WHAT'S ON YOUR RADAR

TARA STWEART, DJ

LISTENING: “I’m currently re-listening to Little Dragon Ritual Union. They remind me of leaving home for the first time, it’s so good. Podcast wise, however, I’m listening to Max vs Mango by my lovely other half. They talk about topical issues and have very passionate debates, which are really fun to listen to. If you like hip hop, classic movies and pop culture debates you'll love it.”

READING: “I'm not as much of a reader as I’d like to say I am - but one of my all-time favourites was Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. I remember reading it years ago and couldn't put it down. It's a really interesting book about a real rock star and rock and roll lifestyle.””

WATCHING: “Every day I would say Real Housewives of New York. But I also just recently finished This is Pop on Netflix and it's about the history of pop. It’s so interesting.”

ATTENDING: “I can’t wait to see Bimini Bon-Boulash and Lawrence Chaney for Dragged Up in the George. And I also just bought tickets to Róisín Murphy in Berlin in October.”

DARREN KENNEDY, TV PRESENTER

WATCHING: “I just devoured Mare of Easttown in a few sittings. Kate Winslet is a tour de force! I’m also binging season four of the The Handmaid’s Tale. Admittedly this season isn’t the strongest, but I’m still hooked.”

READING: “Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. I read it when it was first published nearly 20 years ago whilst sitting on a sunny beach in Tarifa, southern Spain. It’s a fantastic, inspiring story that’s as relevant today as it was the day it was written.”

LISTENING: “I’m currently listening to ‘Pieces of Britney’ produced by BBC Radio 4 and hosted by Pandora Sykes. It’s a fascinating look inside the life and career of Britney... #FreeBritney. And of course, The Secret Life of Celebrity Pets, my new podcast. Of course, I’m biased, but it features some great interviews with the likes of Elisabeth Day, Amy Huberman, Laura Whitmore and Trinny Woodall.”

ATTENDING: “I’m most looking forward to returning to London Fashion Week. It’s been too long! The shows are fun, but it’s also about catching up with friends and colleagues that I won’t have seen in over 18 months.”

LIZ NUGENT, AUTHOR

READING: “My reading tastes are very broad, so I will narrow it down to two books from opposite ends of the spectrum. A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. It is a profound and gruelling read, but as beautifully written and mind-opening as it is, I could only read it once every ten years. The other choice is Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes. It is a warm bath of a book (I read it twice during the darkest days of the pandemic), and although it is hilarious, it deals with the serious issues of alcoholism and recovery.”

LISTENING: “I am particularly loving the music of Emma Langford on her new album Sewing Acorns. She has the sweetest voice coupled with surprising melodies and beautiful arrangements. She is also lots of fun on Instagram.”

WATCHING: “My breath is baited for the final season of Better Call Saul to be broadcast on Netflix in early 2022. I think there are no finer writers of TV drama at the moment than Vince Gilligan and his writing partners Tom Schnauz and Peter Gould. The series can be horrifically violent, but always with a side-order of side-splitting humour.”

ATTENDING: “Live writer festivals! Boris was incredible and my fingers are almost dislocated from crossing them in the hopes Hinterland Festival goes ahead in mid-September.”

MORE TO READ

With inspiration on what to watch, read and listen to this season sorted, all you need now is tips on what to wear, which you’ll find in Setting the Tone.