The present is hard to love. Things were always better in the past. These are common tropes across culture. That’s why so many politicians lean into nostalgia, it’s easier than dealing with today’s messy realities. A sentimental longing for a better past has social traction, it is a social emotion. We see that in myriad socialContinue reading “Nostalgia”
Arday, Farage, and accountability
I’m writing this the day after two seemingly unrelated news stories. In the morning we heard of Farage’s return as MP in Clacton. In the evening we heard of Professor Dr Arday’s death following a malicious media storm. Is accountability unevenly distributed? The pursuit of fairness and meritocracy is all, we are told. Yet theContinue reading “Arday, Farage, and accountability”
Palimpsest
Explore the long history of food through a focus on the orange. Oranges today grow world wide. Yet their origins are less well known. The journey the fruit has made carries an imprint of culture, language and more. What does that history tell us?
The Lost Paintings
We live in an age of artificially forced choices. I have always held the view that cosmopolitanism is not antithetical to patriotism. Is this controversial? I don’t think so.
Natacha Atlas’s Parallel Universe
Parallel Universe, Vol 1 is the kind of album Massive Attack might have wished to make with Atlas and Bishai, except that Atlas and Bishai got there first. There are layers and depths to dive into here.
Ai Weiwei’s ‘Ton of Tea’: A Cultural Reflection
A cultural exploration of the meaning and function of art in museums today.
Easy Steps to Make Autumn Fruit Compote with Eggy Bread
An early autumn morning inspires a recipe using fruit and pantry staples.
The History and Recipe of Kedgeree
Kedgeree is a variant of an Indian dish, Khichdi, which has been developed to suit British tastes and is influenced by geography, social change, and the tides of history.
Fair Play
The crux of the Post Office scandal lies in the concept of fair play. Our sense of fair play has been affronted. We expect steps to right these wrongs.
The Pink Podcast
The Pink Podcast features leading figures from theatre, arts, and culture discussing impactful issues. In the opening episode, Sofi Berenger and Sanjit Chudha chat about the value of the arts, why communities and audiences matter, and how co-creation is the future.
Sanjit Chudha 