Arena

The Edge of Chaos with director Sam Uhlemann and starring Aoibhinn McGinnity as it premieres at the Cork FIlm Festival this week; also, Natalie Haynes discusses her new non-fiction book Pandora's Jar and Mary McGill reviews Mangrove from the new BBC series Small Axe.

Hermione Lee is the award-winning biographer, Tom Stoppard: A Life, is her new book on the famous playwright, Beau Williams & fellow poet Hazel Hogan on the 2 Meter Review, an anthology they created in response to the pandemic, Arlene Hunt recommends where to begin with Terry Pratchett, the creator of the Discworld series of comic fantasy novels.

Some of the rarest of Irish words have provided Manchán Magan with fodder for Sea Tamagotchi, Galway 2020, director Jane Magnusson’s film Maddy the Model is an intimate portrait of the world’s first professional supermodel with Down’s syndrome, corkfilmfest.org, Collected Poems and Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin's work from the past 50 years.

Sophie Gorman previews films from the IFI’s French Film Festival, Don DeLillo is best known for novels like Falling Man, set against the backdrop of 9/11.The Silence is set on Super Bowl Sunday, 2020 & a global breakdown in technology occurs, Kate Brennan Harding & Simon Maher review albums from Dublin band Bitch Falcon, Ane Brun & Kylie Minogue.

Paul Whitington & Cara O’Doherty review new films Lucky Grandma, About Endlessness & Luxor, Altan member and composer Martin Tourish has worked with Music Generation Laois Trad Orchestra on a new piece celebrating the achievements of Aviator, James Fitzmaurice & Jenn Gannon reviews The Vow.

Washing Up, the new and final collection from Derek Mahon, Maggie O'Farrell's new book, Where the Snow Angels Go, which is her first work for children, Loah ahead of her performance with Paul Brady at the National Concert Hall, Chris Wasser revisits Misery at 30. Rob Reiner’s psychological horror, stars Kathy Bates as an obsessive fan.

Kieron J Walsh’s drama The Racer, is set during the opening stages of Le Tour de France in 1998, Chris Morash recommends where to begin with the work of an Irish dramatist who was the go-to playwright with the Abbey theatre in the 1930, Teresa Deevy, Making Belfield is a book celebrating UCD by architectural historians Ellen Rowley & Finola O’Kane.

Lise Hand & Justin MacGregor on elections in film on the eve of the 2020 US presidential election, Eavan Boland’s The Historians takes up many of Boland’s regular themes, Paula Meehan shares poetry from the collection, The Bright Side is an Irish feature film at the Cork film Festival, comedian, Anne Gildea & director Ruth Meehan discuss.

Wild Thing the Short, Spellbinding Life of Jimi Hendrix is now explored by rock biographer Philip Norman, Jenn Gannon previews Truth Seekers the new which sees Nick Frost and Simon Pegg back together, Nadine O'Regan and Alan Corr review new albums from Dizzee Rascal, American singer, Arianna Grande and Elvis Costello.

Film reviews Shirley, Relic,The Painter and the Thief, David Bailey charts his iconic career as one of fashion’s most influential photographers in his book Look Again & Wandering Wicklow with Fr Browne on the famous Irish photographer.