OUR WRITERS RECOMMEND... (09/08/20)

SERIES: The Secrets She Keeps - BBC

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p08grsgv/the-secrets-she-keeps

This six part series, set in Sydney, Australia is one of the most gripping series I have seen. Based on Robotham’s novel, the psychological thriller drama follows the life of Megan; her relationship, her pregnancy and the eventual abduction of her baby. The series focuses on two women - Megan and Agatha - and the secrets they hold dear that could alter their lives drastically. The series is well acted and continuously gripping with unexpected twists and turns constantly. The darker subplots to each character keep the story rich and the tensions high. One of the best series I have seen, hopefully a second one will be made!

Amy Knowles

PODCAST: ‘Table Manners with Jessie Ware’ - S9, Ep. 14: Florence Pugh

Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts

Lockdown has given me the opportunity to throw myself into podcasts and this series does not disappoint. The series is run by singer-songwriter Jessie Ware and her mother, Helena. It is a podcast with everything I love - food, special guests and plenty of swearing (99% of which is Jessie). This episode, done in the midst of lockdown and via Zoom, had me in bits all the way through. Florence recalls life growing up in her father’s restaurants, her attempts to order cocktails while still only 8, and how lockdown and a rocky start with a Michelin star ice cream recipe has thankfully led to her wonderful Instagram Live cooking videos of things like marmalade. My favourite part was her retelling of how she reacted to the news that she was to become a big sister - let’s just say, not well. ​

Abby Gilchrist

BOOK: Girl, Woman, Other - Bernardine Evaristo

‘Girl, Woman, Other’ follows the stories of twelve different characters and their experiences living and growing up as Black women in Britain. Each chapter centres around a different character, so it’s an easy book to dip in and out of as it is almost like a collection of short stories, although each of the women's journeys overlap and intertwine. It is beautifully written, it’s funny and it’s daring - it tackles race, femininity, class, sexuality and more. You may find it a little tricky to get into, as it is written without full stops, but make sure you persevere - if anything, I found parts of it incredibly poetic due to this structure. You will find yourself completely lost within the worlds of these wonderful, courageous women and I cannot recommend this book more.

Ellie Williamson

BOOK: A Long Petal of the Sea - Isabel Allende

'A Long Petal of the Sea' tells a story of love, family and exile with the backdrop of political revolutions. Spanning nearly 6 decades, the story follows two families: one, fleeing the Spanish Civil War and migrating to Chile, and the other, a prominent Chilean family whose world is forever changed by the arrival of the Spanish refugees on The Winnipeg in August 1939. I fell in love with these characters, and their stories, although fiction, were a reality for so many who fled Franco’s Spain in 1939 and later Chile in 1973.

Abby Gilchrist

VIDEO: "Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) Responds to Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL)" - C-SPAN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI4ueUtkRQ0

With American politics falling apart under Donald Trump, this video provides a glimmer of hope to the future. After U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (a young, female politician) was accosted outside the Capitol Building and called a “f***ing b****” by Representative Ted Yoho (an older, male politician), of which he refused to apologise for, she responded with this powerful speech. Her words perfectly capture the ways in which sexism is still so rife within Congress, and society in general, yet she deals with the incident with decency and composure: “I am someone’s daughter, too”. I highly recommend anyone to watch this.

​Ellie Williamson