My essentials: Rebecca Camilleri’s cultural picks

1. Book

I’m admittedly one of those people who starts reading a bunch of books and doesn’t always finish them – guilty. So, I’m currently flipping between Ramona Depares’ ‘The Patient in Hospital Zero’ which I picked up from the Malta Book Festival, the play ‘Posh’ by Laura Wade, ‘Lie with Me’ by Philippe Besson, some Victoria Chang poetry in ‘The Trees Witness Everything’, and ‘The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck’ by Mark Manson. There’s a bit of everything in there…

2. Film

The last film I watched that really stuck with me was Charlotte Well’s ‘Aftersun.’ It’s one of those films that you find yourself randomly thinking about for weeks afterwards. It’s a weirdly nostalgic piece of cinema with no frills, great performances, and a heart-breaking story at its core. Plus, Paul Mescal… need I say more? I’m never going to be able to listen to Queen’s ‘Under Pressure’ the same way again, though. If you know you know.

3. TV/Internet

I tend to listen to a lot of podcasts in my day-to-day life. They’re just easy to put on while you’re getting ready for work, driving somewhere, or just drifting off to sleep. Some of my favourites are: ‘How to Fail with Elizabeth Day’, ‘Diary of a CEO’, and ‘The Guilty Pleasures Podcast.’ As for TV, I just finished watching episode 3 of ‘The Last of Us’, and it absolutely broke me (in the best way). Watch it! And, when in doubt I’ll just rewatch Normal People…

4. Music

As far as music goes, I’m listening to a lot of Cat Burns, BLÜ EYES, and Fletcher lately. Then, a song that features on most of my Spotify playlists is Bleachers’ (and Bruce Springsteen’s) ‘Chinatown’. It’s been my go-to daydreaming song ever since it was released in 2020. There’s something so cinematic about it. To be fair though, Bruce Springsteen’s ‘I’m on Fire’ also has the same effect on me, so maybe it’s just Springsteen.

5. Place 

At the moment, I’m craving a quiet holiday. Maybe an escape to the Italian or French countryside where I can read, relax, and regroup. In Malta though, I am very fortunate to live right by the sea in St. Julian’s, and that’s generally my favourite place to be. With a compulsory coffee in hand of course…