Calm Down Dear

In our very first co-interview, we're barely holding in the squeals as we chat to Luna Lovegood herself, the actor, activist and all round brilliant woman, Evanna Lynch.

The result is maybe our most broad-reaching chat yet - from Nabokov to Circus school, from highs of the Harry Potter filming experiences to the nerves hiding beneath, and from vegan activism to why Marianne and Connell really just need to cool it, Evanna was an incredibly generous (and appropriately enthusiastic) guest. Oh, and Sarah does a worryingly accurate impression of a cat, and Becky reveals, far later than expected, her undying adoration of Stanley Tucci.

(This interview with Evanna was recorded in May).

Come join the gang on Twitter and Facebook @CalmDownDearPod, and Instagram @calmdowndearpodcast.

If there's someone you'd love to hear on the podcast or just fancy getting in touch, drop us an email at [email protected]. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Links:

Wild bison to return to UK for first time in 6,000 years: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/10/wild-bison-to-return-to-uk-kent

Big Night: https://www.netflix.com/title/305300

Stanley Tucci cookbook: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Tucci-Cookbook/Stanley-Tucci/9781451661255

Love Stories Stanley Tucci: https://play.acast.com/s/lovestories/love-stories-with-stanley-tucci

Warning: When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple: https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/warning/

Pandora Sykes: How do we know we’re doing it right: https://www.waterstones.com/book/how-do-we-know-were-doing-it-right/pandora-sykes/9781786332073

Very important cat meowing video: https://www.tiktok.com/@fabiancreates/video/6848680897269583110?source=h5_m

Bricks Magazine: Black culture in fashion: A brief history of trends that originated from black communities: https://bricksmagazine.co.uk/2020/06/29/black-culture-in-fashion-a-brief-history-of-trends-that-originated-from-black-communities/

Bodyform #WombStories: https://www.bodyform.co.uk/our-world/why-our-wombstories-need-to-be-heard/

Transgender resources:

https://www.gires.org.uk/

https://mermaidsuk.org.uk/

https://www.stonewall.org.uk/

Harry Potter at home: https://open.spotify.com/show/2JUljwaD9fNSeq8Vy3UAUp?si=r9xTDyXlTbWZanjZM26tPQ 

Lolita: https://www.waterstones.com/book/lolita/vladimir-nabokov/john-ray/9780141182537

The Chickpeeps podcast: https://www.thechickpeeps.com/

The Sexual Politics of Meat: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/the-sexual-politics-of-meat-9780826411846/

Charlotte’s Web: https://www.waterstones.com/book/charlottes-web/e-b-white/garth-williams/9780141354828

Grilled: Turning Adversaries Into Allies to Change the Chicken Industry: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/grilled-9781472962584/

Kinder Beauty Box: https://kinderbeauty.com/

Obsessed with Normal People: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08bm103/episodes/player

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In episode 7, Becky has a natter with artist, stylist and print-maker extraordinaire Sophie Molyneux of Lucy & Yak to chat all things from Mastermind specialist subject Gilmore Girls through to the perils of improv, and those much maligned teenage showcases.

Amid the creative tips and joyful tidbits (much on keeping foliage alive - what a win) Becky and Sarah have a catch up on the week past involving much exhaustion, many enervating articles and TV shows (or realistically, deer-in-grocery-store videos) and an insight into next week's extraordinarily exciting guest...

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In Episode 6 Becky and Sarah are joined by multi-award winning, bestselling author, Kiran Millwood-Hargrave. Amid serious author chat about plot construction and research on the witch trials which drove her brilliant novel The Mercies, Kiran chats with Sarah about Mastermind specialist subjects ranging from the gothic fiction of Shirley Jackson through to the feline language of her loveable cat Luna, and unexpectedly, much more besides.

Plus of course there's the weekly ramble from Becky and Sarah, full of poems, podcast recommendations and prose, and a good deal of shouting at patronising men.

If you'd like to get in touch with any recommendations or comments, we'd love to hear from you! You can reach us by email at [email protected], or on Twitter and Facebook @CalmDownDearPod, and on Instagram @CalmDownDearPodcast.

