Gris' favourite episodes of TAL: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/589/tell-me-im-fat

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We want to hear from you

Fri, 27 Mar 2020 05:00:00 GMT

Gris and Lilah here, coming to you between episodes to find out how you're holding up. As we live through this surreal pandemic together (and apart), we want to know what's going through your mind. What are you noticing around you? How have you seen culture already begin to adapt to this new reality? And what have you been watching, reading, listening to, crafting, cooking, etc to get through? This is our Culture Call Out. We want to hear from you.

Let's put our observations, epiphanies and cultural recommendations together to try to get through this time. Send your voice memos to us at culturecall@ft.com by Monday, and we'll put a bunch in our next episode.

Here's how to send a voice memo: open the voice notes app on your phone, talk right into the mic, and email the file to culturecall@ft.com. If you're more comfortable in writing, feel free to email us the old fashioned way.

And if you want to connect online, you can find us on Twitter at @ftculturecall and on Instagram at @griseldamurraybrown and @lilahrap.

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On culture in the time of coronavirus. Plus: novelist Eimear McBride

Tue, 17 Mar 2020 08:40:17 GMT

This week has been dominated by the spread of coronavirus. The situation is changing so fast that we decided to publish a couple of days early. In the first half of this episode, Gris and Lilah discuss how coronavirus is already changing daily life — and how it might impact culture in the longer term. Will we lose our fear of missing out? What will the 'experience economy' look like? And can the thrill of a live performance be replicated online? The second half of the episode is an escape from all that: Gris meets the Irish novelist Eimear McBride, who wrote the literary sensation A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing. They discuss one-night stands, middle-aged women in literature, and her new novel Strange Hotel.

We’d love to hear how you’re doing in these strange and scary times, and in particular which TV shows, films and books are bringing you comfort. We’ll put a selection of your recommendations in our next episode. You can tweet us at @FTculturecall or email us at culturecall@ft.com. Stay safe, and stay in touch.

Links from the episode:

Let us know what you think of Culture Call (and win a pair of headphones): ft.com/culturecallsurvey

Henry Mance’s FT piece ‘Will coronavirus change how we live?’ (paywall) https://www.ft.com/content/8044788c-5e05-11ea-b0ab-339c2307bcd4

Trend forecaster Emily Segal discusses the experience economy on Culture Call: https://www.ft.com/content/d5f298c8-ca35-43bd-af3c-fdc5c4c7edf7

The New Yorker on the Netflix show Love is Blind: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/how-love-is-blind-transcends-the-norms-of-reality-television

FT review of Jenny Offill’s novel Weather: https://www.ft.com/content/5050a052-4766-11ea-aee2-9ddbdc86190d

FT review of Eimear McBride’s novel Strange Hotel: https://www.ft.com/content/5fd7880a-3ddf-11ea-b84f-a62c46f39bc2

‘Today I Learned That Not Everyone Has An Internal Monologue And It Has Ruined My Day’:

https://insidemymind.me/2020/01/28/today-i-learned-that-not-everyone-has-an-internal-monologue-and-it-has-ruined-my-day/

New York Times interview with Jeremy O Harris, our next podcast guest: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/28/theater/jeremy-o-harris-slave-play.html

Episode in which Lilah recommends Jeremy O Harris’s Slave Play: https://www.ft.com/content/c71cfeee-1ca8-4b07-be68-a05500c6067

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Feminism after Weinstein, with Laura Bates, Emma Dabiri and Emilie Pine

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 05:00:00 GMT

To mark International Women's Day on March 8, and following Harvey Weinstein's recent conviction in New York, we're doing something a bit different. In this episode, Gris speaks to three of today's most compelling writers and campaigners about feminism now. They touch on everything from changing beauty standards to teens and social media to modern motherhood. Prepare to be surprised. Or as Lilah put it: "whatever I thought I was going to hear, that is not what I heard." (A warning if you're listening with kids: this episode contains some swearing.)

The discussion was recorded at FT NextGen, a one-day festival in London in November 2019 — watch this space for details of this year's NextGen festivals in London and New York.

Feminism is a subject that inspires strong reactions — and we'd especially like to know what you thought of this episode. Tweet us @FTCultureCall or email us at culturecall@ft.com. And if you enjoy the show, why not leave us a review on Apple Podcasts?

Links to some of the things we discussed:

Gris's piece on female essayists, including Rebecca Solnit, Jia Tolentino and Emilie Pine: https://www.ft.com/content/e8126aec-b1e3-11e9-bec9-fdcab53d6959

Gris's podcast interview with Jia Tolentino: https://www.ft.com/content/7d248852-e840-477c-b4c8-8bdbd48a43f2

Lilah's podcast interview with Lisa Taddeo: https://www.ft.com/content/14f68996-d4a8-4d7f-ae2b-4398f35a9a24

A good piece about My Dark Vanessa: https://www.vulture.com/2020/02/my-dark-vanessa-kate-elizabeth-russell.html

FT House & Home piece on maximalism and heritage interiors (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/4d78b96e-4e5f-11ea-95a0-43d18ec715f5

Hospital Sant Pau in Barcelona: https://www.santpaubarcelona.org/en/visits-sant-pau-art-nouveau-site

Lilah's tilapia recipe, stolen straight off the back of the Trader Joe's label (this is not sponsored!): https://www.food.com/recipe/lemon-butter-tilapia-147551

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How to record sex, with podcaster Kaitlin Prest. Plus: fashion month explained by a trend forecaster

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 05:08:44 GMT

Award-winning podcaster Kaitlin Prest (of The Heart and Mermaid Palace) is one of the most innovative people making audio today. She chats with Lilah about sex, power and the grey areas around consent—as well as how her collective of queer anarchist outsiders climbed to the top of the audio world. Plus: trend forecaster Emily Segal, known for coining the term 'normcore', stops by to share her top five alternate takeaways from fashion month (including that trends may be entirely over!).

As always, we'd love to hear from you. Say hi on Twitter @FTCultureCall, or by email at culturecall@ft.com to tell us what you're reading, watching, listening to or otherwise obsessed with. And if you enjoy the show, why not leave us a review on Apple Podcasts?

