Life and Art from FT Weekend

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. ------ 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. ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- Music clip from Family Productions Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. ------ 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. ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- Music clip from Chrysalis Records Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

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

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

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

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. ------- 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 ------- 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.

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

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. ------- 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. ------- 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 ------- Original music by Metaphor Music. Clips copyright Universal Pictures Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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? ------- Clips copyright Neon and FilmNation Entertainment Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

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

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

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- Original music by Metaphor Music. Clips copyright Disney. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

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. ------- 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! ------- 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/ ------- Clips this week courtesy of Warner Bros ------- Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- Original music by Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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.

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

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

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- 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.

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

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- Special FT subscription offers for podcast listeners 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- 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.

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

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. ------- 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! Register now for the FT Weekend Festival, and claim £24 off your pass using promo code FTPodcast at: ft.com/festival ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. ------- We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email the show at lifeandart@ft.com. Register now for the FT Weekend Festival, and claim £24 off your pass using promo code FTPodcast at: ft.com/festival ------- 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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! Register now for the FT Weekend Festival, and claim £24 off your pass using promo code FTPodcast at: ft.com/festival ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. ------- Register now for the FT Weekend Festival, and claim £24 off your pass using promo code FTPodcast at: ft.com/festival —-- 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! ------- Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – The Body Next Door is out on Sky now – Jo is on Instagram @jellison22 ------- 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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. ------- 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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.

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? ------- 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! ------- 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. ------- 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.

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? ------- 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! ------- 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. ------- 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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.

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? ------- 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! ------- 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. ------- 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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.

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

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

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. ------- 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 email at lifeandart@ft.com. ------- 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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): – 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 ------- 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.

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? ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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. ------- 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. ------- 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.

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. ------- 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. ------- 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. ------- 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners 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.

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

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. ------- 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! ------- Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – The FT’s review of Furiosa is here: https://on.ft.com/4bRJue4 ------- Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $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.

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? ------- We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. We’re on X @lifeandartpod and email at lifeandart@ft.com. ------- 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 ------- Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art listeners 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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.

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

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

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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 ------- 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 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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.

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.

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. ------- 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. ------- 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 ------- 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 ------ 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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! ------- 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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): – Anna’s column about Olivia Rodrigo is here: https://on.ft.com/3UgPFkp – You can follow Anna on X @annaknicolaou ----- 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 — 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.

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. ------- 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): – ‘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. ----- 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 — 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 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. ------- 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): – 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 ----- 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.

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. ------- 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): – 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 ----- 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 — 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.

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. ------- 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. ------- 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 ------- 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. ------- 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 ------ 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 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. ------- 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): – 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 ----- 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.

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? ------- 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): – 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 ----- 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 — 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.

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

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. ------- 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.

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. ------- 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. ------- 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 ------- 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 ------ 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.

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. ------- 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): 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 ----- 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.

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. ------- 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. ------- 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 ------- 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 ------ 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.

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. ------- 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): – 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. ------- 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 – 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 ----- 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.

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. ------- 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): – 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. ----- 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 ------- 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.

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. ----- 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 ------- 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.

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? ------- 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): – 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. ----- 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 ------- 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.

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? ------- 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): – 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. ----- 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.

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? ------- 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): – ‘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. ----- 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.

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’? ------- 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): – 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/ ----- 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.

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. ------- 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): – 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. ----- 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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): – 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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): – 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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): – 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) ------- 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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): – 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) ------- 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 ------- 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.

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. ------- 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): – 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 ------- 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 ------- 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.

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? ------- 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): – 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) ------- 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 ------- 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.

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