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I regret getting our dog. *Immediately checks for angry mob with torches and pitchforks* 

It’s a truth that feels almost illegal to say out loud, but it is true nonetheless. One that’s probably shared by lots of people, but who also haven’t voiced it because of the accompanying guilt and shame (or fear of the righteous-dog-loving-angry-mob with torches and pitchforks).

I asked a group of individuals, all varying in age, gender and location, what is your relationship like with reading? Have you got a good relationship with books, or do you find yourself reaching for your phone more often than not?

If you told me four years ago that me and the chap I was dating would one day go our separate ways, I would have called you all sorts of parental- guidance-required-profanities and wouldn’t have liked you very much.

Yet here I am sitting on the floor of an (albeit rather beautiful) unlived-in rental property, at 35, childless, ringless, partnerless, my whole world upside down and inside out and my very nervous nervous system buzzing a different kind of buzz to when we shared our first kiss underneath a bus shelter 365 days X 4 ago.

It was only when I moved to a big new city at the age of thirty that I began to think consciously about friendship. I remember my first Friday night in my rental flat, sitting on my bed doing endless sudokus for want of evening plans, the city beyond my window alive with the rev of motorbikes and distant sirens. ‘Okay’ I remember thinking. ‘I suppose I ought to go out and… find some… friends?’ The notion was weird. It was as though I’d just learned my hair would no longer grow unless I grimaced and strained.

For my sins, and my father’s, I’m a Swindon Town fan. Once a proud railway town, Swindon is now better known as the place where hope dies when you’re forced to change trains on the way from Temple Meads to London. A few years ago, I went to watch my team. I walked into the Town End with a group of Premier League‑inclined university friends. Twenty minutes into kick-off, a chant began: “Oh Tommy Tommy Robinson”. I was mortified. It wasn’t just ugly; it was a glimpse into something bigger. I left the ground with one question lodged in my head: why is football such a hotbed for fascists?

Getting behind the wheel for me is akin to telling my body I am about to fight a bear. The physical reaction my body has is so encompassing - my head heats up, I can’t breathe as easily, I can feel my whole system going into melt-down. I like to think of myself as a (mostly) intelligent person, but in the car I just can’t get a grip of my mind. Something as simple as remembering which side of the road to drive on becomes a genuine feat for me. And what makes all of this worse is that driving isn’t just seen as a skill - it’s a badge of adulthood. It shapes how people see you, and lacking said badge has started to feel like a very heavy mistake.

Dressed in wide-leg trousers, holding an oat flat white between painted fingernails, and reading a copy of The Bell Jar, it is: The Performative Male. You might have heard of this new label for men and seen various caricatures of it in competition with one another at a performative male contest in-person or on TikTok. The contests themselves have gained virality more than the male himself, but who exactly is the Performative Male? 

Samhain, pronounced ‘SOW-in’ (as in ‘sow’ like a female pig and ‘in’ as in “I hope you are interested in learning about Samhain”), is a festival that was predominantly celebrated by the Iron Age Celtic people living in Ireland. The festival often crops up around this time of year, featuring in articles claiming it as the Celtic progenitor of Halloween or in films wishing to cash in on an extra layer of folkloric spookiness. However, the often-popularised claim that this festival is the origin of Halloween is, at the very least, an oversimplification of history. So, if that’s the case, then what is Samhain? And where did Halloween come from?

Before I describe my own experience, I want to pause on a word that often enters conversations about abuse: narcissist. It’s a term that has become almost casual in popular culture, tossed around to describe anyone who seems vain or self-absorbed. In the context of an abusive relationship, the word is much heavier. It names a pattern of manipulation, control, and emotional erosion that can leave deep, lingering scars. When I say my ex is a narcissist, it’s not a throwaway insult—it’s an attempt to give language to the experience of being diminished and controlled over time.

You will die. A lot. My first time fighting Hornet was a real struggle. She’s fast, agile, and shows no mercy. I remember spending weeks fighting her over and over again only to fail. When I finally beat her, I felt this incredible sense of achievement. The failure I experienced just propelled me to keep going, so much so it became addictive.

Everyone has different sleeping habits. Some of us have to listen to rain sounds or white noise to feel cosy, whereas some people can fall unconscious with ease, sitting upright on public transport. If you’re finding it difficult to drift into your dreams, our Music Editors Katie and Brandon have the perfect playlist to send you to sleep (in the best way possible).

The Fray celebrated two decades of How to Save a Life with a sold-out, multigenerational crowd at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. The night felt less like a nostalgia trip and more like a full circle celebration of a band whose songwriting has quietly shaped an era.

