Culture 2025: what to watch, read and listen to this year

The Visitor is a haunting tale of Anastasia King, a 22-year-old who returns to her grandmother's house in Dublin after spending six years in Paris with her mother. The story delves into Anastasia's complicated homecoming, her relationship with her cold and distant grandmother, and the emotional costs of her choices. It explores themes of love, loss, grief, and the notion of home, highlighting the complexities of family relationships and the impact of past decisions on present lives. The novella was written in the mid-1940s but remained unpublished until its recent discovery in a university archive[2][4][5].

This collection of short stories by Maeve Brennan delves into the lives of several families in Dublin, particularly focusing on the emotional disconnections and turbulent relationships within middle-class households. The stories are divided into several sets, each detailing the intricate and often painful dynamics of marriages, such as those of the Derdon and Bagot families. Brennan's prose is characterized by its simplicity, precision, and deep insight into the inner lives of her characters, often reflecting her own experiences and the influence of her Dublin upbringing. The collection includes stories like 'A Young Girl Can Spoil Her Chances' and 'The Springs of Affection', which are noted for their sharp observations and emotional depth[2][4][5].

This book is a compilation of Maeve Brennan's writings for The New Yorker's 'Talk of the Town' column, where she observed and chronicled life in New York City from the 1950s to the 1980s. The pieces are short, witty, and insightful, capturing the essence of everyday life in Manhattan, including scenes from restaurants, hotels, and streets. Brennan's writing style is characterized by her keen observation of small details and her ability to evoke the melancholy and magic of ordinary moments. The collection also reflects her liminal existence as an Irish emigrant in America, never fully belonging to either place[1][3][4].

In this book, Lanre Bakare delves into the often-overlooked aspects of Black British life outside of London. He investigates various moments and artefacts that shape the identity and experiences of Black Britons, offering a confronting yet joyful exploration of what it means to be Black and British.