What do you do these days to switch off, change pace and feed your soul ? One of my habits is to read a novel at the end of the day before I sleep as a way of unwinding from the day. During lockdown this year I have revisited old favourites from my bookshelf : The Temple of my Familiar : Alice Walker, The Time Traveller’s Wife: Audrey Niffenegger, Americanah: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Goldfinch: Donna Tart. I have read some new ones too: Bernadine Evaristo’s novels, Sandi Toksvig’s Between the Stops: about London and about herself, Isabel Allende’s A Long Petal of the Sea: a story of migration and exile. When I talk to friends, we talk books, films and TV series and swap tips. One of my favourites has been ‘Atlantics’ a Senegalese film on Netflix. I have rewatched La Grande Bellezza and a lot of French films. Coppola’s film My Voyage to Italy is a fantastic introduction to Italian films if you have never explored them before.
Podcasts accompany me while I cook or do jobs round the house. I have really enjoyed the ones Michelle Obama has done with her close circle of family and friends – they are interesting and inspiring. There is such a lot available to listen to when you start to look. I like the South Bank Centre ( London) website. This is a place I would normally visit regularly even though I live in Germany. There are some great podcasts, interviews and playlists available. Take a look and see if there is something that inspires you: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk
Wishing you well.
Leave a Reply