Exhausted by the “red tape” that defines the boundaries of the creative industry, Nikita Dare has carved out a space beyond them. Her new festival, SISTALAND – set to debut November 11–12 – is imagined as something far more radical than another networking event. Dare describes it as a “coven-like” space where “passionate people can learn from each other in an ego-free manner,” a necessary step, she argues, towards dismantling the “one-upmanship” and “gatekeeping” that stifle genuine connection and collective growth.

feeo (aka Theodora Laird) emerges from South London’s fertile experimental scene with her debut album ‘Goodness’, released by AD93. Over the past decade, AD93, an offshoot of Young Turks, itself born from XL Recordings, has quietly become one of the most ruthless laboratories for experimental sound.

Upon his EP’s recent release, Native James has gained a reputation amongst the  rap-metal scene as a definite leading successor amongst up and coming artists. After a successful stint in London supporting the pre-established, ‘Letlive.’ he has released his new EP entitled, ‘CONFESSIONS OF A SINGER’; a release that has been extremely well received by critics and fans alike.

Napa are a band shaped as much by their island roots as by their unlikely mix of backgrounds. Guitarist Francisco Sousa, once a computer science student; bassist Diogo Góis, trained in electronic engineering; drummer João Rodrigues, studied audiovisuals and multimedia; vocalist-guitarist João Guilherme Gomes, who comes from a business and management path; and the group’s youngest member, pianist João Lourenço Gomes is still finishing his studies.

The sun is setting far too early and arising far too late. If, like us, you’re not really a morning person, it can be difficult to detach yourself from the warm bedsheets and get ready for another day, but a good playlist can always be the antidote.

One thing about Bristol: there will always be an excuse to throw a party, and Bonfire Night is no exception to this rule. Below the Belt Productions and Community Jam Collective, two Bristol-based collectives currently taking the city’s creative scene by storm, joined forces again to bring a night of bands, DJs, drinks, food, and all round great vibes to Ashton Court Mansion.

Last Thursday night, London’s live-music heartbeat pulsed loud at 229 The Venue, Great Portland Street, as the ITM Live Tour — part of the four-year In The Making (ITM) programme — launched its first official UK date. The night proved that the capital’s grassroots scene is alive, fearless, and brimming with next-generation talent.

Curated and driven by Cassel (Cassell The BeatMaker), the show captured exactly what ITM stands for: creativity, collaboration, and raw musical honesty.

Larkin Poe (Rebecca and Megan Lovell) have been in the game a long time. Starting in 2005 as ‘The Lovell Sisters’, their americana rock music has carried them through the decades to become the Grammy-winning powerhouse band they are now. Taking their updated name from their real relation to Edgar Allan Poe (their great-great-great-great grandfather was his cousin!), you might be surprised at how hopeful their music is.

Second dates are like axolotls; they require extremely specific conditions in which to thrive. We are not in the business of recommending restaurants for first dates, because everybody knows that going for dinner on a first date is a terrible idea. A first date must be low-stakes on the commitment front, one that can be evacuated quickly if events turn south. A subsequent date offers a wealth of opportunity. As Robert De Niro observed in Taxi Driver, “you can tell a lot about someone from how they eat”. 

After a trip to New York, and plenty of lockdown recipe testing, Wes Thompson opened Little Bagel Co. Known for its delicious special edition fillings, perfectly baked bagels, and for being Marco Pierre White’s favourite bagel spot in the UK, Little Bagel Co. has gone from strength to strength since opening in 2022.

As their name suggests, their noodles really aren’t just noodles. Made fresh every day using local wheat, their noodles are bouncy, delicate and simply delicious. In the last year, Nala have fast become Clifton’s go to noodle bar and its easy to see why.

Sweet and simple granola, perfect for those cold autumn mornings, with a splash of milk or creamy yoghurt. Toasted coconut, nuts and rich, dark chocolate… This recipe takes just 25 minutes, and will leave your home smelling sweet…

It is food writing that dares to ruffle feathers - not through disrespect of the hospitality sector, but, in fact, the opposite. The writing is rife with a genuine understanding and love for the Bristol food industry - and the people who make it what it is. 

Known as the foodie capital of Europe, you’d be hard-pressed to have a bad meal in San Sebastian. That being said, there are some dishes that’ll really blow your socks off. Here’s mine.

My childhood home in Bombay always smelt of filter coffee. If you ask me what else it smelled of, I would certainly smile and without a doubt of hesitation say Dosa.

