San Clemente

Nadine has been praised by Esquire, Rolling Stone, Cosmopolitan and the great SZA. She's performed around the world, worked with fashion powerhouse Louboutin and featured on the album of international Iraqi rap legend Narcy. Her work focuses on intersectional female empowerment and incorporates her Sudanese, Egyptian and Iranian heritage.  Her latest track Calm Down is a witty and damning challenge to colonial, capitalist and patriarchal structures that connected especially well with Gen Z, reaching over 1 million views for a single video.  You can find more about Nadine on her ⁠website⁠, ⁠insta⁠ or ⁠TikTok⁠.  More interviews are available on the podcast and our ⁠site⁠. 

Irish Essayist Carmel McMahon talks about decolonising storytelling, bringing healing to the past and what time means to us. Her book In Ordinary Time is a brilliant memoir about her own personal history and that of her country. She manages to make the heavy and uncomfortable feel remarkably approachable and freeing.  She's received deserved praise from The Guardian, The Observer, The Irish Times and Literary Hub as well as award-winning authors like Mary Costello and Priscilla Morris. Get the book here, or at your local seller.

Jacqueline's book Fire Rush was shortlisted for the 2023's Women's Prize and Waterstone's Debut Fiction Prize. It's a Sunday Times Best Novel and The Guardian's Best Fiction Book of 2023. It was also one of The Observer's Best Debut Novels. Maggie O'Farrell even gave it her stamp of approval. It's certainly one of the best books I've ever had the privilege of reading. Here's the blurb courtesy of Penguin's site: Yamaye lives for the weekend, when she can go raving with her friends at The Crypt, an underground club on the outskirts of London. Then everything changes. Yamaye meets Moose, who she falls deeply in love with, and who offers her the chance of freedom and escape.After their relationship is brutally cut short, Yamaye goes on a dramatic journey of transformation that leads her to Jamaica, where past and present collide with explosive consequences. Get the book here, or at your local seller.

Andrew quite rightly features on The Standard's 2024 New Art Power List and hailed by The Telegraph as an artist saving public galleries. Today, he talks about creating a space through sonic and visual art for the viewer to think and find new ideas. His current exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery is a love letter to one of London's most diverse neighbourhoods. It's also praised by TimeOut. This episode is a moment of celebration for the way we all experience art and what it means for the world.  Andrew earned his MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art (2019) and BA in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Arts (2017). He's also an Associate Lecturer at The Royal College of Art's MA Painting programme. On top of that, he's won the ArtAngel 'Thinking Time' Award (2020) and Tiffany & Co. x Outset Studiomakers Prize (2019). Check out Whitechapel Gallery ⁠here⁠.  For more art, head to ⁠sanclemente.co.uk⁠, catch up on previous episodes or get ready for more this week.

Forensic Architecture is a multidisciplinary research group based at ⁠Goldsmiths, University of London⁠ that uses architectural techniques and technologies to investigate cases of state violence and violations of human rights around the world.  Their investigations have provided decisive evidence in a number of legal cases, including in national and international courts in Germany, The Hague, Greece, Israel, Guatemala, as well as in citizen tribunals and human rights processes, leading to military, parliamentary, and UN inquiries. Alongside their presentation in such political and judicial forums, Forensic Architecture’s investigations have also been shown in cultural and artistic venues as examples of the use of creative practice in an image- and data-laden environment. Sarah (Assistant Director / Operations) is responsible for overseeing all operational aspects of FA – including financial, HR, legal, and administrative matters – and strategic financial and operational planning. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto (BSc) and the University of Cambridge (MPhil), where her research focused on the destruction of heritage sites in conflict. Sarah joined the team in 2017, having previously worked at B+H Architects, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Aga Khan Museum. FA's investigation into the destruction of cultural heritage sites in Gaza (2018-2022), with human rights group Al-Haq, led them to call on The Prosecutor of the ICC to consider this destruction as amounting to war crimes, and to evaluate their potential contribution to apartheid as a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute.  Journalist ⁠Roshdi Sarraj⁠ was killed as he tried to shield his wife, Shorouq, and one-year-old daughter, Dania, from shrapnel ⁠in their family home⁠. He co-founded ⁠⁠Ain Media⁠⁠ with Yasser Murtaja. Murtaja was ⁠killed⁠ by an Israeli sniper while covering the 2018 Great March of Return. A 2019 UN inquiry found reasonable grounds to suggest there was ⁠intentional targeting of journalists,⁠ including Murtaja, by the Israeli army during the march. Ain Media were vital for the Living Archaeology in Gaza project.  Shawn Ginwight’s conversation with Brené Brown:  ⁠https://open.spotify.com/episode/27qUt2DfcLROhzFZaO2gqG?si=d4e46b25a28d470d⁠   Joel Stokes on Silwan:  ⁠https://www.palestine-studies.org/sites/default/files/jq-articles/“Silence%2C”%20Heritage%2C%20and%20Sumud%20in%20Silwan%2C%20East%20Jerusalem.pdf⁠   Organisations supporting Silwan: ⁠https://www.silwanic.net⁠  ⁠www.iwitnesssilwan.org⁠  Information on Forensic Architecture taken from:  ⁠https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/turner-prize-2018/forensic-architecture⁠ ⁠https://forensic-architecture.org/about/agency⁠ Sarah's work: ⁠https://forensic-architecture.org/about/team/member/sarah-nankivell⁠ Living Archaeology in Gaza:  ⁠https://forensic-architecture.org/investigation/living-archaeology-in-gaza⁠ 

