This weekend, we bring you a conversation with actor Michael Patrick Thornton, who is currently in a buzzy Broadway production of A Doll's House alongsideJessica Chastain. When Michael was 24, he had a series of spinal cord strokes. Reciting Shakespeare's sonnets taught him how to breathe and speak again, and continue his career. Michael is at present the only actor on Broadway who uses a wheelchair. The interview was recorded a few months ago, while Michael was on stage in Macbeth with Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga.  Then, we learn about Melissa Dring, Britain's top forensic artist, from journalist Will Coldwell, and the techniques she uses to catch criminals — they are surprisingly cute, and include a jar of strawberry jam. -------------- Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.  -------------- Links and mentions from the episode:  – Will’s profile of Melissa Dring, ‘To catch a criminal: what a forensic artist knows about the mind’: https://on.ft.com/3rw0lht  – Michael Patrick Thornton’s theatre company, The Gift: https://thegifttheatre.org/ – Michael is on Twitter @ThorntonMPT, and Will is on Twitter at @Will_Coldwell – A Doll’s House is on Broadway through June 10 https://adollshousebroadway.com/  – Select coverage of the war in Ukraine is free to read at https://www.ft.com/freetoread —------------- Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.  Our. US edition of the FTWeekend Festival is back! Join Jamie Lee Curtis, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Waters, your favourite FT writers and more on May 20 in Washington, DC, and online. Register now and save $20 off using promo code weekendpodcast at ft.com/festival-us -------------- 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, Lilah compares notes on interviewing with podcaster Sam Fragoso. Sam's show Talk Easy features in-depth conversations with some of the biggest names in culture: from Cate Blanchett and Judd Apatow, to Noam Chomsky. He tells Lilah about his highlights and difficult moments, and they discuss what makes a great conversation. Then, we challenged listeners to submit boring topics for us to make interesting, and this week we take on the UK citizenship test. To become a British citizen, you have to pass a uniquely esoteric test about "British customs, traditions and laws". What do the questions suggest about what it means to be British? And should these tests exist at all? Note: After this podcast was aired, Jonathan Majors was arrested for assault. His lawyer says he is "completely innocent". -------------- Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.  -------------- Links: – Sam’s podcast, Talk Easy, is available to listen wherever you get your podcasts, and is on Instagram at Twitter @talkeasypod – Sam and Lilah discuss conversations with Ke Huy Quan and Kara Swisher. Sam also recommends his conversations with Norman Lear and journalist Maria Ressa. Lilah recommends Sam's conversation with Lena Dunham: https://talkeasypod.com/lena-dunham/  – Professor Thom Brooks’ Ted Talk: ‘Should the British citizenship test be a barrier or a bridge?’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNHpyJPbXNI  – A guide to passing the citizenship test, by the FT’s Federica Cocco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn9k29PWmMU  – The FT’s Alan Livsey on his experience of the test: ‘For Better or Worse, I’m British now’: https://on.ft.com/3JCRQtj  —------------- Our US edition of the FTWeekend Festival is back! Join Jamie Lee Curtis, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Waters, your favourite FT writers and more on May 20 in Washington, DC, and online. Register now and save $20 off using promo code weekendpodcast at ft.com/festival-us Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast. -------------- Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Special shout out to producer Lulu Smyth. Additional clips from Pushkin and the BBC’s Live at the Apollo. ------------ Audio changed to include an edit on 3/24/2023. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we host a writer and an editor in conversation. Booker-winning novelist and poet Ben Okri and outgoing FT Weekend editor Alec Russell meet in the studio on Alec’s last day in the role. They reflect on the political power of poetry, what fiction and non-fiction can teach each other, and the vital role of art. Then, we meet one of London’s most notorious and prolific graffiti writers. His name is 10 Foot, and his tag is famous, but he’s anonymous. Journalist Miles Ellingham spent months with him, and he and Lilah discuss graffiti’s role and the question of who owns a city. -------------- Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.  -------------- Links: – Ben Okri’s piece, ‘The Famished Road and my quest for the imaginative richness of Africa’, from Alec’s final edition of FT Weekend: https://on.ft.com/3FqbpUr  – Miles Ellingham’s profile of graffiti writer 10 Foot: https://on.ft.com/3FyP3Qz  – Ben Okri’s poem for the FT, ‘Grenfell Tower, June 2017’: https://on.ft.com/40bFq2i  – Alec is on Twitter at @AlecuRussell. Miles is on twitter @milesellingham –The whole Africa special is here, and free-to-read – Other stories by Ben Okri in the FT: https://www.ft.com/stream/f89dd99d-32d8-35de-95df-6e791313c63f –Miles recommends the classic 1982 documentary, ‘Style Wars’: https://youtu.be/7DXD1HBaLX0 – He also recommends ‘Jisoe’ (2014), which has been described as “the best graffiti film ever made”: https://youtu.be/gp8ZNqaG-dE  —------------- Our U.S. edition of the FTWeekend Festival is back! Join Jamie Lee Curtis, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Waters, your favourite FT writers, and more on May 20 in Washington, D.C., and online. Register now and save $20 off using promo code weekendpodcast at ft.com/festival-us Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast. -------------- 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 Lilah speaks with author Elif Batuman about rethinking Russian literature given Russia’s war in Ukraine. Since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, cultural institutions have grappled with what to do about Russian artists and works of art. Should they be banned if we want to support Ukraine? Elif talks us through the literary dimension of the debate. And she says go ahead, read the Russian classics. But learn about the history and culture of the time as you’re doing it. Then, FT music critic Arwa Haider comes on to talk Lilah through recent trends in music: from the resurgence of pop punk to the loss of the superstar. -------------- Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.  -------------- Links and mentions from the episode:  –Elif Batuman’s essay on reading Russian literature in the shadow of the war in Ukraine: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/01/30/rereading-russian-classics-in-the-shadow-of-the-ukraine-war –Elif wrote the bestselling novels The Idiot and Either/Or. Here’s our first conversation with her, about Either/Or: https://www.ft.com/content/703dcdbf-cf67-4c40-bd46-a97903a8d6c3 –Mary Elise Sarotte on Putin’s misuse of history: https://on.ft.com/3kVkfmd  –An essay Elif recommends by Ukrainian writer Oksana Zabuzhko’s on the same topic: https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/russian-literature-bucha-massacre-essay-oksana-zabuzhko –You can find Arwa Haider’s FT music reviews here: https://www.ft.com/stream/d52c64d7-bc56-3cae-bfb9-65bb15f69b9d  –Arwa is on Twitter at @ArwaHaider —------------- Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast. -------------- Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Copyright for additional music this week: Geffen-Interscope Records; Warner Music Group; Saddle Creek Records; Sony Music Entertainment; Rimas Entertainment Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Lilah goes to Savannah, Georgia, to visit chef Mashama Bailey. In 2022, Mashama won Outstanding Chef at the James Beard Awards. Since 2014, she has been chef and partner at The Grey, a restaurant located in a formerly segregated bus station. And she has been redefining American food by reclaiming its African-American roots. But because so much of this history hasn't been documented, how do you find and preserve it, and also expand on it? Mashama explains her creative process. We also speak with Stephen Satterfield, host of the Netflix docuseries High on the Hog. Stephen is the founder of Whetstone Media, which is dedicated to tracing food stories back to their roots of origin. -------------- Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. -------------- Links and mentions from the episode:  – Lilah’s written piece on Mashama in the FT Magazine: https://on.ft.com/3I8v4br  – Mashama and her business partner John O Morisano’s memoir about The Grey is called Black, White, and the Grey – Stephen is the founder of Whetstone Magazine and Whetstone Media. You can learn more at https://www.whetstonemagazine.com/ – Whetstone Radio Collective has a suite of podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/whetstone-radio/id6442689915 – Stephen’s Peabody-winning Netflix docuseries is called High on the Hog – Dr Jessica B Harris’s seminal book on African-American food history is called High on the Hog: a Culinary Journey from Africa to America – Edna Lewis is considered the first lady of Southern cooking. Her groundbreaking cookbook, published in 1976, is called The Taste of Country Cooking – Lilah also recommends Bryant Terry's 2021 cookbook Black Food, and the work of Michael W Twitty. Michael is on Instagram at @thecookinggene and has an excellent Masterclass session on tracing your roots through food – Mashama is on Instagram at @mashamabailey. Stephen is at @isawstephen —------------- Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast. -------------- 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 marks a year since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In this episode, Lilah speaks with Ukrainian director Nadia Parfan, whose documentary short 'I did not want to make a war film' is a first-person essay about how life has changed. Nadia was in Egypt when the war began, but a few weeks later, she chose to return to Ukraine because she feared isolation more than physical danger. She joins us from a coffee shop in Kyiv to talk about making the film, what life is like in Ukraine for civilians, and why making art can be a form of resistance. -------------- Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.  -------------- Links and mentions from the episode:  – Nadia Parfan’s film ‘I Did Not Want To Make A War Film’ is available now. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx9yrdjPKQ4  – FT Magazine cover, ‘A 12 year journey into Ukraine’ by Christopher Miller: https://www.ft.com/content/f1983056-c34f-4646-946a-6328200d65e7  – A year in review: ‘How Putin blundered into Ukraine – and doubled down:’ https://www.ft.com/content/80002564-33e8-48fb-b734-44810afb7a49  – Mary Elise Sarotte on Putin’s misuse of history: https://www.ft.com/content/24f81b4d-420e-4217-b498-cf13c6e254f2 —------------- Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast. -------------- 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 speak with visual artist Nick Cave. Cave is best known for his ‘Soundsuits’: vibrant, whimsical costumes that entirely cover the face and body. But the Soundsuits are not just playful. He made the first after police beat Rodney King in 1991, and they are meant to help process collective sorrow through celebration, and to give armour to the marginalized. In the wake of police killing Tyre Nichols last month, we speak with Nick about how his work has changed over 30 years, even as history repeats. Then, FT Weekend columnist Nilanjana Roy joins us to discuss what makes a great book club, and how to start your own. -------------- Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. -------------- Links and mentions from the episode:  – Nick’s exhibition ‘Forothermore’ is on at the Guggenheim museum in New York until April 10. See the art and video performance from the show here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAw4bemr0NQ  – The FT’s excellent review of the exhibition, by the great Ariella Budick: ‘turning bric-a-brac into joyful, furious art’: https://on.ft.com/3Eg6zsm – The horses in Grand Central Station: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBALj_Um1fc   – ‘In praise of book clubs – and how to do them well’ by Nilanjana Roy: https://on.ft.com/3xtmmjF  – Nilanjana’s newest novel Black River will be published in June. Her most recent book is The Girl Who Ate Books (2016).  – Nilanjana is on Twitter @nilanjanaroy. Nick Cave is on Instagram @nickcaveart —------------- Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast. -------------- 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 announcement that the world’s top restaurant, Noma, will close in 2024, has spawned dozens of think pieces asking whether this is the end of fine dining. So this weekend, we went to the FT’s renowned food critic Tim Hayward to learn about the state of the industry. Running a restaurant has never been more expensive in cities such as New York and London. And now, in the middle of a cost of living crisis, Tim says a bloodbath is coming: in order to stay afloat restauranteurs must ditch a corporate business model and return to more nimble roots. Tim tells Lilah that the good news is that he’s seeing it happen. -------------- Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.  -------------- Links and mentions from the episode:  – ‘The restaurant industry faces a bloodbath. But there are ways to survive’, by Tim Hayward: https://on.ft.com/3lfo2u6  –The column Tim mentions on the The North Circular’s Ace Cafe, which has perfect hospitality: https://on.ft.com/3Yl3dMr  –Tim’s piece ‘A 14-course tasting menu? Don’t. Just don’t’: https://on.ft.com/40GuBGq  – Our previous episode on Noma is here: https://www.ft.com/content/04bd9722-1d17-496d-aefc-fdae46d5d3b2  – Tim Hayward is on Twitter and Instagram @timhayward.   Clips from The Menu, copyright Searchlight Pictures —------------- Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast. -------------- 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 joined by Gabrielle Zevin, author of the novel ‘Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’. One of last year's bestsellers, it traces the lives of two friends, Sam and Sadie, who meet as kids and become world famous video game creators. Gabrielle tells Lilah why she focused on games, and how video games from Pac-Man to Mario influenced a generation of people. Then, we learn about a Rolex watch ‘grey market’ with Jeff Maysh. Try to buy a Rolex – you're unlikely to find one on the shelves. Jeff found out why that’s the case (crypto has something to do with it). -------------- Fill out our survey to tell us what you think of the show! You could win a pair of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: http://ft.com/weekendsurvey. Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.  -------------- Links and mentions from the episode:  – Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin, is available now in paperback.  – The FT review of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow: https://on.ft.com/3JYGtvv   – Jeff’s piece on the Rolex grey market in the FT: https://on.ft.com/3hQggFW  – Jeff’s piece on the 30 million dollar lottery scam https://t.co/IyDQnNxStZ (The Atlantic) and on Donald Trump and the Sweepstakes scammers https://t.co/TTfyJnAd2I (New Yorker) —------------- Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast. -------------- 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 Oscar nominations have been announced. This weekend, we revisit two of our interviews from last year, with filmmakers behind two of the most nominated films: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who directed ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’, and Ruben Östlund, director of ‘Triangle of Sadness’. Both are nominated for best director and best picture, and both are unexpected: 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' is praised for combining genres from indie comedy to sci-fi to kung fu. 