The Knowledge Dashboard goes to the heart of what ei does – curating connection to interesting people and ideas. Each week discover five recommendations on what to watch, hear, read and know about to stay engaged, entertained and informed.
The Bees – by Laline Paul.
As featured by Sonali Dutta, Receptionist/Administrative Assistant, the Society of Authors.
Dale Carnegie – How To Win Friends and Influence People
This infamous book on managing social interaction has sold millions of copies around the world, but I was unaware of it until my Dad recommended it to me earlier this year. Having finished it, it has given me an awareness of the unconscious mechanisms used to inspire people. Not necessarily a book for people with no friends or influence.
As featured by Dean Webster, Television Researcher
The Last Viking – the Extraordinary Life of Roald Amundsen (2012: Aurum Press Limited)
Stephen Brown’s biography of the Norwegian explorer, best known for his race against Robert Falcon Scott to the South Pole, built up from a range of sources (both public and private) offers an account of an extraordinary career and details a fascinating time when there were still places to be explored and both people and countries competed, often ferociously, to get their first. Brown's biography is both personal and political and offers insight into Amundsen’s lesser-known expeditions as well as a new perspective on his famous race to the pole.
As featured by Theo Borgvin Weiss – Theo is an Arctic explorer and part of the operations team at British Exploring, a youth expedition society based at the RGS
I Laughed, I Cried by Viv Groskop
Stand-up can seem like a very casual and ephemeral activity but takes huge energy and commitment from its performers. Read Viv’s thorough (and, of course, very funny) account of life as a gigging comedian for an insight into the business. And if you like what you read, see her live at legendary New Town venue The Stand.
As featured by Andrew Davidson, Creative Education & Communications Consultant
My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologises by Fredrik Backman and Henning Koch
Afun whimsical novel from the point of view of a seven year old girl. If you enjoyed A man called Ove you'll like this.
Nautilus (a different kind of Science magazine)
Nautilus is a different kind of science magazine which deliver big-picture science by reporting on a single monthly topic from multiple perspectives
Ill Fares the Land by Tony Judt
The late Tony Judt’s passionate analysis and denunciation of the rampant neo-liberal political shibboleths that dominate so much thinking and policy around the globe. Never more relevant
As featured by Professor Daniel Pick, Historian, Birkbeck College, Psychoanalyst, and Author, Psychoanalysis: A Very Short Introduction
Landmarks, Robert Macfarlane
As featured in the eiNetwork supper salon
Flight Behaviour, Barbara Kingsolver
As featured by Ben Overlander, Associate Director, Regester Larkin Limited
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
Ishiguro's writing is elegant, yet restrained, giving you a glimpse into the desolate remains of a Post-Arthurian Britain and making probing questions into human nature. As much as this is a fantastical quest, it is also a journey through memory, loss and companionship.
As recommended by Rachel Horigan, ei
Landmarks by Robert Macfarlane
As featured by Peter Florence, Director, Hay Festival
And the Land Lay Still, by James Robertson
I’ve given a couple of people copies in the last few months
As featured by Alistair Smith, Managing Director, Corporate Communications, Group, Barclays
New York profile – Ronnie O'Sullivan
A New Yorker profile of snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan (some words you never thought you’d find in the same sentence, there)
As featured by Helga Henry, Director, Creative Shift
The Afghan Vampires Book Club
I've just finished the novel co-written by Gary Barker and Michael Kaufman called The Afghan Vampires Book Club — about very nasty alleged supernatural events on the edges of the known world during the British and American occupation. Brilliant, unnerving stuff
As featured by Roger Luckhurst, Professor in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Birkbeck, Editor of the Oxford World’s Classics edition of Dracula which has been the subject of the spring #OWCReads group.
Nothing is True and Everything is Possible: Adventures in Modern Russia by Peter Pomerantsev
Written by TV producer and award-winning contributor to the London Review of Books this is a compelling and terrifying acount of Putin's postmodern dictatorship. "A journey into the glittering, surreal heart of 21st century Russia: into the lives of Hells Angels convinced they are messiahs, professional killers with the souls of artists, bohemian theatre directors turned Kremlin puppet-masters, supermodel sects, post-modern dictators and oligarch revolutionaries"
Recommended at the eiNetwork Supper Salon
A Faithful Couple by A D Miller
This nostalgic yet unschmaltzy account of growing into adulthood in the nineties and noughties is a brilliant exploration of the nature of close friendship, from sympatico euphoria to resentful schadenfreude. It's a relentless interrogation of the guilty feelings, big or small, profound or inconsequential, that we carry around with us. Reminiscent of 'One Day' (in a good way).