One of GQ’s Ones to Watch 2024, Lucy has been all over our social media feeds with her hits Kulture Klub and ADHD. Bella Hadid, the inspiration for the former, is also a fan. Kulture Klub's sped up version has 175k+ uses, an accomplishment for even a seasoned star.  Not only is she a producer and singer, Lucy, along with Rina Sawayama, is a member of ESEA, a writing camp for East and South Asian artists.  In case that wasn’t enough, Lucy completed her degree in Economics and Burmese at SOAS during the pandemic. As she explains herself, Lucy performed to 60,000 people as a special guest for Bunny Phyoe’s televised NYE countdown in Myanmar.  You can listen to Lucy ⁠here⁠ or follow her ⁠@lucytun⁠ on TikTok + ⁠@lcytn⁠ on Instgram. 

Nailah is a multi-instrumental composer and singer who draws on mystical folk and ambient music, as well as legendary tales for her own fantasy world-building. She's been interviewed by the New York Times and NPR about her unique work, incorporating the harp into non-classical composition and her love of British culture. She's just back from touring with her new album. Love Gaze received an 8/10 rating from Line of Best Fit, who called it 'disarmingly beautiful'. Pitchfork praised its 'lyrical complexity' and elegance. Keep up with Nailah on her Instagram and website. For more interview go to sanclemente.co.uk or listen here.

According to NME: HotWax could be Britain's next great guitar band. They've gained support from Elton John, Louis Tomlinson and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The Guardian, Dork and the Independent have all tipped them as rising stars. The Evening Standard included them in their list of Ones to Watch 2024. Bassist Lola Sam and Vocalist/Guitarist Talulah Sim-Savage met at school in Hastings and then brought drummer Alfie Sayers on board while studying at BIMM. Just back from touring with Royal Blood, they have had a whirlwind 2023. Things only look to move faster so catch them in a city near you if you can. Follow them on Instagram or TikTok. For more music, check out our previous episodes or wait until next week.

Aube's debut novel, River East River West, is one of the most exciting releases of 2024. The dual timeline follows a 14 year old Alva in 2007 and how her American mother's new husband Lu Fang made his fortune in 1985. It's a complex unpacking of capitalism's failures, its effects on our relationships and the impact of increased Western business in Shanghai at the start of this century. River East River West has received praise from the Wall Street Journal, Oprah Daily and Asian Review of Books, as well as bestsellers Jean Kwok, Vanessa Hua and Catherine Cho. Info on Aube from her website: Aube Rey Lescure is a French-Chinese-American writer. She grew up between Provence, northern China, and Shanghai, and graduated from Yale University in 2015. She worked in foreign policy before becoming an itinerant writer. Aube’s debut novel, River East, River West, was published by William Morrow/HarperCollins in January 2024. [Duckworth in the UK] Her fiction and creative nonfiction have appeared in Guernica, LitHub, Electric Literature, The Millions. WBUR, The Florida Review Online, Litro, and more. Her essay “At the Bend of the Road” was selected for Best American Essays 2022. She currently works as the Deputy Editor at Off Assignment. Two essays she edited are anthologized in Best American Travel Writing 2021, and four others were listed in Best American Essays Notables. Aube is the co-author of Creating a Stable Asia (Carnegie 2016) and the translator of Le Système Économique Chinois Face à ses Défis (éditions Nuvis 2017). Aube received support as an Ivan Gold Fellow at the Writers’ Room of Boston, a Pauline Scheer Fellow at GrubStreet’s Novel Incubator Program, and a writer-in-residence at the Studios of Key West and Willapa Bay AiR. An excerpt from her forthcoming novel was a semifinalist in the Boston Review’s 2020 Aura Estrada Short Story Contest. Her short fiction was selected as a finalist for BOMB Magazine’s 2021 Fiction Contest, judged by Ottessa Moshfegh. Find the book here. Or at your local seller.  For more literature, head to the sanclemente.co.uk, catch up on previous episodes or get ready for more this week. 