'Triangle of Sadness' is a dark comedy critique of wealth and power. The interviews are a wild ride, and among our favourites. -------------- What do you think of the show? Fill out our survey! You could win a pair of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: http://ft.com/weekendsurvey. Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.  -------------- Links and mentions from the episode:  – The FT’s roundup of this year’s Oscar nominees: https://on.ft.com/3ZZAIp3  – Our review of Everything Everywhere All at Once: https://on.ft.com/3R6cjdr   – Our review of Triangle of Sadness: https://on.ft.com/3Hblu7J —------------- Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast. -------------- 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 weekend, the FT's Claire Bushey asks a question that sounds poetic but is actually entirely unsentimental: how much is my life worth? In 2021, Claire learned she had breast cancer. The cost of her treatment points us to how, exactly, the US healthcare system is broken. Then, Lilah takes on Prince Harry's autobiography Spare with chief features writer Henry Mance. After so much Harry and Meghan content, what can we possibly still learn? ------- We love hearing from you! Fill in our feedback survey here: http://ft.com/weekendsurvey. You can also email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. ------- Links:  – Claire’s column, ‘How much does my life cost? A tale of US cancer care’’: https://on.ft.com/3HeGyeS – Claire recommends the book Never Pay The First Bill, by Marshall Allen. She also references The Undying: A Meditation on Modern Illness by Anne Boyer – Henry Mance’s review of Spare, by Prince Harry: https://on.ft.com/3J2oDcy  – Claire is on Twitter @Claire_Bushey. Henry is @HenryMance. Henry has a book called How to Love Animals. ------- Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast ------- 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 weekend, we learn about AI-generated art. Type any sentence, such as “Sea otter with a pearl earring by Johannes Vermeer” into a website, and you’ll get an uncanny visual approximation created entirely by AI — with no input from humans. Our gaming critic Tom Faber joins Lilah to explore what impact it could have on human creativity. Then, we talk about deep winter cooking with the chefs behind our food column: Honey and Co. Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer give us tons of ideas, from soup to shanks to citrus salads. ------- We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. ------- Links:  – Tom’s magazine cover, ‘The Golden Age of AI-generated art is here’, including AI-generated images: https://on.ft.com/3CIlY3V  – You can make your own AI art at openai.com/dall-e-2. FT readers have submitted some great ones here: https://on.ft.com/3iztEOV  – Honey and Co’s latest recipe, a delicious tomato and rice soup with basil oil: https://on.ft.com/3GDpg9w  – Cabbage stuffed with beef, rice and prunes: https://on.ft.com/3W1xJZP  – Winter jams, spreads and chutneys: https://on.ft.com/3kdK4ge – A collection of citrus recipes, from treacle-cured salmon to lemon fizz: https://on.ft.com/3X8zNk9  – Their cookbooks are called Honey and Co the cookbook, Honey and Co at home, Golden (which has baking recipes), and Chasing Smoke: cooking over fire around the levant – Tom is on Twitter @_TomFaber. Itamar and Sarit are on Instagram @honeyandco. ------- Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast ------- 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 learn about the secret lives of women spies. Our colleague Helen Warrell got exclusive access to the women at the top ranks of Britain’s MI6 agency. For the first time, they reveal what it’s like to be a woman in espionage, and how pop culture – from James Bond to John le Carré novels – has made it harder for MI6 to recruit a diverse team of spies. Then, we’re joined by behavioural economist and friend of the podcast Tim Harford, who – just in time for your New Year's resolutions – makes a compelling case for learning when it’s time to quit. ------- We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. ------- Links:  – Helen’s exclusive story trailing the women at the top of MI6: https://on.ft.com/3Im2962  – Helen is on Twitter @HelenWarrell  – Tim’s column on why quitting is underrated: https://on.ft.com/3vEBVnx  – Tim’s podcast is called Cautionary Tales and he’s on Twitter @TimHarford ------- Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast ------- 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.