Recommended links:

–Kaitlin Prest and Drew Denny's new audio show, Asking For it, comes out February 25. Trailer here: https://mermaidpalace.org/Asking-For-It

–The Heart's three part series on consent, 'No': https://www.theheartradio.org/no-episodes

–If you liked Emily Segal of Nemesis, this is a great conversation between her and star fashion designer Virgil Abloh: http://moussemagazine.it/virgil-abloh-emily-segal-2018/

–Danny Leigh's piece about Amy documentarian Asif Kapadia ('the director who reinvented the documentary'): https://www.ft.com/content/5311f8ce-871b-11e9-a028-86cea8523dc2

–Gris' Twitter thread about the best theatre on in London right now: https://twitter.com/griseldamb/status/1229743591863541761

–FT review of Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt and Death of England (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/9f91a7f6-4e4b-11ea-95a0-43d18ec715f5

–Gris' Culture Call interview with Kristen Roupenian, author of Cat Person: https://www.ft.com/content/79a36ebb-3599-4231-92e8-094220b414ef

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Noah Baumbach on his film Marriage Story. Plus: everything you need to know before the Oscars

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 05:00:00 GMT

We're back with a brand new season! In our pre-Oscars special, Gris talks to Noah Baumbach, director of the nominated film Marriage Story, about love, divorce — and how Netflix is changing film. Plus: the FT's film critic Danny Leigh drops into the studio ahead of the Academy Awards. Who's going to win? Who really should win? And do the Oscars — for which no female directors and just one actor of colour were nominated — still matter in 2020?

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Recommended links:

Kaitlin Prest's podcast The Heart - specifically the mini-series ‘No’ (she's our next guest): https://www.theheartradio.org/all-episodes

The FT's Academy Awards package: https://www.ft.com/Oscars2020

The Spotify soundtrack of Jagged Little Pill (the Alanis Morissette musical): https://open.spotify.com/album/3JUvh3Ch6QFxguLABtTOE3

FT review of Anna Wiener's book Uncanny Valley (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/77a8d150-33a8-11ea-a329-0bcf87a328f2

Danny Leigh's review of Uncut Gems (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/b717ed0e-322b-11ea-a329-0bcf87a328f2

FT review of Charlotte Salomon at the Jewish Museum, London: https://www.ft.com/content/97e00f90-0484-11ea-9afa-d9e2401fa7ca

FT review of Uncle Vanya, London (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/adf70afe-4359-11ea-abea-0c7a29cd66fe

Ekow Eshun on Masculinities at the Barbican, London (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/eaaeeff4-422b-11ea-bdb5-169ba7be433d

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We're back for season two!

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 18:33:46 GMT

The season kicks off this Thursday, February 6! Join Gris and Lilah as they dig into the trends shaping life in the 2020s, interview the people breaking new ground and bring you behind the scenes of the Financial Times' Life & Arts journalism. In episode one, Gris speaks with director of Marriage Story Noah Baumbach, and our film critic stops by to chat about this year’s nominees. We also have an exciting line up of guests this season, including podcaster Kaitlin Prest and novelist Eimear McBride, as well as artists, chefs, trend forecasters and more.

Want to say hi? Email Gris and Lilah at culturecall@ft.com or follow us on Twitter at @ftculturecall.

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Our 2019 cultural roundup: the biggest and best of the year

Thu, 19 Dec 2019 05:00:00 GMT

From Lizzo and Fleabag to Greta Thunberg and the Impossible Burger, Lilah and Gris look back at the biggest themes, people and moments of the year. How did we go from talking about 'global warming' to the 'climate crisis'? How has technology opened up the generational divide? And how is culture reflecting the changing conversation around gender, race and representation?

Plus: we asked our FT colleagues for their stand-out moments of 2019! Melissa Ingabire takes on the surprising ascendance of country music, via Lil Nas X and Kacey Musgraves. Alec Russell describes meeting the 89-year-old Irish novelist Edna O'Brien. Jo Ellison explains why Karl Lagerfeld's death marked the end of an era in fashion. And Anna Nicolaou argues that 2019 was a great year for movies - thanks, in part, to streaming platforms like Netflix. The episode rounds out with listener recommendations to help you with your holiday gift list.

We're taking a short break -- we'll be back in late January 2020! Let us know who we should interview and which subjects we should tackle in our second season. You can get in touch on Twitter @FTCultureCall or by email at culturecall@ft.com. And if you like the show, the kindest gift you could give us is a review on Apple Podcasts.

Links from the episode, arranged by theme:

Gris's Lunch with the FT with superstar violinist Nicola Benedetti (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/33ed2b6e-1b3e-11ea-97df-cc63de1d73f4

Climate:

Greta Thunberg has Lunch with the FT: https://www.ft.com/content/4df1b9e6-34fb-11e9-bd3a-8b2a211d90d5

Why renting your wardrobe makes fashion sense: https://www.ft.com/content/f8b1b96c-ffb7-11e9-be59-e49b2a136b8d

Review of Eco-Visionaries exhibition at the Royal Academy (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/25e8d842-1684-11ea-9ee4-11f260415385

Technology:

Anna Nicolaou on TikTok and how video shaped a generation: https://www.ft.com/content/dd7234e8-fcb9-11e9-98fd-4d6c20050229

John Thornhill's review of Shoshana Zuboff's book The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: https://www.ft.com/content/43980f9c-0f5b-11e9-a3aa-118c761d2745

Review of Euphoria on HBO: https://www.ft.com/content/bed942be-b2aa-11e9-bec9-fdcab53d6959

MeToo and female creators:

Rebecca Traister on the toll of MeToo: https://www.thecut.com/2019/09/the-toll-of-me-too.html

Gillian Tett's review of She Said, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey's account of breaking the Weinstein story: https://www.ft.com/content/02b579fc-d480-11e9-a0bd-ab8ec6435630

Review of Fleabag series two on BBC/Amazon...

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Why astrology is thriving in 2019

Thu, 05 Dec 2019 05:01:00 GMT

You may have noticed the revival of astrology in recent years: meme accounts are accruing millions of followers, horoscope apps are raising millions of dollars in venture funding, and Americans are spending more and more on 'mystical services' (it's currently a $2.2b market). Lilah and Gris explore what this growing trend says about our culture, digging into the renaissance of birth charts and moon signs with help from Culture Call listeners. Plus: one of New York's most prominent astrologers, Rebecca Gordon, stops by the show to talk about her growing clientele and her predictions for Brexit and the US 2020 election. She also takes a look at how compatible Culture Call's co-hosts really are.

Also: we are putting together an episode of our cultural highlights from 2019, and we’d love to include yours. Which books, films, TV shows and other trends have you been recommending to your friends? Let us know on Twitter @FTCultureCall or by emailing us at culturecall@ft.com.

