Books people: I need to sort my storage out. Anyone recommend good shelving systems or good book shelves …

Within the last few weeks, four Caribbean states have recognised the state of Palestine - Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica & Trinidad & Tobago.

All of CARICOM’s 14 independent full member states now recognise Palestine.

I spoke to Rufus Wainwright about Opening Night’s shortened run. While he admits it “wasn’t perfect” he puts its failure down to anti-European bias in Britain after Brexit and a lack of “curiosity” from West End audiences theguardian.com/stage/article/…

This is a brilliant piece. I love Ian Beesley’s work and this feature really gets into what makes it so special: it’s often about a Bradford that no longer exists, lives that carried on when the mills closed - so glad I’ve seen people sharing his work on here more and more

Bernard Hill, 1944-2024
For anyone who grew up in the 80s, in the teeth of Thatcherism, Yosser Hughes was our touchstone, tragic hero & rallying cry

The Economist being romantic af

Not sure about biggest but best was King Krule (the Zoo Kid) at the Victoria in Mile End … Klaxons were DJing, the guitarist from TV on The Radio was milling about, Jack Peñate and Jamie Winstone were at the afters. Peak indie sleaze era

Wild to be at this press conference and see someone defend the overt racist comedy of the 70s, such as Alf Garnett. Sure, some people were laughing at him, but go watch the clips, listen to the canned laughter, plenty were laughing with him theguardian.com/culture/articl…

This is so true. He could just be in Dubai and LA staying warm but instead its initiative after initiative for people who are increasingly marginalised

I spoke to the new Royal Court boss David Byrne about his very full in-tray: cuts, literary dept rejig and what his new season and six new associate playwrights say about his tenure theguardian.com/stage/2024/may…

Today was a good day

Dorset auction house withdraws Egyptian human skulls from sale. MP says trade in remains is ‘gross violation of human dignity’, as skulls from Pitt Rivers collection removed theguardian.com/world/2024/may…

The National Crime Agency are selling a Frank Auerbach after they seized it from a convicted money launderer who worked with drug traffickers and used it to secure a £5m loan from a UK auction house theguardian.com/artanddesign/2…

Little bit of this discourse in my Museum of the Year piece today, it is worth remembering just how low attendances were at big institutions (Tate, V&A etc) before they were free entry …

The Museum of the Year shortlist is out: revamped National Portrait Gallery, Manchester Museum and Young V&A up against Dundee Contemporary Arts and (my favourite for Yorkshire reasons) the Craven Museum in Skipton - the winner gets £120,000 theguardian.com/culture/2024/a…

'Why was this cinephile spurned by Hollywood?' Great piece by Lanre Bakare on James Baldwin's love of cinema, rejection by Hollywood and his film criticism that inspired my new Barbican Centre film season 'The Devil Finds Work: James Baldwin Through Film':theguardian.com/film/2024/apr/…

I wrote about Baldwin's knotty relationship with Hollywood and his incredible memoir/criticism in The Devil Finds Work which is the inspiration for a new cinema season at the Barbican theguardian.com/film/2024/apr/…

1. For anyone who fancies a free online course about how country houses are connected to the British Empire. By my Colonial Countryside project. Course link in the post below
youtube.com/watch?v=xb1yt8…

Stunning ✨✨

The Turner Prize hits 40 and nominates Pio Abad, Jasleen Kaur, Delaine Le Bas and Claudette Johnson (whose work includes a portrait of Sarah Parker Remond commissioned as part of Cotton Capital) theguardian.com/artanddesign/2…