As featured by Andrew Davidson, Creative Education Consultant
Playing Big by Tara Mohr
‘Playing Big’ by Tara Mohr was recommended to me by ei Ambassador Viv Groskop. It is everything that ‘Lean In’ could have been, a book that works on all levels and not just for the lucky few at the top of their respective ladders.
As featured by Holly Marriott, Founder, Eighteen O Four
The Surprising Life of Constance Spry by Sue Shephard.
The life of an inspiring woman we think of as a high society florist and the inventor of Coronation Chicken. All true but she was also a passionate social reformer, former health lecturer and Headmistress with a colourful personal life. Determined, brave, positive, witty and opinionated. She found her own creativity later in life and fell into flower arranging by chance.
As featured by Ella Turner, Byrd & Spry Florist and Event Styling
Ten direct actions by women that changed the world – by Bidisha writing in the Guardian
As featured by Sonali Dutta, Receptionist/Administrative Assistant, the Society of Authors.
London-Centric, BBC News
A complaint from residents of cities outside of London are that the country and it’s economic structure are too London-centric. The BBC have now produced a report that is filled with key facts and beautiful images of the city to show London’s dominance.
As featured by Dean Webster, Television Researcher
BBC Magazine: "Sergey Ananov: Two days on ice with three polar bears"
The somewhat ridiculous and quietly extraordinary account of one man’s near triumph as he attempted to circumnavigate the globe in a one-man helicopter. He describes the moment his helicopter “was forced to land on water” and his subsequent encounters with polar bears out on the ice between Canada and Greenland.
As featured by Theo Borgvin Weiss – Theo is an Arctic explorer and part of the operations team at British Exploring, a youth expedition society based at the RGS
GQ: Why Dundee is becoming Britain’s coolest little city
I take it as a great compliment that the style gurus at GQ published this piece about Dundee whilst I was visiting the city. An hour by train from Edinburgh, through stunning Fife countryside and across the famous Forth and Tay Bridges, this is a great day’s escape from the chaos of the Fringe. Visit the fantastic Dundee Contemporary Arts and the McManus, soon to be joined by a branch of the V&A.
As featured by Andrew Davidson, Creative Education & Communications Consultant
Roughly 100 Fantastic Pieces of Journalism
Conor Friedersdorf collects 'exceptional nonfiction' for his Best of Journalism weekly email newsletter. From Buzfeed to the London Review of Books to the New Yorker. Organised into genre's such as Art of the Personal Essay; The crasft of Reporting; Officials Acting Immorally ; Portraits of Far Flung Places.
Half the world already gets more power from renewables than from nuclear, Quartz
Joshua Oppenheimer in conversation
Joshua Oppenheimer, director of the extraordinary films, The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence, reflects upon political impunity, genocide, and the film making process. Read him in conversation here
As featured by Professor Daniel Pick, Historian, Birkbeck College, Psychoanalyst, and Author, Psychoanalysis: A Very Short Introduction
Zonal Marking
Tactical analysis of a top-level football match every week. A Football Collective blog.
As featured in the eiNetwork supper salon
“What are business leaders still so worried about social media in a crisis? 5 new principles to help reassure them”.
As featured by Ben Overlander, Associate Director, Regester Larkin Limited
The Outpost
The magazine's tagline 'a magazine of possibilities' captures the sense of energy and optimism in its pages about the future of the Arab world as well as their sense of responsibility to change it. Produced in Beirut but available globally its articles seek to identify, understand and analyse the conflicts, morals, energies and opportunities of a changing Arab world.
As featured by Rachel Horigan, ei
@TheDailyMash
As featured by Peter Florence, Director, Hay Festival
Spectator Blogs
As featured by Alistair Smith, Managing Director, Corporate Communications, Group, Barclays
@TwopTwips
If you miss the Top Tips column from Viz in the 80s/90s then just follow @TwopTwips for the modern day equivalent. Sample – “WANT TO look as though you're buying a Womble costume in instalments? Simply get some Ugg boots. (via @JoeMcLaren)”
As featured by Helga Henry, Director, Creative Shift
The Eeriness of the English Countryside, by Robert MacFarlane
Robert MacFarlane's essay 'The Eeriness of the English Countryside' brings together a host of recent Gothic adventures into a disturbed, unruly land that is decidedly not a pastoral paradise.