Here are some links from this episode:

– Lilah's FT article on astrology: https://www.ft.com/content/2816a0ec-000c-11ea-be59-e49b2a136b8d

–Suzi Feay's FT review of The Crown Season 3: https://www.ft.com/content/767e6b32-fefb-11e9-b7bc-f3fa4e77dd47

–Meghan Markle's interview on ITV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo9G91QWMQs

–Liz Jobey's FT piece on artist Dora Maar, whose work is on view at the Tate Modern in London until March 15 (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/0ee21c42-05a6-11ea-9afa-d9e2401fa7ca

–Picasso's 1937 painting, Weeping Woman': https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/picasso-weeping-woman-t05010

–Witch, a book of poetry by Rebecca Tamás: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43842058-witch

–Recap of the Broad City episode Witches: https://www.vulture.com/2017/10/broad-city-recap-season-4-episode-6.html

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Novelist Ben Lerner on angry white men and the origins of Trump

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 05:00:00 GMT

Ben Lerner is one of the most acclaimed American writers working today. Gris meets him to discuss good parenting, male rage and why "autofiction" (fiction infused with autobiography) isn't narcissistic, despite what people think.

One of the biggest books of 2019, Lerner's new novel The Topeka School is arguably his most ambitious to date. Set partly in Kansas in the 1990s, it tells the story of one family -- and of the US at large. Can it help us understand how we got here?

Get in touch! We’re putting together an episode of our cultural highlights from 2019, and we’d love to know what yours have been. Which books, films, TV shows and other trends have you enjoyed this year? Let us know on Twitter @FTCultureCall or by emailing us at culturecall@ft.com. And if you like the show, you can help us out by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or recommending it to your friends!

Links from the episode:

- FT review of Ben Lerner's novel The Topeka School (paywall) : https://www.ft.com/content/5147ef78-fa37-11e9-a354-36acbbb0d9b6

- Gris' podcast interview with Sheila Heti, another great writer of autofiction: https://www.ft.com/content/8dd9fc2d-9172-47ea-bbd7-0256d4ee4c4d

- Lilah's piece on the rebirth of astrology for the FT (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/2816a0ec-000c-11ea-be59-e49b2a136b8d

- India Ross's piece on the "OK boomer" meme for the FT (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/52d858a0-06da-11ea-9afa-d9e2401fa7ca

- FT's NextGen package, featuring pieces about the post-millennial generation: https://www.ft.com/nextgen

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Esther Perel on surviving (and thriving) at work

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 05:00:00 GMT

Psychotherapist Esther Perel shot to fame with her TED talks and podcast on sex, infidelity, and the secret to long-term relationships. Lilah meets her in New York to learn about her latest podcast – How's Work? – which puts a microphone in her therapy sessions between co-founders. They discuss how the same dynamics that exist in our romantic relationships also exist in our professional lives – and how best to navigate them. Gris and Lilah also dissect how therapy has been depicted in culture over the years.

As always, we'd love to hear from you. We are still looking for your thoughts on astrology – record an audio message and email it to us at culturecall@ft.com. You can also always tell us about your favorite cultural trends on Twitter @FTCultureCall. And if you enjoy the show, please recommend us to your friends!

––––

Links from the episode:

–Lilah's written piece on Esther Perel (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/aaa3b29a-ffb0-11e9-be59-e49b2a136b8d

–How's Work? on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0P13JasQfVZ1RiDCMZMYNU

–Tom Faber's piece for the FT on London's club scene (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/9e45e870-f668-11e9-bbe1-4db3476c5ff0

–FT NextGen, a package of stories about how the next generation lives: https://www.ft.com/nextgen

–Tickets to the FT's NextGen festival, in London on November 16 (where you can hang out with Gris!): https://www.ftnextgen.com/

–Lilah and James Fontanella-Khan's story on why it’s time to stop ignoring mental health at work: https://ft.com/mentalhealth

–More about Flights, by Olga Tokarczuk: https://www.ft.com/content/076bb888-372b-11e8-8b98-2f31af407cc8

–The rise of Succession, TV’s new must-watch show (Vox): https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/9/24/20870750/succession-hbo-review-season-2-recap

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Chef Danny Bowien of Mission Chinese: "we're living in a post-authentic world"

Thu, 24 Oct 2019 04:10:55 GMT

Award-winning chef Danny Bowien has never fully fit in. Adopted from Korea, Bowien was raised by a white, Christian family in Oklahoma, in "the buckle of the Bible Belt." In 2010, as a young chef in San Francisco, he started the first pop up restaurant ever as an experiment – it became wildly popular for turning Szechuan Chinese food upside down. He now runs two successful Mission Chinese restaurants in New York.

Bowien is known in the food world for subverting not just Chinese cuisine, but also what chefs should look like and the rules they should follow. He speaks with Lilah about why authenticity is no longer the benchmark for good food, what it has been like to publicly fail, and how a restaurant becomes an institution.

Also: we want to hear your stories about astrology! Do you have a memorable experience to share with us? When do you turn to it? And if you're a skeptic, what doesn't sit right? Record an audio message with your thoughts, and email it to culturecall@ft.com. You can also chat with us on Twitter @FTCultureCall.

––––

Links from the episode:

–Patricia Lockwood's hilarious essay on John Updike in the London Review of Books https://www.lrb.co.uk/v41/n19/patricia-lockwood/malfunctioning-sex-robot

–Tickets to the FT's NextGen festival, in London on November 16 (where you can hang out with Gris!): https://www.ftnextgen.com/

–Danny Bowien's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannybowienchinesefood

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Artist Mark Bradford peels back layers. Plus: is Netflix losing steam?

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 14:46:28 GMT

At almost seven foot tall, Mark Bradford is one of the most towering figures in the art world, in every sense. Gris asks him how it felt — as a gay, black artist — to represent the US at the Venice Biennale in the era of Trump. Mark also discusses growing up in his mother's beauty salon in Los Angeles, his new exhibition in London, and how his foundation makes art accessible to everyone — not just privileged communities. Later in the episode, Lilah speaks to the FT's US media correspondent Anna Nicolaou about Fortnite, the digital streaming wars and why Netflix keeps paying millions for 90's sitcoms.

As always, we'd love to hear from you. Chat with us on Twitter @FTCultureCall, and tell us about the cultural trends you can’t get out of your head at culturecall@ft.com.

Links from the episode:

Mark Bradford's exhibition Cerberus is at Hauser & Wirth in London until December 21 - https://www.hauserwirth.com/hauser-wirth-exhibitions/25237-mark-bradford-cerberus

Lilah's piece on visiting Armenia for the first time - https://www.ft.com/content/2e2f38b0-e7a1-11e8-8a85-04b8afea6ea3

Anna Nicolaou's piece on Fortnite - https://www.ft.com/content/f2103e72-b38f-11e9-bec9-fdcab53d6959

Anna Nicolaou's piece on the future of Netflix (paywall) https://ig.ft.com/netflix-future/

Is Broadway ready for Slave Play? (New York Times) https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/11/theater/slave-play-broadway-jeremy-harris.html

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On sex and bias with comedian Sara Pascoe

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 04:00:00 GMT

How does evolutionary biology shape our attitudes towards desire? Is it always possible to confront your own prejudice? Gris talks to Sara Pascoe about making jokes in the age of woke speak, the highs and lows of life as a comedian, and her new book Sex Power Money.