Toby's debut novel, Fervour, is a stunning examination of Jewish identity, generational trauma and the complexity of moral blame under extreme circumstances. It's a horror that leans into Gothic tales and modern Dark Academia. Unsettling events unfold following the death of the Rosenthal's patriarch, a Holocaust survivor, and Hannah Rosenthal's tell-all book about her father-in-law's experiences. Among the book's early praise is the Observer, Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and Publishers Weekly. And of course, yours truly. Toby has published stories and essays in publications such as Carve Magazine and the LA Review of Books. He earned an MFA in creative writing from NYU and was longlisted for the 2021 V. S. Pritchett Short Story Prize.  Find the book here. Or at your local seller.  For more literature, head to the sanclemente.co.uk, catch up on previous episodes or get ready for more next week. 

Andrew quite rightly features on The Standard's 2024 New Art Power List and hailed by The Telegraph as an artist saving public galleries. Today, he talks about creating a space through sonic and visual art for the viewer to think and find new ideas. His current exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery is a love letter to one of London's most diverse neighbourhoods. It's also praised by TimeOut. This episode is a moment of celebration for the way we all experience art and what it means for the world.  Andrew earned his MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art (2019) and BA in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Arts (2017). He's also an Associate Lecturer at The Royal College of Art's MA Painting programme. On top of that, he's won the ArtAngel 'Thinking Time' Award (2020) and Tiffany & Co. x Outset Studiomakers Prize (2019). Check out Whitechapel Gallery ⁠here⁠.  For more art, head to ⁠sanclemente.co.uk⁠, catch up on previous episodes or get ready for more this week.

Michael Isaak's debut EP, Forever is a Scary Word, is exactly what you need for your next flight or train journey. He combines American Folk with traditional Arab instruments for a dreamy soundscape that explores growing pains and layered inner worlds. He's currently taking a year out from Princeton to develop his music in LA. As his music gains traction on TikTok, only a privileged few will be able to say they listened to him first. You're welcome ;) Listen to Michael here, or find him on TikTok, Instagram or Youtube.

Nadine has been praised by Esquire, Rolling Stone, Cosmopolitan and the great SZA. She's performed around the world, worked with fashion powerhouse Louboutin and featured on the album of international Iraqi rap legend Narcy. Her work focuses on intersectional female empowerment and incorporates her Sudanese, Egyptian and Iranian heritage. Her latest track Calm Down is a witty and damning challenge to colonial, capitalist and patriarchal structures that connected especially well with Gen Z, reaching over 1 million views for a single video. You can find more about Nadine on her website, insta or TikTok. More interviews are available on the podcast and our site.

One of New Zealand’s most successful authors, Rebecca is finally here in UK bookshops. Greta & Valid, which spent a year at the top of the bestseller list, is a hilarious examination of humanity through two siblings trying their best in Aukland. It’s one of BBC’s Most Anticipated Reads of the Year and recently reviewed in the NYT.  We talk about the book in passing and die laughing instead. Pt.3 covers Swedish Love Is Blind, awkward interview questions and serious economic information. Rebecca K Reilly (Ngaati Hine, Ngaati Rehua Ngaatiwai ki Aotea) is a Maaori novelist from Waitaakere, New Zealand. She has a BA (hons) in German and European studies from the University of Auckland and an MA from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington, where she won the Adam Foundation Prize in Creative Writing for 2019. Find the book here. Or at your local seller.  For more literature, head to sanclemente.co.uk, catch up on previous episodes or get ready for more this week. 