As featured by Roger Luckhurst, Professor in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Birkbeck, Editor of the Oxford World’s Classics edition of Dracula which has been the subject of the spring #OWCReads group.
The Brothers, Asko Sahlberg
From Peirene Press's Series of The Small Epic – this is a historical novel in miniature form dealing in dark passions and delivering as many twists as a 500-page epic. Also a goodie bag gift at Names Not Numbers 2015.
Recommended at the eiNetwork Supper Salon
The war against the humanities
Excellent piece on the increasing marginalisation of anything that isn't STEM in our universities. Ok, it's not that short but what do you expect from an article about the degradation of this prestigious and essential part of British academia? The clue is in the name: HUMANities.
As featured by Andrew Davidson, Creative Education Consultant
Colossal blog
I love the Colossal blog which covers all areas of art, design and randomness. There is always something to delight on there and I like to get lost in the back catalogue of posts.
As featured by Holly Marriott, Founder, Eighteen O Four
www.saipua.com
Saipua are the gorgeous Brooklyn florists who have inspired the next generation of floral designers to be loose and sculptural and to work with interesting and unusual materials. Recently, the business owner Sarah Ryhanen has moved to a farm in upstate New York to continue her flower revolution as a grower. Expect flowers, glorious photography and tales from the smallholding.
As featured by Ella Turner, Byrd & Spry Florist and Event Styling
How to be Beyonce – lecture at King's College London on Monday 19th October by Dr Madison Moore.
As featured by Sonali Dutta, Receptionist/Administrative Assistant, the Society of Authors.
60 Things an American noticed about the UK
The online list is almost always the most disappointing online clickbait, but this has been shared a lot on Facebook and Twitter and picked up by some newspapers. It’s a list of observations made by 66-year old American – Scott Waters. It’s interesting to see our culture through the eyes of a visitor.
As featured by Dean Webster, Television Researcher
Explore 2015, expedition and fieldwork planning weekend.
Taking place at London’s Royal Geographical Society between November 13th and 15th and organised by Geography Outdoors, this annual event brings together people from the world of outdoor adventure, expeditioning and geographical fieldwork for a range of talks and workshops.
As featured by Theo Borgvin Weiss – Theo is an Arctic explorer and part of the operations team at British Exploring, a youth expedition society based at the RGS
Matt Forde's Get the Political Party Started
Comedy wins where politics loses in this bang up-to-date takedown of the UK and Scottish parliaments and parties. No one is safe from Matt Forde’s hilarious observations and his impressions are second to none. But be warned: if you care about politics, this may be as depressing as it is amusing
As featured by Andrew Davidson, Creative Education & Communications Consultant
Waddesdon Manor
A disneylandesque chateau with gorgeous and vast grounds and gardens complete with a beautiful aviary and art. Based in Buckinghamshire, it is also the site of ei's opening sessions at NNN.
Great British Chefs
Great inspiration for food lovers.
Damian Szifron’s Stories
The director of the touching, incisive and hilarious movie Wild Tales, reflects on his six compelling, comic dramas of everyday life, love, hate, and revenge. Read him in conversation here.
As featured by Professor Daniel Pick, Historian, Birkbeck College, Psychoanalyst, and Author, Psychoanalysis: A Very Short Introduction
An Oak Tree, The National Theatre
As featured in the eiNetwork supper salon
Parkland Walk, Highgate
A secret Parkland walk just behind Highgate station along the disused railway line that used to run between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace.
As featured by Ben Overlander, Associate Director, Regester Larkin Limited
The Park Theatre
A stone's throw from Finsbury Park station, this little theatre offers great value for money, (especially for residents of North London who can attend for £12.50 on a Tuesday) a real range of interesting subject matters as well as a very fine cafe bar.
As featured by Rachel Horigan, ei
RSC King & Country
As featured by Peter Florence, Director, Hay Festival
Leadenhall market
As featured by Alistair Smith, Managing Director, Corporate Communications, Group, Barclays
Artists for Ikon Auction
Unique opportunity to buy original works by world class artists and support the development of Birmingham’s *ahem* iconic Ikon Gallery in its 50th year.
As featured by Helga Henry, Director, Creative Shift
Sir John Soane Museum
Just this month, the wondrous Sir John Soane Museum in London, a place stuffed with bizarre curiosities and antiquities, has finally opened the private rooms of an owner some declared mad. Read about it here, then visit!