We love hearing from you. Come chat with us @FTCultureCall on Twitter, and tell us about your favourite cultural trends at culturecall@ft.com.

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Unpacking the internet with Jia Tolentino

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 04:02:00 GMT

As The New Yorker magazine's go-to millennial, Jia Tolentino writes cultural criticism about the internet and how it affects us. She recently published Trick Mirror, a wildly popular collection of essays that explores contemporary culture. On this episode, Jia speaks with Gris about how the internet is moulding us in its image ("and it's important to remember that we are very mouldable!"). She also considers how it feels to find professional success on Twitter, a platform that can be ultimately harmful. Trick Mirror doesn't attempt to solve these problems; it just exposes and untangles them. Later in the episode, Lilah and Gris discuss whether that's enough.

Want to discuss the episode? Come chat with us @FTCultureCall on Twitter. You can also tell us about the cultural trends you can’t get out of your head at culturecall@ft.com.

Relevant links:

Jia's New Yorker piece on vaping: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/05/14/the-promise-of-vaping-and-the-rise-of-juul

The FT book review of Trick Mirror (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/c5454c2e-a70b-11e9-90e9-fc4b9d9528b4

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From rap to representation with George the Poet

Tue, 27 Aug 2019 04:00:00 GMT

He opened the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with a love poem. His series Have You Heard George's Podcast? won multiple awards for its commentary on black inner city culture in the UK and beyond. George the Poet tells Gris about why he gave up rapping, and the privilege ⁠— and emotional toll ⁠— of representing his community. Later on, we discuss the latest mind-blowing discoveries in science, from our early ancestors to extraterrestrial life.

Talk to us on Twitter! We're at @FTculturecall. And let us know about the cultural trends you can’t get out of your head at culturecall@ft.com.

Relevant links:

George the Poet at London Podcast Festival, September 6: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/have-you-heard-georges-podcast/

Lilah's Lunch with the FT with Alexis Ohanian: https://www.ft.com/content/dbc303c8-c345-11e9-a8e9-296ca66511c9 (paywall)

The Financial Times Masters of Science series: https://www.ft.com/mastersofscience2019

The Financial Times review of The Doctor at the Almeida Theatre, London: https://www.ft.com/content/29adabb8-c433-11e9-a8e9-296ca66511c9 (paywall)

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Talking fame, trauma and fiction with Taffy Brodesser-Akner

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 03:30:00 GMT

Gris and Lilah return with a revamped show: welcome to Culture Call! Lilah visits New York Times feature writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner at home in suburban New Jersey to talk about how she constructs her viral celebrity profiles (think Gwyneth Paltrow and Nicki Minaj). We also discuss her first novel, Fleishman is in Trouble.

Good news: you can now find us on Twitter! It’s @FTculturecall. As always, feel free to email us with the cultural trends you can’t get out of your head at culturecall@ft.com.

Relevant links:

Gris’s piece on how women essayists are shifting the rules in the literary world (paywall):

https://www.ft.com/content/e8126aec-b1e3-11e9-bec9-fdcab53d6959

Taffy’s GQ cover story on Tom Hiddleston and his bolognese:

https://www.gq.com/story/tom-hiddleston-cover-profile

The Financial Times’ book review of Fleishman is in Trouble:

https://www.ft.com/content/52277526-96a0-11e9-98b9-e38c177b152f

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Introducing Culture Call

Fri, 02 Aug 2019 04:00:00 GMT

We're changing our name to Culture Call! We'll be bringing you everything that was great about Everything Else, plus an added emphasis on conversations with people who are shifting culture — writers, musicians, chefs, comedians and more. For regular listeners, there's no need to re-subscribe: we'll be back in your feeds on August 13!

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Love, lust and workplace burnout: Three Women’s Lisa Taddeo

Fri, 12 Jul 2019 04:00:00 GMT

Three Women is one of the most talked-about books of the summer: a true story of female desire that took eight years to write. Lilah talks to its author, Lisa Taddeo, about what it was like to report on real women's sex lives — and why Woody Allen was wrong: there is such a thing as a bad orgasm. Plus: Lilah and James Fontanella-Khan, FT corporate deals editor, discuss their investigation into workplace stress and burnout. Why is it getting worse? And what can we do? Read it for free at ft.com/mentalhealth.

Listen, subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts.

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Our big summer books episode 2019. Plus Simon Schama on Wordiness

Fri, 28 Jun 2019 04:00:00 GMT

Our big summer books episode! Plus, Simon Schama

Looking for a book that will give you an existential crisis on holiday? Gris and Lilah talk with Innovation Editor John Thornhill about what this summer’s best tech books say about our cultural psyche. (John sees a future in which a machine can write about its experience being a machine.) Plus, a conversation with resident genius Simon Schama, who defends the value of wordy writing

Listen, subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts.

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The secret life of a Cannes film critic. Plus: Big Little Lies and the internet wife

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 15:00:00 GMT

FT film critic Raphael Abraham brings us behind the scenes at Cannes — and recommends the best movies to see this summer. Plus: to welcome season two of HBO's Big Little Lies, Gris and Lilah unpack the changing role of the housewife, and what the new internet sensation 'the wife guy' is doing for modern feminism.

Listen, subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts.

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Black Mirror and a date with Rihanna

Fri, 31 May 2019 04:00:00 GMT

Gris meets Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones, the pair behind Black Mirror, the hit Netflix show that explores the darker side of our relationship to technology; its latest season begins next week. Plus: FT fashion editor Jo Ellison tells us what it was like to interview Rihanna in Paris.

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Jon Ronson on free porn, anxiety and empathy

Fri, 17 May 2019 04:00:00 GMT

Gris meets the author and podcaster Jon Ronson (The Butterfly Effect, The Psychopath Test, So You've Been Publicly Shamed) to ask him why he’s drawn to secretive subcultures — from sites like 4chan to the Ku Klux Klan — and to discuss his latest podcast, The Last Days of August, and the ethics of reporting on the death of a young porn performer.

Listen, subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts.