Links:

Watching

I May Destroy You - BBC iPlayer - https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000jyxy/i-may-destroy-you

Vanderpump Rules - https://www.bravotv.com/vanderpump-rules

Enrique Iglesias - Hero (yes, really) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koJlIGDImiU

Reading

The Mercies - Kiran Millwood-Hargrave - https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Kiran-Millwood-Hargrave/The-Mercies/24070825

Staying Alive: Real Poems For Unreal Times/Being Alive/Staying Human - ed. Neil Astley - https://www.hive.co.uk/Search/Keyword?keyword=neil%20astley&productType=0

(Becky reads For Desire by Kim Addonizio)

How To Be Both - Ali Smith - https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Ali-Smith/How-to-be-Both/14131231

Autumn/Winter/Spring/Summer - Ali Smith - https://www.hive.co.uk/Search/Keyword?keyword=Ali%20Smith&productType=0

The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson - https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Shirley-Jackson/The-Haunting-of-Hill-House/359483

Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life - Ruth Franklin - https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Ruth-Franklin/Shirley-Jackson-A-Rather-Haunted-Life/20924146

Listening

Call In The Crash Team - LYR - https://store.universalmusic.com/mercurykx/*/*/Call-In-The-Crash-Team-Exclusive-Signed-Vinyl-Lyric-Book/6DWJ0000000

How To Proceed with Linn Ullman - Ali Smith episode - https://podtail.com/en/podcast/how-to-proceed/

We Will Get Past This with Sandi Toksvig - https://play.acast.com/s/we-will-get-past-this

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In our fifth episode, Becky has a blast from the past with her old lecturer Anna Kiernan, an author, academic and founder of The Lit Platform. Between her penchant for early morning wild swims and unexpected love of Charlotte Church, she's the perfect enthusiastic guest, and one who'll both inspire you and make you feel really lazy for not having done more. But like, in a good way.

Of course there's our weekly catch up too, where among all the usual ramblings we discuss our new found love of Schitt's Creek (genius) and the sweet sweet taste of that first real pint after months of lockdown. Oh. My. Word.

As always, we'd love to hear from you if you think there's anything we should be discussing, or if you just fancy saying hey. Drop us an email at [email protected], or find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Calmdowndearpodcast.

Links:

Watching

Schitt's Creek on Netflix

I May Destroy You on BBC iPlayer

13th on Netflix

Fruitvale Station on Netflix

Selma on Netflix

John Boyega BLM London Protest Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGXEB25WdyQ

Reading

The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

Why I'm No Longer Talking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

Madame Zero (collected short stories) by Sarah Hall

These Our Monsters - English Heritage short story collection

Listening

NTS Radio's Literary Friction - Race In British Literature with Reni Eddo-Lodge and Kishani Widyaratna: https://www.nts.live/shows/literaryfriction/episodes/literary-friction-10th-july-2017

Mentorship

The Lit Platform mentorship applications: https://theliteraryplatform.com/news/2020/06/litup-applications-to-mentorship-programme-now-open/

Pints

Available in hopes and dreams everywhere.

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Musician, YouTuber, activist and author Dodie is our guest for episode four of the podcast and fittingly, we couldn't be more excited. In this chat we discuss her meet-cute with music, how YouTubers made her feel like she belonged, and among many other things, her love for documentaries on Ted Bundy.

Of course we're also checking in on what Becky and Sarah have been indulging in over the past week; to say it goes from poetry to pants in an instant is no exaggeration.

If you've ever been told to "calm down" and simply won't/can't, this is the podcast for you.

Please do email any questions, suggestions or issues to [email protected] or you can tweet us @calmdowndearpod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 3, we're joined by friend and incredible musician, Grace Lightman. Describing her music as "one part ABBA, two parts Twin Peaks", London-raised Grace moved to Plymouth last year to work on her music with Devon-based collaborators, the work of which culminated in her ridiculously brilliant synthy concept album Silver Eater.

With lockdown stripping away her ability to head to the studio for album two though, her diary's been left wide open to let her obsessions flourish, from David Duchovny to Drag, and food to funny voices.

If you've ever been told to "calm down" and simply won't/can't, this is the podcast for you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our first guest episode we're joined by one of Sarah's favourite people - and one of the most exciting musicians in the country right now - Issy Ferris of blues-americana duo Ferris & Sylvester. Too enthusiastic to choose just one for each (i.e. our perfect guest), Issy's answers to questions on her Mastermind specialist subject, the people who have inspired her and her secret passion cover everything from the Cold War to Sex And The City, and knitting disasters to poetic triumphs.

If you've ever been told to "calm down" and simply won't, this is the podcast for you.

Please do email any questions, suggestions or issues to [email protected] or you can tweet us @calmdowndearpod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our first enthusiastic episode, we decided you should probably know a little about us. Not only are we both broadcasters who live in the same city, it turns out we're basically the same person in terms of taste (except when it comes to our favourite Harry Potter films). Here we discuss our Mastermind Specialist Subjects, the people who have inspired us to do more and the secret things we love to do, all before we grill our first guest with the same questions in the next episode.

If you've ever been told to "calm down" and simply won't, this is the podcast for you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.