It’s our last episode of the year, and our annual predictions episode for 2023! Lilah is joined by FT Magazine editor Matt Vella to talk through listener call-ins, from dog trends to speed dating to what White Lotus says about the end of the world. Matt and Lilah also add some hopes, dreams and guesses of their own. Then, FT editors and journalists share their predictions for what will happen in art, fashion, music, tech and more. ------- We love hearing from you! You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. ------- Links:  – Matt is on Twitter @mattvella. You also heard from fashion editor Lauren Indvik (@laureni), arts editor Jan Dalley, music critic Arwa Haider (@ArwaHaider), deputy arts editor Raphael Abraham (@RaphAbraham), and San Francisco correspondent Patrick McGee (@PatrickMcGee_) – Raph’s film recommendations are Aftersun (2022, out now), directed by Charlotte Wells. The Fabelmans (January 2023), directed by Stephen Spielberg and Alcarràs (January 2023), directed by Carla Simón –Here’s Raph’s interview with Aftersun director Charlotte Wells: https://on.ft.com/3Twlweq  –A column from Jan on how rich bashing is back, onscreen, with White Lotus: https://on.ft.com/3UaFX18  –Lauren has a new excellent newsletter on the business of the $2.5tn fashion industry, called Fashion Matters. Subscribe here: https://on.ft.com/3Xa4Nk5  – A full list of FT columnists’ predictions for 2023 will be published on the FT’s website at the end of this month ------- Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast ------- Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco ------- Clip courtesy of HBO Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we talk through the most compelling technology being developed to combat climate change, with FT business columnist and climate expert Pilita Clark. And there’s a big debate among scientists: should we focus on older technology, such as solar and wind, or the latest innovations like direct carbon capture and even nuclear fusion? Then, wine columnist Jancis Robinson gives Lilah her holiday drink recommendations, and discusses one of the year's most controversial trends: canned and boxed wine. According to Jancis, we should be taking it seriously.  —---- You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. ------- Links and mentions from the episode: – Listen to the latest season of Tech Tonic, hosted by Pilita here https://www.ft.com/tech-tonic, or wherever you get your podcasts – Pilita’s columns are https://www.ft.com/pilita-clark – the latest from Jancis at the FT: https://www.ft.com/life-arts/jancis-robinson – Jancis has her own very active website at https://www.jancisrobinson.com/. It features her brand new podcast: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/we-launch-podcast – Pilita is on Twitter @pilitaclark. Jancis is at @jancisrobinson.  Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we talk about the Benin Bronzes, a group of sacred artefacts stolen by British colonisers from the west African Kingdom of Benin. Guest host Lulu Smyth speaks to Aanu Adeoye and Josh Spero, who have been reporting on the efforts to trace thousands of them. For years western museums, which hold the bulk of the Benin Bronzes, refused to collect and share inventory, meaning they could not be returned to Nigeria. Now, a new digital project is doing just that. Then, it’s the first of our ‘boring topic’ challenges. We talk to author Benjamin Lorr about supermarkets and their secret – and not-so-secret – ways to lure us in. —---- Tell us your cultural prediction for 2022! You can record a voice message here: https://sayhi.chat/jzdg3 If you prefer, you can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. ------- Links and mentions from the episode: – Aanu and Josh’s story, ‘The Benin Bronzes and the road to restitution’: https://www.ft.com/content/1b32105e-428a-49e8-b2f2-d3ba381c4c65  – Digital Benin can be explored here: https://digitalbenin.org/  – The song we played is Egbo: The Song of Praise for Oba Eware, by Roseline Obogdu. You can listen to it here: https://digitalbenin.org/oral-history#filter_none&interview_7   – Aanu is on Twitter @aanuadeoye. Josh is at @joshspero.  – Benjamin Lorr’s book is The Secret Lives of Groceries.  – You can follow Benjamin on Twitter @BenjaminLorr. ‘Egbo: Song of Praise for Oba Eware’ by Roseline Ogbodu, is courtesy of Digital Benin.  Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we return to one of our favourite episodes. We go searching for the Hum, a mysterious noise that has plagued the residents of Halifax, West Yorkshire. It’s an uncomfortable, low-frequency sound that has also been heard in towns across the world, from New Mexico to Ontario to Scotland. The FT's Imogen West-Knights tells us that it's mostly heard by middle-aged women. So is it a real noise, an imaginary illness, or both? ------- Tell us your cultural prediction for 2022! You can record a voice message here: https://sayhi.chat/jzdg3  If you prefer, you can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. ------- Links and mentions from the episode: –Imogen West Knights on the mystery of the hum: https://on.ft.com/3pe43ve – The FT’s Best Books of the Year series is now available to read across the FT: https://www.ft.com/content/2dd61d03-13ac-4278-8214-678c1d9a33c1   ------- Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast  ------- Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the fourth