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DeRay Mckesson on Black Lives Matter. Plus: the meaning of Games of Thrones

Fri, 03 May 2019 04:00:00 GMT

Gris meets the activist, podcaster and author of On the Other Side of Freedom to discuss rising police violence against African Americans, what he learnt from meeting Obama, what Extinction Rebellion can learn from Black Lives Matter, and the role of social media (DeRay has over 1m followers on Twitter, including Beyoncé).

Plus: the FT's Alec Russell and India Ross discuss Game of Thrones. India recently wrote a blockbuster essay on the series for the FT; Alec, meanwhile, having never watched it before, has been attempting to consume every episode before the finale.

Listen, subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts.

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Ways of Seeing: Sheila Heti on Pierre Bonnard

Fri, 19 Apr 2019 04:00:00 GMT

This week, Gris meets the Canadian writer Sheila Heti at Tate Modern's Pierre Bonnard retrospective to discuss the unlikely parallels between their work, from the depiction of everyday life to the role of memory.

Listen, subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts.

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Comedian Nish Kumar, Brexit and the best goodbyes

Sat, 30 Mar 2019 05:01:00 GMT

Gris talks to The Mash Report host Nish Kumar about comedy, the role of the political satirist and the painfully endless Brexit goodbye. And Gris says her own goodbye to Al, who is leaving the podcast to embark on a new career in ASMR. As he does, Al and Gris look back on some of their favourite farewells in film and fiction.

Listen, subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts.

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Kristen Roupenian on 'Cat Person', dating and overnight success. Plus: we discuss consent

Sat, 16 Mar 2019 05:00:00 GMT

When Kristen Roupenian's short story 'Cat Person' was published in December 2017, it became a viral sensation — and a focal point for conversations in the early days of #MeToo. How does she look back on it now? And what does her new collection You Know You Want This have to say about relationships, horror and awkward sex? Later, Gris and Al head to the pub for a frank discussion about consent.

Listen, subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts.

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Chiwetel Ejiofor, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind and It's Not About the Burqa

Sat, 02 Mar 2019 05:00:00 GMT

Chiwetel Ejiofor, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind and It's Not About the Burqa

The actor talks to Al about his debut as a film director, directing himself and Hollywood after Harvey Weinstein.

Later, Salma Haidrani joins Gris and Al to discuss her writing in It's Not About the Burqa, a new collection of essays by Muslim women on faith, feminism, sexuality and race.

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Tracey Emin, the Oscars and Frieze in LA

Sat, 16 Feb 2019 05:00:00 GMT

History catches up with Tracey Emin: the artist on love, loss and #MeToo. And it's the Academy Awards...who should win, who should not and who cares anyway? Plus: Frieze LA — local artist Martine Syms drives around Los Angeles, exploring the relationship between cars, culture and life through the windscreen.

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Richard E Grant, Oscar nominee. Plus: is Netflix good for TV?

Sat, 02 Feb 2019 05:00:00 GMT

The star of Withnail and I discusses his new movie Can You Ever Forgive Me?, actors, acting and why sex is key to getting into character.

And we debate the startling growth of Netflix - is it remotely healthy?

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Fiction special: Alexander Chee reads The Rosary

Fri, 21 Dec 2018 05:00:00 GMT

Our coda for 2018 is something rather different: the American writer reads a meditative personal essay from his acclaimed new collection, How To Write an Autobiographical Novel.

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Best books of 2018. Plus: Sally Rooney on sex, class and the internet

Sat, 15 Dec 2018 05:00:00 GMT

In our penultimate episode of the series, we discuss the year's best novels and non-fiction works — as well as some old favourites — with Arifa Akbar, literary critic and a judge of the 2019 Women's Prize for Fiction, and Alice Fishburn, editor of FT Weekend magazine. Later, Gris chats to Sally Rooney about her award-winning novel Normal People.

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Christmas Food & Drink Special with Tim Hayward, Polly Russell and Chef Cyrus Todiwala

Sat, 01 Dec 2018 05:00:00 GMT

Is Christmas best for six-year-olds? And was it better in the olden days? We rediscover the joy of festive excess.

The Indian British chef discusses the future of food, his own unique style of cooking and why now is the best moment in history to be an aspiring chef.

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How to make it as a rapper in 2018. Plus: Thomas Page McBee, the first trans man to box at Madison Square Gardens

Sat, 17 Nov 2018 05:00:00 GMT

Hip-hop is now the dominant genre in pop. But how do artists get big? We ask the London beat maker and producer Mutual Soundz and the FT's pop critic Ludovic Hunter-Tilney. Plus: a trans writer on 'toxic masculinity' and the beauty of being a man.

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‘The Big Lebowski’ at 20. Plus: John Cooper Clarke, the Baudelaire of Salford, is ‘The Luckiest Guy Alive’

Sat, 27 Oct 2018 04:00:00 GMT

As the Dude hits 20, has cult movie The Big Lebowski aged well? And, after 30-odd years, John Cooper Clarke, the ‘people’s poet’, has a new book of verse – he also has two pairs of glasses but no mobile phone.

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Kerry James Marshall on painting African-American life

Sat, 13 Oct 2018 04:00:00 GMT

His paintings of black Americans - families and lovers, parks and hair salons - have earned Kerry James Marshall a reputation as one of our greatest living artists. Gris talks to him about representation, the western canon and who decides the value of art.

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Sally Rooney, David Shrigley and comedy in contemporary art

Sat, 29 Sep 2018 04:00:00 GMT

Sally Rooney, author of Conversations with Friends and now Normal People, discusses sex, class and the internet - and why she simply couldn't stand being at school. Plus - can visual art be very funny? We ask the great David Shrigley.

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Comedian Phil Wang - Live

Sat, 15 Sep 2018 04:00:00 GMT

Recorded at the FT Weekend Festival, Phil Wang riffs on the science of comedy, racial stereotypes and being funny on demand.

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Can you be a writer and a good parent? Plus: The Guilty Feminist

Sat, 08 Sep 2018 04:00:00 GMT

Is the pram in the hall really the enemy of good art? We ask Lara Feigel, author of Free Woman: Life, Liberation and Doris Lessing, and the FT's Isabel Berwick. And later, Gris talks to comedian Deborah Frances-White, host of the hit podcast The Guilty Feminist, about self-confidence, male privilege and her years as a Jehovah's Witness.

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Matthew Macfadyen: from Mr Darcy to the 'dork' in Succession

Sat, 01 Sep 2018 04:00:00 GMT

The actor unpicks his role as a "human grease stain" in the new, hit HBO TV series. Gris and Al will interview comedian Phil Wang live at the FT Weekend Festival on September 8. Tickets are available at ftweekendfestival.com.