As featured by Roger Luckhurst, Professor in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Birkbeck, Editor of the Oxford World’s Classics edition of Dracula which has been the subject of the spring #OWCReads group.
Lucy Frederick
A female comedian set for stardom. You heard it here first. Her debut Solo Stand up show premiered at Edinburgh Festival in 2013 and was well received with 4 star reviews.
Recommended at the eiNetwork Supper Salon
Rev J W Simpson cocktail bar
Formerly both a vicarage and a brothel (that's presumably a Venn diagram with a small centre) on Goodge Street, this delightful establishment now pimps only cocktails but ones of which the Gods would surely approve.
As featured by Andrew Davidson, Creative Education Consultant
‘Tales Of The Grim Sleeper’
My favourite filmmaker Nick Broomfield’s latest offering ‘Tales Of The Grim Sleeper’ is a documentary that tells the story of an underprivileged neighbourhood in Los Angeles where a serial killer has been terrorising the community for 25 years. Instead of the arrest of Lonnie Franklin Jr being the work of the policing community, it was actually the result of an accidental DNA match.
Showing on Sky Atlantic on 17th April.
As featured by Holly Marriott, Founder, Eighteen O Four
The Wellcome Trust reading room
Reopened after its £17.5 million redevelopment, an extraordinary public space including contemporary sculptures, medical artefacts, paintings and Ercol chairs covered in the insulin crystal pattern designed for the Festival of Britain.
As featured by Ella Turner, Byrd & Spry Florist and Event Styling
Viv Groskop, Author, I Laughed, I Cried; Dr Anthony Seldon, Headmaster of Wellington College, authorised biographer of the Cameron premiership; Giles Gibbons, Founder and CEO, Good Business; As featured by Adrian Monck, Managing Director, Head of Public Engagement, World Economic Forum; Claire Fox, Director, Institute of Ideas; As featured by Henry Mason, Managing Director, Trendwatching.com; As featured by Juliet Simmons, Founder, Piece of Cake; Debbi Evans, Founder & Editor, Libertine, lifestyle and business for interested women; Sarah Dudney, Founder, Ignite Career; Simon Andrews, Founder of mobile/social discovery startup www.RCKSCK.com and www.addictivemobile.com; Helga Henry, Director, Creative Shift; Christina Makris, Director of Business Development, Fry Capital Partners; Dee Searle, Director of IF Project; Judy Piatkus, Business leader, coach and mentor; Naomi Kerbel, Business News Editor, Sky News; Leo von Bülow-Quirk, Managing Partner, ATG Chartwell; Lucy Beresford, Writer, Psychotherapist & Media Commentator; Andrew Davidson, Skills Academy Programme Manager, Design Council; Katherine Herbert, URICA Limited, @UricaLtd; Paul Noble, Radio Producer and Music Consultant; Adam Hyman, Founder of CODE – a restaurant consultancy that publishes The CODE Bulletin industry newsletter and The CODE app; Iqbal Wahhab, Founder, The Cinnamon Club and Roast; Nadine Cartner, Former Director of Policy, The Association for College Management; Tom Weller, Co-owner, The Groundworks; Jonathan Ramsay, Director, Moving by Appointment; Sally Webster, Senior Lecturer Public Relations and Organisational Communications, Victoria University (Melbourne, Australia) ; Steve Moore, Social Entrepreneur and Curator; Anjana Ahuja, freelance science writer (FT, Daily Telegraph, Prospect, Radio Times); Emma Burnell, Contributing Editor, LabourList; Latifa Akay, Project Manager, Maslaha; Lucy Smith, Production Assistant, Hare Meets Tortoise Productions; Louise Rayfield, Artist Manager, Classical Music Management; Sophia Stuart, director of "Mayfair Brooks" and award-winning digital strategist; Suddaf Chaudry, Freelance Journalist; Olivia Knight, Founder, Patchwork Present; Catalina Bolozan, Content Producer, @1984London; Jenny Adams, Head of Innovation, ICBI, Informa PLC; Marianne Talbot, Director of Studies in Philosophy, Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford ; Esther Freud, novelist, author of, most recently, Mr Mac and Me; Ben Murray, Editor, The Space; Foong Ng, Founder, editor, blogger, Suit & Pie; As featured by Anousha Payne, Artist; As featured by Shafi Musaddique, Freelance Journalist; Duncan Brown, Publisher, The Browser; Sarah Dudney, Founder, Ignite Career