Books books books! Our top picks from 2024

This week, we’re talking about the show, and pop star, of the century: Taylor Swift just released the film version of her Eras concert in theatres, and it’s already breaking records. Lilah hosts a roundtable on both the film and the Taylor phenomenon with HTSI Editor Jo Ellison and US media correspondent Anna Nicolaou. How did we all get wrapped up in the hype? Is there anywhere else for Swift to go? Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or at http://ft.com/ftweekendpodcast.-------We love hearing from you. You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We tweet @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links: – the FT’s review of the Taylor Swift concert documentary: https://on.ft.com/46Hl0lh– Anna has been writing about the Taylor Swift phenomenon for years, including here and here– read Jo's column on seeing Taylor, which came out the day this episode dropped. You can find Jo on Twitter and Instagram at @jellison-------Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam GiovincoRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

20 Okt 202322min

This week, we bring you a conversation about food memoirs from the recent FT Weekend Festival. Cooking and eating are two of the most sensory and universal experiences we have, which makes food an excellent vehicle for stories. And food memoirs have become an extremely popular genre. Lilah speaks about it with three food-based storytellers: chef and FT columnist Ravinder Bhogal; 19-year-old baker and Instagram star Kitty Tait, who wrote a book about how baking bread saved her life; and Angela Hui, who wrote a popular memoir about growing up in a Chinese takeaway in rural Wales.-------We love hearing from you. You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links: -Ravinder’s most recent recipe is here: https://on.ft.com/3ZVQiCz-Angela’s book is called Takeaway: Stories from a Childhood behind the Counter-Kitty’s book is called Breadsong: How baking changed our lives-Kitty is on Instagram @kittytaitbaker-------Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam GiovincoRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13 Okt 202324min

This week, we talk to harpist Mary Lattimore. Mary is known for her earthy, experimental music and has collaborated with musicians like Kurt Vile and Kesha. As she releases her new album, Goodbye, Hotel Arkada, she tells guest host Lulu Smyth about what it's like to compose and perform in a whole new way on the 47-string instrument.-------We love hearing from you. You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links: – Mary’s new album Goodbye, Hotel Arkada is out now. – ‘Baltic Birch’ and ‘It Feels Like Floating’ are from Mary’s 2018 album Hundreds of Days. – Mary is touring a number of cities in the US, including Brooklyn, New York on November 3-5th. – You can follow Mary on X @marylattimore and Instagram @maryoverthere -------Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of Ghostly International. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6 Okt 202316min

This week, we talk about morality with the author Andrew Lipstein. Andrew's novel The Vegan is a satire about a hedge fund manager, Herschel, who decides to go vegan after accidentally poisoning one of his dinner party guests. Andrew talks about the novel, the state of ethics today, and why our actions don't always match our intentions.-------We love hearing from you. You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links: – Andrew’s new novel is called The Vegan, and is out now. – His first novel is called Last Resort. – You can follow Andrew on X, formerly Twitter, at @ailipstein-------Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam GiovincoRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29 Sep 202317min

This week, Lilah is talking to the FT's food and drink editor, Harriet Fitch Little, about how to host the perfect dinner party. And by "perfect" Harriet means one that you as the host will actually enjoy! Harriet shares practical tips and tricks for putting together a spread and an ambiance, but most importantly she wants you to be yourself – even if that means foregoing homemade everything.-------We love hearing from you. You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links:– Tim Hayward on ‘no effort dinner parties’: https://on.ft.com/3rfKiHU – ‘Who’d invite their boss to dinner?’ by Anjili Raval: https://on.ft.com/46mwf1S – Harriet’s dinner music recommendation is A Piano and A Microphone by Prince– From the magazine’s wine special, Jancis Robinson answers 121 of your questions about wine: https://on.ft.com/3EMh5Y8 , The FT Magazine’s dinner party special is out this weekend. It features hosting tips and recipes from Bao founder Erchen Chang. -------Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam GiovincoRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22 Sep 202321min

This week, we talk to country-pop sensation Shania Twain, one of the best-selling female artists of all time. Shania is touring in the UK this month and has just released an extended edition of her iconic 90s album Come on Over, which features her greatest hits. After more than a decade of battling Lyme disease, she tells us how it feels to be back on stage. -------We love hearing from you. You can email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links: Lulu’s interview with Shania Twain, ‘Writing a novel is easier than writing a three-minute, 22-second story that says something profound’: https://on.ft.com/3sDklCc Come on Over: The Diamond Edition is available now. Shania’s 2023 album is called Queen of Me. Shania Twain is performing at the O2 in London on 16 and 17 September. Her Vegas residency is announced for May 2024. -------Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam GiovincoClips courtesy of Republic and Mercury Records. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

15 Sep 202320min

Subscribe now to the FT's Tech Tonic podcast: Some scientists believe that rapid advances in artificial intelligence may also hold the key to decoding animal sounds, allowing us to ‘translate’ them into human language. In a new season of Tech Tonic, FT innovation editor John Thornhill and series producer Persis Love explore how the same technology that powers ChatGPT is being applied to research in animal communication. Could we one day learn to ‘speak whale’ or even chat with bats? And if so, can we trust ourselves to do so responsibly?Presented by John Thornhill, produced by Persis Love, sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa and Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13 Sep 20231min

The announcement last winter that the world’s top restaurant, Noma, will close in 2024, has spawned dozens of think pieces asking whether this is the end of fine dining. So this weekend, we went to the FT’s renowned food critic Tim Hayward to learn about the state of the industry. Running a restaurant has never been more expensive in cities such as New York and London. And now, in the middle of a cost of living crisis, Tim says a bloodbath is coming: in order to stay afloat restauranteurs must ditch a corporate business model and return to more nimble roots. Tim tells Lilah that the good news is that he’s seeing it happen.--------------Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. --------------Links and mentions from the episode: – ‘The restaurant industry faces a bloodbath. But there are ways to survive’, by Tim Hayward: https://on.ft.com/3lfo2u6 –The column Tim mentions on The North Circular’s Ace Cafe, which has perfect hospitality: https://on.ft.com/3Yl3dMr –Tim’s piece ‘A 14-course tasting menu? Don’t. Just don’t’: https://on.ft.com/40GuBGq – Our previous episode on Noma is here: https://www.ft.com/content/04bd9722-1d17-496d-aefc-fdae46d5d3b2 – Tim Hayward is on Twitter and Instagram @timhayward. Clips from The Menu, copyright Searchlight Pictures—-------------Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

8 Sep 202325min