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Stephen Mangan's Hang Ups. Plus essential summer songs

Sat, 18 Aug 2018 04:00:00 GMT

Actor Stephen Mangan reveals everything about acting, death, boarding school and his new role as an online therapist. And - what makes the perfect summer song? Fluff or poignant melancholy? From Justin Bieber to Mungo Jerry, we dig deep with music writer David Cheal and arts critic India Ross.

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Loneliness and the search for a new reality

Sat, 04 Aug 2018 04:00:00 GMT

In the age of Instagram, Twitter and ubiquitous screens, are we lonelier than ever? We chat to Olivia Laing, author of The Lonely City, and Jo Ellison, the FT’s fashion editor. Plus: Laurence Scott dissects his book, Picnic Comma Lightning, a touching exploration of identity in the 21st century.

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Lehman Brothers, Lauren Greenfield and how capitalism turned sour

Sat, 21 Jul 2018 04:00:00 GMT

Ten years after the financial crisis, The Lehman Trilogy, a play by Stefano Massini, has opened in London. We chat to FT comment editor Brooke Masters and theatre critic Sarah Hemming about what happened then and what we see on stage. Plus: Gris speaks to provocative filmmaker Lauren Greenfield about her new documentary Generation Wealth

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Simon Schama on satire in the age of Trump

Fri, 13 Jul 2018 12:45:00 GMT

As the US President descends on Britain — and a great big inflatable baby blimp Trump floats above Westminster — we ask Simon Schama whether this is a good time for political comedy, how satire has adapted to Donald Trump and whether it can really change anything.

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Trendy food and faddish diets. Plus: artist Cornelia Parker

Sat, 07 Jul 2018 04:00:00 GMT

Kombucha? Purple food? Spirulina? Food trends might seem mostly fatuous, but do we need them? Tim Hayward identifies what’s hot now. And Gris meets the witty Cornelia Parker, destroyer of silver spoons, brass instruments and garden sheds.

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1968 and the spirit of protest today. Plus: comedian Fern Brady

Sat, 23 Jun 2018 04:00:00 GMT

Fifty years after the uprisings in Paris, Prague and the US, protest is back. There's Black Lives Matter, #MeToo — and the Stop Trump march in London next month. But what has changed? We talk to FT architecture critic Edwin Heathcote. Later, Al meets the supremely funny (and supremely dark) Scottish comedian Fern Brady.

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Our World Cup hopes and fears. Plus: Akram Khan

Thu, 14 Jun 2018 04:00:00 GMT

As the World Cup "kicks off" in Russia, we chat to two FT football fanatics, theatre critic Sarah Hemming and magazine associate editor Neil O'Sullivan, about the beautiful game. Later, Gris meets the choreographer and dancer Akram Khan. You can read the FT's World Cup coverage at ft.com/world-cup.

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The birth (and death) of American cool. Plus: Complicité's Simon McBurney

Sat, 31 Mar 2018 04:00:00 GMT

Detachment, poise, charisma: "cool" can mean many things. In our season finale, Gris is joined by the academic Sarah Churchwell and arts writer Peter Aspden to discuss its evolution from the 1920s to today. Later, theatre director Simon McBurney tells the story of a journey into the Amazon rainforest.

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Peak TV — from The Sopranos to Skam

Sat, 24 Mar 2018 05:00:00 GMT

We discuss the evolution of television's so-called "golden age", from The Sopranos and The Wire to Atlanta and Broad City. What really changed? And what's next? Will original shows from Facebook, Apple and YouTube threaten Netflix and Amazon — or even change the way we watch TV? Plus: author Joy Press on how female showrunners are revolutionising the small screen.

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Peter Carey on Australia's original sin. Plus: a new short story by JM Coetzee

Sat, 17 Mar 2018 05:00:00 GMT

This week: two titans of literature with four Booker Prizes between them. First up, Peter Carey on tackling the relationship between Australia's white and Aboriginal populations in his new novel, A Long Way from Home. Later, JM Coetzee reads 'The Dog', a story from his forthcoming collection, Seven Moral Tales. It was recorded at the Hay Literary Festival in Cartagena, Colombia; for more highlights from the festival, listen to our episode "JM Coetzee on the problem with English. Plus: Ghanaian-American novelist Yaa Gyasi".

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Women After Weinstein, with Laura Bates and Reni Eddo-Lodge. Plus: Leila Slimani on motherhood

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 04:00:00 GMT

What’s the role of feminism in the #MeToo era? We talk to Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism project, and Reni Eddo-Lodge, author of the bestselling Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, about where we are — and where we’re heading. Plus: French writer Leila Slimani on work, motherhood and her Prix Goncourt-winning novel Lullaby.

Listen to Everything Else on iTunes or Stitcher, and let us know what you think on our Facebook page.

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Oscars 2018: the movies and the moment. Plus: Ekow Eshun on Black Panther

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 18:10:00 GMT

Film special! We debate the Academy Awards, why they matter and who should win: Get Out, Call Me By Your Name or Lady Bird? And what does Three Billboards — its success and backlash — say about the current climate? Later, Griselda talks to Ekow Eshun about why Black Panther is a cultural turning point.

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Simon Schama on Civilisations. Plus: artist Eddie Peake

Sat, 24 Feb 2018 05:00:00 GMT

Art historian Simon Schama on why he's updating Kenneth Clark's landmark TV series from 1969 and what 'civilisation' means today. Plus: we visit provocative artist Eddie Peake's new exhibition at White Cube and chat to him about nudity, desperation and the changing face of London.

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JM Coetzee on the problem with English. Plus: Ghanaian-American novelist Yaa Gyasi

Sat, 17 Feb 2018 05:00:00 GMT

This week: a special episode from the Hay Literary Festival in Cartagena, Colombia. Nobel Prize for Literature and two-time Booker Prize winner JM Coetzee reads a powerful short story from his forthcoming collection — and discusses the troubling dominance of the English language. Later, FT Weekend editor Alec Russell asks Ghanaian-American novelist Yaa Gyasi about writing on slavery in the age of Trump; and polar explorer Erling Kagge advises Alec on where to find silence in the modern world.

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Genius versus mediocrity. Plus: The Wire's Clarke Peters

Sat, 10 Feb 2018 05:00:00 GMT

We're back! First up: we talk to Lucian Msamati, star of the National Theatre's Amadeus, and journalist Peter Aspden about the nature of genius. Is Kanye West today's Mozart? And in an age obsessed with self-improvement, is mediocrity underrated? Later, we catch up with actor Clarke Peters about life after The Wire — and his new movie Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

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Introducing series four

Sat, 03 Feb 2018 05:00:00 GMT

Everything Else is back on February 10! First up, we debate the nature of genius from Mozart to Kanye West — and we meet Clarke Peters, star of The Wire and the Oscar-tipped film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. In the coming weeks, we've got interviews with Peter Carey, Yaa Gyasi, Simon McBurney, Leila Slimani and many more. Don't miss out — subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Acast, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.