and final episode of our special mini-series on travel, Lilah talks with Matt Kepnes, the creator of the popular travel blog Nomadic Matt. Matt has been traveling the globe for nearly 20 years, and he’s written about it in his books How to Travel the World on $50 a Day and Ten Years a Nomad. Over the years, Matt has amassed a knowledge of all the best ways to see the world without spending a fortune. And on this episode, he shares those tips and more. -------------- Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. -------------- Links: – Matt is on Twitter and Instagram at@NomadicMatt – The Nomadic Matt blog: https://www.nomadicmatt.com/  – Matt on how to earn points by paying your rent: https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/bilt-rewards-review/  – 11 cheap places to travel on the US dollar: https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/cheap-places-to-visit-on-the-us-dollar/  – The flight deal websites Matt recommends are Scott's Cheap Flights and Holiday Pirates  ------------- Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50 per cent off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast -------------- This episode was produced by Zach St Louis. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we learn why we love the music we love. Lilah speaks with Susan Rogers, who was a recording engineer for Prince on albums such as ‘Purple Rain’. Now she's a neuroscientist who has studied what music does to the brain. Her book, 'This Is What It Sounds Like', helps us make sense of our own musical preferences. Susan joins us to listen to some music and explain how it affects us. Why is Despacito one of the most listened to songs of all time? Why does one person love techno, and another just not care? Then, ahead of the FT's Books of the Year special, our literary editors Fred Studemann and Laura Battle come on to share their personal favourite fiction books from 2022.  ------- Tell us your cultural prediction for 2022! You can record a voice message here: https://sayhi.chat/jzdg3 If you prefer, you can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. ------- Links and mentions from the episode: – Susan’s book is called This Is What It Sounds Like: What The Music You Love Says About You: https://www.thisiswhatitsoundslike.com/  – Here’s the Spotify playlist, which you should listen to while reading the book: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5FwghDk8f8jgJdGPIF1RNM – Fred is on Twitter @frederick65. Laura is on Twitter @battlelaura – The FT Books of the Year will be published across the FT on 26th November  Books mentioned by Fred and Laura: – Trust by Hernan Diaz. FT review: https://on.ft.com/3GkYZOW – Iron Curtain by Vesna Goldsworthy. FT review: https://on.ft.com/3OfuYBT – The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li. FT review: https://on.ft.com/3tCvtg7 – Punishment by Ferdinand von Schirach – Grand: Becoming My Mother’s Daughter by Noelle McCarthy  – A Sort of Life by Graham Greene, in Slightly Foxed Magazine – Magnificent Rebels: The First Romantics and the Invention of the Self by Andrea Wulf  – An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong ------- Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast ------- Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco ------- Clips courtesy of Universal Music, DFA/Virgin / Parlophone, and Warner  Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the third episode of our special mini-series on travel, Lilah talks with our travel editor, Tom Robbins. Tom is an expert on the tourism industry. We discuss the biggest trends in travel, and he gives us an honest account of where we are today: how social media has changed the places we visit, how governments are dealing with over-tourism, and how James Bond helped make Iceland cool. -------------- Want to stay in touch? We love hearing from you. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. -------------- Links: – Tom is on Twitter at @TRtravels – 2022 travel predictions: https://www.ft.com/content/f90a73bc-1dbb-472a-bb05-4977728dc3fe  – Skiing the Dolomites in a day: https://www.ft.com/content/8b02efc0-45e6-42dd-96c5-ef9d82301df7 – Deep in the woods, a ski retreat that’s straight from a fairytale: https://www.ft.com/content/868c1b97-ff9d-4502-8244-467dfb5677f1 – Video: a pilgrimage to Europe’s highest hotel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT583c2E1Vc – This winter’s most exciting ski destination: Albania’s Accursed Mountains: https://www.ft.com/content/3f1e25cf-3aac-4c6b-9dc3-4952a02095d1 – More on Bhutan’s tourist tax https://www.ft.com/content/9baed03d-ce88-4023-a656-52e772d7864d  – One of the most remote places to visit in the world: https://www.ft.com/content/b88abb8d-6383-48f4-95db-3c0dda12ff7c – On overtourism: https://www.ft.com/content/fd66019e-d960-4187-968f-ca2206081f30  – Glamping in Greenland: https://www.ft.com/content/e5314b60-e1e9-11e8-8e70-5e22a430c1ad  ------------- Special offers for FT Weekend listeners, from 50 per cent off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial can be found here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast -------------- This episode was produced by Zach St Louis. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.