Deep Read with Phoebe Lovatt

My guest today is Kieran Yates, a prolific cultural journalist and the author of a new book: 'All The Houses I’ve Ever Lived In’: Finding Home in a System that Fails Us' – a funny, poignant, and thoroughly-reported assessment of Britain’s chronic housing crisis, told through the lens of Kieran’s own experiences of housing precarity from childhood onwards. I hope you enjoy our conversation. - Further reading lists are available at public-library.online

My guest today is the acclaimed stylist, publisher, and creative consultant Francesca Burns (@franburns). We spoke about how fashion helped form her identity; her rise in the industry; her approach to getting dressed now; and her thoughts on being described as a "super-stylist". I hope you enjoy the conversation! - Further reading lists are available at public-library.online

*DEEP READ-ing Lists for each episode are available at public-library.online*   My guest today is Elijah: DJ, producer, artist  manager and now founder of Yellow Squares - a vessel for ideas on how to build a creative career in today’s technology-driven world.   Originally conceived as an Instagram feed of punchy, Post It-style principles and questions  Yellow Squares has become an evolving medium for Elijah’s own creativity -  one that he has translated into live talks in locations from Tokyo to Sao Paolo and an album produced in collaboration with grime MC Jammz. Elijah’s optimistic but clear-headed philosophy has had a positive and expansive impact on the way I think about my own creative work, and I think it could do the same for yours. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

*Deep Read-ing Lists for each episode are available at public-library.online* My guest today is the writer, curator and broadcaster, Lou Stoppard. Not long after completing a degree at Oxford University and an MA at Central Saint Martin’s, Lou was made editor at Nick Knight’s pioneering fashion platform SHOWStudio, where became known for her in-depth live interviews with the likes of Kanye West and Wolfgang Tillmans. Since then, Lou has written for The New Yorker, Aperture, and The New York Times, edited books on iconic fashion partnerships and the allure of swimming pools for Rizzoli, and curated exhibitions at London’s Somerset House and the Het Nieuwe institute in Rotterdam. I really enjoy Lou’s curious, wide-ranging approach to her work, and it was a pleasure to learn more about the ideas and inspirations that have shaped her career.

*Deep Read-ing Lists for each episode are available at public-library.online* My guest today is the author and journalist, Oliver Burkeman. I first interviewed Oliver back in 2019, when he was writing ‘This Column Will Change Your Life’ for The Guardian. Since then, he has become the best-selling author of ‘Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals’ -which is a thoughtful and thought-provoking challenge to our futile modern obsession with 'getting everything done’. Its core message - to embrace your limits, accept mortality, and give up on the belief that you will ever complete your to-do list - is a much-needed antidote to the productivity gospel that has dominated our culture for all too long.   

Phoebe speaks to Yoon Ahn, Creative Director of AMBUSH and Director of Jewellery for Dior Homme. Together they discuss Yoon's journey from being an isolated teenager in the suburbs of Seattle - where she found inspiration in the fashion magazines and books in her local public library - to her current life overseeing a full-blown AMBUSH Universe. They also delve into the art of free thinking in a noisy world, the impact of nightlife on Yoon's creative process, and what she sees as her ultimate purpose. A reading list to accompany this conversation can be found at public-library.online   @yoon_ambush @ambush_official @phoebelovatt @phoebelovattpubliclibrary             

Phoebe speaks to Clem MacLeod – founder and editor of the literary magazine, Worms – about writer culture in London and New York; the joys of self-publishing; and the enduring significance of books and bookmaking. An accompanying reading list for this episode can be found at public-library.online

Phoebe speaks to her longtime friend Sharmadean Reid - founder and CEO of The Stack (and previously, WAH Nails) - about her evolving approach to feminism, selfhood, and personal finance. They also discuss Sharmadean's life-long love of reading, and her forthcoming book 'New Methods For Women: A Manifesto for Economic Independence', in which Sharmadean distills "ancient teachings, the wisdom of her favourite authors, and her own experiences with business, leadership and as a co-parenting mother into 10 of the most valuable life lessons." An accompanying reading list for this episode can be found at public-library.online

Phoebe speaks to Belfast-born, London-based journalist Rachel Connolly. Writing for titles including The New York Times, The Guardian, and The London Review of Books, Rachel writes explores topics as diverse as the ugliness of NFTS, the banality of high street clothing – and the complicated dynamics of contemporary morality.  A reading list to accompany this conversation can be found at public-library.online Follow @phoebelovatt and @phoebelovattpubliclibrary for more

Phoebe speaks to the broadcaster and writer Zakia Sewell. You might know Zakia from London’s NTS Radio, where she currently holds down the breakfast slot on Thursday and Friday mornings. She’s also produced and hosted several audio documentary series for the BBC, in which she explores ideas of Britishness - past and present - by following ancient thread lines of music, nature, and her own rich mixed heritage.  A reading list to accompany this conversation can be found at public-library.online Follow @phoebelovatt and @phoebelovattpubliclibrary for more