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A new short story by Ali Smith, read by Olivia Williams

Fri, 29 Dec 2017 16:00:00 GMT

In a festive special episode, the actor Olivia Williams reads 'I Heard it on Classic FN', a new short story by Ali Smith, author of the novels How To Be Both, Autumn and Winter. The story was commissioned by FT Weekend; you can read it at ft.com/books. Everything Else returns in January.

"Maybe because they could hear the Beach Boys greatest hits playlist. We were playing it because Bel had insisted. It's not winter. It's summer.

It was winter, obviously. But all through Christmas she'd been playing the new game she'd invented, which she called Classic FN. (The F and the N stood for the words fake and news.) You played this game simply by claiming that something that was true wasn't true. You said the false thing as if it was true, then you added the words I heard it on Classic FN, or just said Classic FN at the end of whatever your statement was, like that fashion that people had of adding the word not after something they'd said. I'm so looking forward to spending all of Christmas with you. Not."

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Best films of 2017. Plus: Hayley Atwell on Weinstein culture

Sat, 25 Nov 2017 08:20:00 GMT

In our season finale we reveal our favourite films of the year, from The Florida Project to Call Me By Your Name. And as Hollywood's sex scandals dominate headlines - can we separate the art from the artist? Later, we catch up with actor Hayley Atwell, star of a new adaptation of Howards End.

We'll be back next year. Until then, happy holidays!

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Food special! To tip or not to tip? Plus: chef Ravinder Bhogal

Sat, 18 Nov 2017 05:00:00 GMT

Chef and TV star Ravinder Bhogal describes how women cook differently to men. We explore London’s Borough Market, asking stallholders what makes Christmas Christmas for them. And is tipping on the way out? A quarrel about the bill with food writer and restaurateur Tim Hayward.

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From Lenin with love

Sat, 11 Nov 2017 05:00:00 GMT

Comrades! 100 years since the October Revolution we examine the Russian soul and speak to Pussy Riot's Masha Alyokhina.

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The lurid appeal of true crime. Plus: Roisin Conaty

Mon, 06 Nov 2017 05:00:00 GMT

Is the genre as compelling as ever? Or is it biting the dust? We discuss hit podcast Dirty John and Netflix spoof American Vandal. Later, Al talks to comedian Roisin Conaty about the deathtrap of the perfect heckle.

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Lionel Shriver

Fri, 03 Nov 2017 15:00:00 GMT

In this special episode, Lionel Shriver, the American writer best known for her novel We Need to Talk About Kevin, reads a new short story inspired by the news of 2017. She wrote it for the Word Factory and New Writing North for 'Citizen: The New Story, London's first festival exploring Citizenship', which takes place on November 10-12.

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Why we sleep. Plus: Chris Kraus on I Love Dick

Mon, 30 Oct 2017 05:00:00 GMT

Is sleep the answer to health and happiness? Or is the future sleepless? We talk to neuroscientist Matthew Walker about his new book Why We Sleep. Gris is quizzed on famous sleepers. And later, she meets Chris Kraus author of cult feminist novel I Love Dick.

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Class and comedy at the movies. Plus: women respond to Harvey Weinstein

Mon, 23 Oct 2017 04:00:00 GMT

This week, we compare a London comedy (Sally Potter's The Party) with a New York one (Noah Baumbach's The Meyerowitz Stories). Gris is conflicted about #MeTo, the social media campaign highlighting the prevalence of sexual harassment. And Al speaks to the poet and playwright Inua Ellams.

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What's the naughtiest thing you ever did? Plus writer Amit Chaudhuri

Mon, 16 Oct 2017 04:00:00 GMT

Can you buy good taste? Kelly Hoppen and Nicky Haslam have the answers. Chaudhuri discusses his mini masterpiece 'Friend of My Youth'. Later, Vince Cable, Ruth Rogers and Jeremy Paxman confess their darkest secrets.

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Boards and barricades – political theatre. Plus: adventurer Natalia Cohen

Mon, 09 Oct 2017 04:00:00 GMT

Can plays improve the world? We ask playwright James Graham and journalist Helen Lewis. Then we meet Natalia Cohen, who rowed across the Pacific Ocean in a little boat called Doris.

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Peace and love. Plus: Teju Cole

Mon, 02 Oct 2017 04:00:00 GMT

The power of pop, Monty Python's 'Every Sperm is Sacred' - and Gris's big news. FT pop critic Ludovic Hunter-Tilney joins us to discuss how music can change the world. Then we talk to writer and photographer Teju Cole about Confederate statues and ways of seeing.

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Extra scoop: S-Town's Brian Reed

Fri, 29 Sep 2017 13:30:00 GMT

A short but sweet extra episode for fans of 'S-Town'. We talk to the host and co-creator of the hit podcast ahead of his UK tour. Contains spoilers!

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Basquiat, Banksy and Hollie McNish

Mon, 25 Sep 2017 04:00:00 GMT

We're back! We head to the Barbican's Basquiat show 'Boom for Real' - then chat to Ekow Eshun about this 'radiant child'. Later, poet and YouTube phenomenon Hollie McNish drops by.

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Introducing series three

Fri, 22 Sep 2017 13:05:00 GMT

The FT's culture podcast is back with a bang on September 25. We've got a new co-host and interviews with Pussy Riot, Teju Cole, Hollie McNish and many more. In our first episode, we discuss Basquiat, Banksy and stripping off on stage. Don't miss out — subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts

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Love summer, love lowbrow. Plus: Elizabeth Strout

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 03:00:00 GMT

From Baywatch to Justin Bieber, we discuss the best (and worst) of this summer's trashy film and music. Plus: the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Elizabeth Strout on writing about class in the age of Trump.

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Why 2017 is the year of queer

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 03:00:00 GMT

Finally, gay art and writing is getting the attention it deserves. We celebrate with novelist Philip Hensher and critic Jackie Wullschlager. Plus: Twitter's favourite poet Patricia Lockwood remembers growing up in the American Midwest with her gun-toting Catholic 'priestdaddy'.

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Dystopian dreams and robotic sculpture

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 03:00:00 GMT

From Orwell to The Hunger Games, dystopian fiction is back in fashion. But can it offer comfort in troubled times? We discuss the best books, films and the new TV adaptation of Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale'. Plus: sculptor Conrad Shawcross on the sinister beauty of machines.

