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 2010sClip 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

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.What do you think is possible now, that seemed impossible before? Email us at [email protected]. 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: Our Next Gen virtual festival, hosted by the FT’s young editors, is on October 22! Buy tickets here, and use our discount code, NextGen2020Anthem, by Leonard CohenA deep dive on the line, “There is a crack in everything – that’s how the light gets in”Lilah’s piece about living through historyHarriet Fitch-Little’s profile of Miranda JulyFT’s Kajillionaire review by Danny Leigh (paywall)Jenny Odell interviews Miranda JulyBehind the scenes of Jopie, Miranda’s crowdsourced film An excerpt of John Giorno’s memoir, Great Demon Kings @newyorknico on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected]. 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... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected]. 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 BellCan't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz ChastWendy, 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected]. 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected] 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected]. 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: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected] 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected]. 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: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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/dniceThe Salt Drop, Lilah’s workout recommendation: https://www.instagram.com/thesaltdropFT piece on the rise the lockdown celebrity (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/a51fa513-423e-4e93-9097-bef36129d0a4Gris’ film recommendation, Honeyland, is on HuluLilah’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  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected] 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 [email protected]. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected]. 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-339c2307bcd4Trend forecaster Emily Segal discusses the experience economy on Culture Call: https://www.ft.com/content/d5f298c8-ca35-43bd-af3c-fdc5c4c7edf7The 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-aee2-9ddbdc86190dFT 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.htmlEpisode in which Lilah recommends Jeremy O Harris’s Slave Play: https://www.ft.com/content/c71cfeee-1ca8-4b07-be68-a05500c6067 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected]. 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-b4c8-8bdbd48a43f2Lilah'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.htmlFT House & Home piece on maximalism and heritage interiors (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/4d78b96e-4e5f-11ea-95a0-43d18ec715f5Hospital 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected] 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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?As always, we'd love to hear from you. Say hi on Twitter @FTCultureCall, or by email at [email protected] 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's podcast The Heart - specifically the mini-series ‘No’ (she's our next guest): https://www.theheartradio.org/all-episodesThe FT's Academy Awards package: https://www.ft.com/Oscars2020The Spotify soundtrack of Jagged Little Pill (the Alanis Morissette musical): https://open.spotify.com/album/3JUvh3Ch6QFxguLABtTOE3FT review of Anna Wiener's book Uncanny Valley (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/77a8d150-33a8-11ea-a329-0bcf87a328f2Danny Leigh's review of Uncut Gems (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/b717ed0e-322b-11ea-a329-0bcf87a328f2FT review of Charlotte Salomon at the Jewish Museum, London: https://www.ft.com/content/97e00f90-0484-11ea-9afa-d9e2401fa7caFT review of Uncle Vanya, London (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/adf70afe-4359-11ea-abea-0c7a29cd66feEkow Eshun on Masculinities at the Barbican, London (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/eaaeeff4-422b-11ea-bdb5-169ba7be433d Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected] or follow us on Twitter at @ftculturecall. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected]. 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-cc63de1d73f4Climate: Greta Thunberg has Lunch with the FT: https://www.ft.com/content/4df1b9e6-34fb-11e9-bd3a-8b2a211d90d5Why renting your wardrobe makes fashion sense: https://www.ft.com/content/f8b1b96c-ffb7-11e9-be59-e49b2a136b8dReview of Eco-Visionaries exhibition at the Royal Academy (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/25e8d842-1684-11ea-9ee4-11f260415385Technology: Anna Nicolaou on TikTok and how video shaped a generation: https://www.ft.com/content/dd7234e8-fcb9-11e9-98fd-4d6c20050229John Thornhill's review of Shoshana Zuboff's book The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: https://www.ft.com/content/43980f9c-0f5b-11e9-a3aa-118c761d2745Review of Euphoria on HBO: https://www.ft.com/content/bed942be-b2aa-11e9-bec9-fdcab53d6959MeToo and female creators: Rebecca Traister on the toll of MeToo: https://www.thecut.com/2019/09/the-toll-of-me-too.htmlGillian 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-ab8ec6435630Review of Fleabag series two on BBC/Amazon... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected]. 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected]. 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   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected]. 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected]. 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected]. 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-e7a1-11e8-8a85-04b8afea6ea3Anna Nicolaou's piece on Fortnite - https://www.ft.com/content/f2103e72-b38f-11e9-bec9-fdcab53d6959Anna 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected].   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected] links:Jia's New Yorker piece on vaping: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/05/14/the-promise-of-vaping-and-the-rise-of-juulThe FT book review of Trick Mirror (paywall): https://www.ft.com/content/c5454c2e-a70b-11e9-90e9-fc4b9d9528b4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected] 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/mastersofscience2019The Financial Times review of The Doctor at the Almeida Theatre, London: https://www.ft.com/content/29adabb8-c433-11e9-a8e9-296ca66511c9 (paywall) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 [email protected] 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-fdcab53d6959Taffy’s GQ cover story on Tom Hiddleston and his bolognese: https://www.gq.com/story/tom-hiddleston-cover-profileThe Financial Times’ book review of Fleishman is in Trouble: https://www.ft.com/content/52277526-96a0-11e9-98b9-e38c177b152f Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

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

Our big summer books episode! Plus, Simon SchamaLooking 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 writingListen, subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chiwetel Ejiofor, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind and It's Not About the BurqaThe 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.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Recorded at the FT Weekend Festival, Phil Wang riffs on the science of comedy, racial stereotypes and being funny on demand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.