My essentials: | Paul Portelli’s cultural picks

1. Books

Haruki Murakami’s After Dark. I love his work because he makes me laugh and because his work intrigues me, and his words never fail to surprise me. His books are always stylish and graceful and give me a view of life from a completely different, almost alien perspective.

I also enjoyed my brother’s book, The Order, immensely. A fresh take on an old familiar favourite.

2. Film

I have recently rewatched Kenneth Branagh’s Wallander. I love its rhythm, its pace and its wonderful portrayal of humanity. I am a Branagh fan, but I’m also particularly drawn to crime thrillers and Scandinavian film and TV. The original Wallender series is Scandinavian.

3. TV/Internet

I watch loads of stuff about rewilding. It hurts that we seem to be living in a country that has divorced itself from nature. On the other hand, I am completely fascinated by the digital age but equally saddened and apprehensive because we have no idea of where it’s leading us to. I do not believe I would feel very safe living amongst people who need an app that tells them how to boil an egg.

4. Music

I listen to anything but one of my go-to favourites is Arvo Pärt. I came across a clip on YouTube of Björk interviewing Arvo Pärt which I highly recommend. In this interview Björk describes how in his music he makes each and every note resonate and that he does not need a hundred billion notes to in his pieces. It’s a lesson for life that it’s not about doing a lot but more about doing the few things and spending time with the few people who mean something to us.

5. Place

Possibly Gozo or Sicily. I seem to have lost the travel bug some years back and though I still enjoy experiencing new places I seem to get something out of Gozo and Sicily which is different and, in some ways, particularly special.