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Netflix versus Cannes

Thu, 01 Jun 2017 03:00:00 GMT

It's the story that dominated the world's premier film festival: we discuss how Netflix is reshaping the future of cinema. Plus: the writer Reni Eddo-Lodge on her new book 'Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race'.

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Older, wiser — and happier? Plus: Will Self

Thu, 25 May 2017 03:00:00 GMT

'Happiness data' says youth is carefree, retirement is bliss, and you muddle through in between. We argue with the FT's Lucy Kellaway about which stage of life is the best. Then: novelist Will Self hotboxes the studio and holds forth on our obsession with smartphones and the future of London.

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Sorry, you're not on the list

Thu, 18 May 2017 04:00:00 GMT

Soho House is taking over the world. But can members' clubs ever be cool? We're divided – even after visiting The Ned, London's £200m new hangout. Plus: Irish novelist Eimear McBride on the magic of modernism and 'knicker-sniffing reviews'.

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We talk to Jude Law. Plus: Trump's wall

Thu, 11 May 2017 03:00:00 GMT

Hello again! We're back — with a Hollywood A-lister and an architectural conundrum. Jude Law visits the FT to discuss masculinity, "method" and music (he's learning how to play the piano). But first we ask: who will build Donald Trump's wall? What will it look like? And when did architecture turn nasty?

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Introducing series two

Fri, 05 May 2017 16:30:00 GMT

The FT's culture podcast Everything Else is coming back soon — featuring interviews with Jude Law, Eimear McBride, Will Self and lots more

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When fake news is funny (and when it's not)

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 04:00:00 GMT

In our season finale, we discuss hoax stories and Facebook "filter bubbles"; Nigerian novelist Ayobami Adebayo explores love and childlessness; and the FT's editor Lionel Barber has lunch with Jean-Claude Juncker.

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Elena Ferrante and the perils of adaptation

Thu, 16 Mar 2017 04:00:00 GMT

The bestselling Neapolitan Quartet is now a two-part play in London. But are adaptations always second best? Plus, 24-year-old writer Edouard Louis on growing up poor and gay in rural France - and why his family will vote Marine Le Pen next month.

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It's the sharing economy, stupid! Plus comedian Nish Kumar

Thu, 09 Mar 2017 04:00:00 GMT

No doubt Uber and Airbnb are convenient, but what kind of impact does the so-called 'sharing economy' have on culture? Then, Nish Kumar on the bizarre experience of seeing his image become an internet meme called 'Confused Muslim' (he’s not a Muslim, but he was confused)

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The art of trolling

Thu, 02 Mar 2017 04:00:00 GMT

Following Milo Yiannopoulos' downfall, we ask the online provocateur Nimrod Kamer whether 'bad trolls' are ruining the internet. Plus: fashion's rising star Molly Goddard on why she hates being called girly

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We need to talk about masculinity, and Deliciously Ella

Thu, 23 Feb 2017 04:00:00 GMT

Men in crisis? What crisis? Plus, the food world's social media star and author of the fastest selling debut cookbook ever on why vegetables are cool - and why she hates to be called the 'queen of clean-eating'

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How Girls turned TV upside down

Thu, 16 Feb 2017 04:00:00 GMT

Lena Dunham's show skewered millennial culture - but did it revolutionise TV? Plus: artist Ryan Gander on why he never does the same thing twice

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Self-help special! Featuring smartphones and an Agony Uncle

Thu, 09 Feb 2017 04:00:00 GMT

We tested the apps that promise to make us more productive, mindful and all-round better versions of ourselves, and discuss the (mixed) results with Tim Harford. Plus: your Valentine's Day sorted.

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Culture stands up to Trump. Plus: Elif Shafak

Thu, 02 Feb 2017 04:00:00 GMT

From museum strikes to a micro-penis, how artists are responding to the US president; Turkey's most popular female novelist on Islam, feminism and her unconventional marriage; and lunch with the man who taught the world how to beat the casinos.

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The Oscars dissected, and the man behind Brexit

Thu, 26 Jan 2017 04:00:00 GMT

Are La La Land, Moonlight and Manchester by the Sea worth the hype? Does Daniel Hannan have any regrets about Britain’s vote to leave the EU? And why did one British artist photograph every page of the Koran?

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The death of new music? Plus: Wayne McGregor

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 04:00:00 GMT

Did pop itself die alongside David Bowie and Prince last year? Or is it constantly reinventing itself? We debate the state of new music and look forward to the albums of 2017. Plus, choreographer Wayne McGregor on raving in 1990s – and why he’s turning Virginia Woolf into ballet.

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'Pig-killing day' by David Szalay

Thu, 29 Dec 2016 04:00:00 GMT

'It is over before either of us has really understood what is happening.' David Szalay, whose novel 'All That Man Is' was shortlisted for the 2016 Man Booker Prize, reads his short story, specially written for the FT.

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2016: the good, the bad and the ugly, with Simon Schama

Thu, 22 Dec 2016 05:00:00 GMT

We try to make sense of the biggest cultural moments in a crazy year, from the brilliance of Beyoncé to the hideousness of hygge. Plus, the chefs behind the London restaurant Honey & Co talk about feasting, the secrets to Middle Eastern cooking, and their working life as a couple.

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Politics and culture in the age of anger

Thu, 15 Dec 2016 22:11:54 GMT

Pankaj Mishra and Helen Lewis join us to discuss why everyone is so full of rage right now; Nigerian-American artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby on depicting her naked husband in her work; and what to look out for in the FT's interview with South African comedian and Daily Show host Trevor Noah

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Literary prizes as 'posh bingo'. Plus: writer/rapper Kate Tempest

Thu, 08 Dec 2016 15:55:40 GMT

The power - and politics - of prize-giving, from Dylan's Nobel to Beatty's Booker; Kate Tempest on what William Blake and Wu-Tang have in common; and a buffet with the man who jailed Iceland's bankers.

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Don't worry, you’re not a narcissist (probably)

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 16:49:06 GMT

FT critics discuss our age of self-admiration and why it troubles us so much; 'bad boy' theatre director Ivo van Hove on how his punk origins still inspire his work; and what it's like to have lunch with the radical performance artist Marina Abramovic.

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Introducing Everything Else

Thu, 24 Nov 2016 18:13:14 GMT

A new culture podcast from the Financial Times in which we talk about film not finance, music not markets, and style not stocks. Featuring star guests and presented by John Sunyer and Griselda Murray Brown. First episode out on Thursday December 1.

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