In the spirit of figuring out where I’m eating or drinking this weekend, I thought I’d share my current Hot List — the top 5 spots in London I’m desperate to check out.

Last week marked the opening of Jikoni’s brand new restaurant location in Bristol city centre.

Jikoni East Africa serve street food from Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia. We have been firm favourites of Jikoni since their pop up at the Pipe and Slippers, earlier this year, so you can imagine our delight when we were kindly invited to celebrate with them at their soft launch.

The origin of Gigi’s is that of a culinary meet-cute. Rapha approached Alberto - who was running his pop-up, Grano - with the idea of collaborating on a joint pop-up at the Old Vic Theatre. To use their words, “what started as a professional partnership soon became a shared journey”, which then led to a pizza-eating trip through London, Rome and New York City - and thus, Gigi’s was born.

 “The big important definition is that it's fashion IN film.” Dal tells me as we sit outside the watershed on a fresh Sunday afternoon. “It's not a fashion film festival which is the mistake that a lot of people often make and that distinction, that tiny word of two letters, is so crucial. Because what it should imply is that we're interested in film and Cinema”. 

Yes, Pixar has created a film with laugh-out-loud moments and imaginative ideas, but what  it really does, more than that, is depict the reality of what it is to live. It takes a risk - and uses a  young person as their main character - and in doing so, invites older viewers to confront the fact that mental health can plague us from a young age. Moreover, for the younger viewers,  it gives one important message - it is normal and okay to struggle. It gives shape to these  scary abstract emotions. 

You’ve probably guessed by now that the premise of The Assembly is where a group of autistic, neurodivergent and learning disabled people interview celebrities. I appreciate its heart is in the right place, and I don’t want to tear it apart completely. Except I do. It’s 2025 and it feels incredibly frustrating and disappointing to see disabled people treated like zoo animals. 

Jane Schoenbrun’s freshman feature We’re All Going to the World’s Fair released in 2021. It is a film that captures what it meant to be a teenager growing up in the internet age, and the effect of the media consumed on one’s identity through a lo-fi horror aesthetic. This concept is developed further in their next film, 2024’s I Saw The TV Glow, swapping out the presence of internet access with that of nostalgic late night cable television. Within this lies the core identity of the film: the damage caused from the repression of identity, and more importantly, why the expressionism of oneself is important.

Having first seen the movie in my mid teens, somewhere in the early 2000’s, the movie was  fundamental in the forming of my love of cinema. Besides this, I developed some strong emotional bonds over the love of this movie, at a difficult age where such things are pivotal.

The White Lotus returns to the screen for another iconic season, transporting us all to Thailand. The first two seasons took place in Maui and Sicily, and this season sees the return of familiar faces, including Belinda and Greg (now going by Gary) from season one played by Natasha Rothwell and Jon Gries. If we know anything about Mike White, it is that he likes his characters messy, complicated, delusional, and even diabolical. The mess that you're about to witness this season will probably have you taking Lorazepam.

“Adolescence” follows the story of a thirteen-year-old school boy, Jamie Miller, portrayed by Owen Cooper, after he is accused of stabbing and murdering Katie, another school girl in his year. Within the four episodes, we see the events carried out after the crime is committed, including his arrest and the effects it has on him, his family and other members of the community. 

A long awaited return to original storytelling, Leigh’s latest effort brings previous collaborator Marianne Jean-Baptiste back to the forefront of the screen as Pansy, an agoraphobic housewife with a multitude of detestable mannerisms.

In 2022, Netflix reported that 40% of global users always have subtitles on, and 80% use them at least once a month.

To many, Batman is more than just his beginnings as a comic book superhero. Batman is not just the preserve of ‘comic book geeks’.

Tales from The Wasteland is, in their words, “an improvised post-apocalyptic adventure comedy”. Inspired by the likes of The Last of Us and Fallout, the twisted cast of raiders and mutants craft an absurd plot, inspired by a prompt picked by random and provided by an audience member. The show can go literally anywhere, as there is no pre-prepared characters or plot. Everything is, as you’d expect with improv, made up then and there. 

While hunting for vintage photos for the project, John stumbled upon a box of old negatives at a local auction. The images, mostly from 1960s Chicago, didn’t suit the book, but something about them stayed with him. Months later, he began scanning them. Though he had no background in photography, the work struck a chord. Inspired, he picked up a camera himself — first a point-and-shoot, and soon a Rolleiflex, just like the woman behind the images: Vivian Maier.

