Twin Peaks Festival | International Coffee Day | Grand Union | The Apprentice | Asylum Stories...
This week our cultural highlights feature a festival for die-hard 'Peakies' and a very special day for a very special hot beverage. Meanwhile, we eagerly await Zadie Smith's first ever short story collection and prepare ourselves, once again, for more hopeful and hopeless candidates getting fired as The Apprentice returns to our screens.
VISIT Twin Peaks Festival. Ever since 1990, when Laura Palmer’s plastic-wrapped corpse washed up on a riverbank outside the quiet suburban town of Twin Peaks, David Lynch and Mark Frost’s mysterious and eccentric cult horror classic has attracted a loyal and devoted following. For super-fans around the country, who have stuck with the weird and wonderful show all these years, and have no doubt watched special agent Dale Cooper consume vast amounts of “damn fine coffee”, this week is a very special week indeed. Twin Peaks UK Festival, the brainchild of self-confessed ‘Peaky’ Lindsey Bowden, who lovingly curates and produces the festival, is back in town for its 10th successive year. Featuring special talks with the show’s protagonists, including Kenneth Welsh (Windom Earle), George Griffith (Ray Monroe), John Pirruccello (Deputy Chad Broxford) and David Warner (Thomas Eckhardt), as well as screenings of the show, a live cabaret, a Twin Peaks tattoo artist and even a special set from the legendary DJ Yoda, all you 'Peakies' from Britain, and beyond, are in for a real treat.
The Twin Peaks UK Festival runs on 5-6 October 2019 at Stoke Newington Town Hall. For tickets and more information visit https://www.twinpeaksukfestival.com/. Follow @TwinPeaksUKFest and the #TwinPeaksUKFest hashtag on Twitter.
DRINK a cup of “damn fine coffee” like the aforementioned special agent Dale Cooper on Tuesday 1 October 2019. Why? it’s International Coffee Day, of course! If like us, and the other jittery Brits who indulge in a whopping 55 million cups of coffee every day, you need no excuse to lap up a latte, entertain an espresso or revel in a ristretto, then you’ll be pleased to know that our favourite hot beverage has its own dedicated day of celebration. Look out for brunches, talks, masterclasses and special promotions across town as coffee shops of all shapes and sizes get in on the action. On a serious note, while International Coffee Day is without doubt a day to honour one of the world’s best loved drinks, it is also a day for recognising the millions of people – from farmers to roasters, baristas to coffee shop owners – who play an important role in creating and serving up our beloved bean-based brew. This year organisers are raising awareness of the ‘coffee price crisis’, as coffee prices hit a 15-year low and farmers struggle with low earnings, and are encouraging supporters to sign up to their #coffeepledge petition.
Visit https://www.internationalcoffeeday.org/ for more information and to show your support. Follow the #InternationalCoffeeDay hashtag on Twitter for updates.
READ Grand Union by Zadie Smith, the first ever collection of short stories from the award-winning and bestselling author almost 20 years on since her chart-topping debut White Teeth. Four novels and two collections of essays later, the result is a mix of deep-rooted, personal and captivating stories, which cross genres, perspectives and contexts to offer a rich and varied selection of narrators that showcase Smith’s versatility as an author. Tackling complex experiences of life in the modern world, the 10 new stories explore a wide range of subjects including politics, love, sexism, race, addiction, technology, and ageing. Some are inspired by real life historical events such as Kelso Deconstructed, based on the last days of Antiguan immigrant Kelso Cochrane, who was murdered in London in 1959. This collection is complemented by some of her previous acclaimed works such as Lazy River, based on a group of British tourists who go on holiday to Spain after the EU referendum. We can't wait to get stuck in!
Grand Union releases on 3 October. Zadie Smith will be speaking about the book at the Royal Institution, London (2 October) and Penguin Live, Sheffield (3 October). Follow Zadie's publisher Penguin imprint Hamish Hamilton on Twitter via @PenguinUKBooks.
WATCH The Apprentice as 15 new and highly entertaining candidates enter the boardroom this Wednesday. The opening episode will see them jetting off to South Africa for the first task, as they battle it out to win an investment of £250,000 as Lord Sugar's new business partner. We all know how it works, so let’s cut to the chase and meet the contestants with the cringe-worthy one liners. Gracing your screens are sports management company owner and Essex lad Dean Ahmad, 20, who has the ‘gift of the gab' and 'can persuade anyone to do anything’ – not heard that one before, 36 year-old chartered engineer and Elon Musk super-fan Shahin Hassan, who ‘loves business more than shark’s love blood’ - dangerous talk, the small feisty ‘pocket-rocket’ and bakery owner Carina Lepore – she’s definitely after the dough, librarian Lottie Lion - yes that’s her real name - anyone ever met a fierce librarian?, luxury womenswear consultant Ryan-Mark Parsons - sounds posh and he agrees, describing himself as the ‘epitome of luxury’ and quite worryingly a 60-year old trapped inside a teenager’s body. The line-up wouldn’t be complete without the American who needs to tone it down, known as Marianne Rawlins, and the usual suspect who Lord Sugar will see a bit of himself in, Thomas Skinner who started selling on the markets from age 16. Roll on Wednesday night!
The Apprentice returns on Wednesday 2 October at 9pm on BBC1. Follow @bbcapprentice and #TheApprentice for updates on Twitter .
LISTEN to Asylum Stories. Chaired by the legendary Juliet Stevenson, this inspiring event at the British Library will bring together fascinating contributors who all explore the representation of asylum seekers through different musical and literary forms. The panel of novelists and storytellers will examine how the refugee experience is depicted through song, stories, discussion and compelling, highly topical contemporary writing. With Dina Nayeri, Ruth Padel, Ellen Wiles and Maya Youssef sharing their insights and perspectives, Asylum Stories is certain to be an unmissable evening of thought-provoking ideas and creative exchange.
Asylum Stories: Fact, Fiction, Truth is hosted at the British Library on Tuesday 1 October at 7pm. For more information and to book tickets, visit https://www.bl.uk/events/asylum-stories-fact-fiction-truth and follow @britishlibrary on Twitter.
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