We talked to experimental screenprinter, Daniel Speight, ahead of his opening night of ‘Turn The Page’ - a showcase of his work in Bedminster. Not only will the event be a chance to mingle with some Bristol creatives, but also to try your hand at live printing!

The premise of this play is simple. It starts with an eight-year-old Patrick meeting his estranged and unfeeling Father in a pub, being taught a bar game. From this point onwards, Patrick navigates various moments with his Father from their strained relationship, meandering from optimistic if anxious beginnings, to resentful endings where love is given reluctantly, if not still deeply. 

Creativity isn’t a blessing for just some of us - it’s something we are born with. Each and every one of us uses creativity in daily life; some of us just falsely think we are not creative at all.

Based within the creative hub of Bristol at Jamaica Street Studios, Annie Clay’s work finds beauty in the everyday as her captivating landscapes demonstrate the beauty of Bristol and its surroundings. Her style is both unique and distinctive with the time and precision in each piece so evident within her work. There is something about Annie’s work that seems to trigger a sense of familiarity with a place and it was great to sit down and have a chat with Annie about all things inspiration and how working as an artist in Bristol influences her work.

An evening at one of Bristol’s newest venues, The Mount Without, is something to look forward to. The space in this big old church is fantastic and its versatility really shone for this event as it hosted a staged performance by Tom Marshman and a broader floor space for the dance pieces from Cree Barnett Williams and Yos Clark. The Crypt provided drinks and DJ’s Mister Morgan and Jim Carna gave us some pop joy; the perfect end to a magical night.

Jess Knights’ illustrations are certainly ones that you’ll recognise if you’re into your food and drink around Bristol. Her passion for food and drink really shines through within her work as her unique images are rich in texture and life, making what could be considered mundane into art.

Jazz Thompson’s work is so integral to the city of Bristol as her captivating illustrations tell stories of individual experiences and community. Her murals have been placed all over the city from the M Shed, to The Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, speaking of individual experience and displaying a wealth of characters.

Art is an immortal representation of our culture, identity, and personal histories. The gradual censorship of artistic expression in Russia has been presented as more than censorship, but a simple disregard for what art is. Putin would have you believe that art is simply an additional extra, a visual option that does not express anything deeply political or particularly relevant.

The deep cry of a mother

The uncontrollable anguish of the father,

You once rocked your newborn to sleep

Now you must bury them without any peace.

You know the way that some people talk about being loyal to a Nail Tech or a hairdresser? That’s how I feel about bookshops. None more so than Bristol legends, Bookhaus.

‘Not my body’ is a poem inspired by Vicky’s struggle to adjust to her post-partum body; a real and vulnerable piece.

According to market researcher Circana, Romantasy is now one of the fastest-growing genres, increasing by 42% from 2022 to 2023. Not only that, it absolutely dominates TikTok with it being a massive focus of the largest community on the platform, with over 243bn views under #booktok. In fact, Lovehoney has reported that searches for 'smut books' have increased by a whopping 78% in the past year alone. 

Returning to the busy pub, Rachel squeezed past a couple clearly on a first date. Her husband, Jake leaned over. “You’ve been gone ages. I always wonder what women actually do in the Ladies. I mean, once you’ve done your business, maybe slapped on a bit of lipstick, what else is left?”

The future we imagine is getting bleaker by the second. Especially the looming threat of climate change offers a menacing backdrop for dreams of a world filled with even more gadgets and consumerism. Can speculative fiction help us here? Enter our possible hero: Cli-fi, or climate fiction. Books, film and media where climate and the effects of climate change form the plot, background or conflict we’re presented with.

We caught up with TikTok’s fave romance authors (and rightly so), Christina and Lauren! Their latest release ‘Something Wilder’ was the hot topic, and if you haven’t read it yet, READ IT! We gave it a 5 star rating, and we thought it was absolutely perfect.

When looking for an answer, and the answer is that there is no right one, it either results in reassurance or complete over-thinking. How To Be Everything frequently made the point that you don’t have to pick one thing. And yet, here I was trying to pick to be one thing – to be a multipotentialite – even if that one thing meant that I could be lots of different things.

Perhaps the most common response I get when I tell people what my degree is revolves around how I must really enjoy reading. A dual degree in English Literature and History is extremely heavy on reading … This being said, I have seriously struggled to read for my own enjoyment for the last four years.

Olivie Blake caught up with The Everyday Magazine to talk about the Tiktok sensation, The Atlas Six. She gave us the lowdown on how writing the book was, and her future releases.