Andrew quite rightly features on The Standard's 2024 New Art Power List and hailed by The Telegraph as an artist saving public galleries. Today, he talks about creating a space through sonic and visual art for the viewer to think and find new ideas. His current exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery is a love letter to one of London's most diverse neighbourhoods. It's also praised by TimeOut. This episode is a moment of celebration for the way we all experience art and what it means for the world. Andrew earned his MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art (2019) and BA in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Arts (2017). He's also an Associate Lecturer at The Royal College of Art's MA Painting programme. On top of that, he's won the ArtAngel 'Thinking Time' Award (2020) and Tiffany & Co. x Outset Studiomakers Prize (2019). Check out Whitechapel Gallery here. For more art, head to sanclemente.co.uk, catch up on previous episodes or get ready for more this week. [Note: the intro has been edited to correct Royal Academy to Royal College x] 

One of New Zealand’s most successful authors, Rebecca is finally here in UK bookshops. Greta & Valid, which spent a year at the top of the bestseller list, is a hilarious examination of humanity through two siblings trying their best in Aukland. It’s one of BBC’s Most Anticipated Reads of the Year and recently reviewed in the NYT.  We talk about the book in passing and die laughing instead. Pt.1 covers messy butches, stories about Lorde and public transport.  Rebecca K Reilly (Ngaati Hine, Ngaati Rehua Ngaatiwai ki Aotea) is a Maaori novelist from Waitaakere, New Zealand. She has a BA (hons) in German and European studies from the University of Auckland and an MA from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington, where she won the Adam Foundation Prize in Creative Writing for 2019. Find the book here. Or at your local seller.  For more literature, head to sanclemente.co.uk, catch up on previous episodes or get ready for more this week. 

Elizabeth's novel The Bullet Swallower has sparked a huge buzz from Shondaland, Esquire, the LA Times, NPR and The Telegraph. It covers the beloved tropes of Westerns and goes far beyond with magical realism, dual timelines and a literally damning exploration of colonial heritage. It's one of Good Reads' most anticipated books of 2024- rightly so. More info on Elizabeth from her website: Elizabeth Gonzalez James is the author of the novels Mona at Sea (SFWP, 2021) and The Bullet Swallower (forthcoming Simon & Schuster, 2024), as well as the chapbook, Five Conversations About Peter Sellers (Texas Review Press, 2023). Her stories and essays have appeared in The Idaho Review, Southern Humanities Review, The Rumpus, StorySouth, PANK, and elsewhere, and have received numerous Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominations. She was Interviews Editor at The Rumpus, and a former contributor to Ploughshares Blog. Originally from South Texas, Elizabeth now lives with her family in Massachusetts. Find the book here. Or at your local seller.  For more literature, head to the sanclemente.co.uk, catch up on previous episodes or get ready for more this week. 

One of GQ’s Ones to Watch 2024, Lucy has been all over our social media feeds with her hits Kulture Klub and ADHD. Bella Hadid, the inspiration for the former, is also a fan. Kulture Klub's sped up version has 175k+ uses, an accomplishment for even a seasoned star. Not only is she a producer and singer, Lucy, along with Rina Sawayama, is a member of ESEA, a writing camp for East and South Asian artists. In case that wasn’t enough, Lucy completed her degree in Economics and Burmese at SOAS during the pandemic. As she explains herself, Lucy performed to 60,000 people as a special guest for Bunny Phyoe’s televised NYE countdown in Myanmar. We talk about her advice for fellow young musicians, personae, being in your 20's and keeping up friendships. You can listen to Lucy here or follow her @lucytun on TikTok + @lcytn on Instgram.

One of New Zealand’s most successful authors, International Bestseller Rebecca is finally here in UK bookshops thanks to Cornerstone. Greta & Valid, which spent a year at the top of the bestseller list, is a hilarious examination of humanity through two siblings trying their best in Aukland. It’s listed on BBC’s Most Anticipated Reads of the Year and recently reviewed in the NYT.  We talk about the book in passing and die laughing instead. Pt.1 covers messy butches, stories about Lorde and public transport.  Rebecca K Reilly (Ngaati Hine, Ngaati Rehua Ngaatiwai ki Aotea) is a Maaori novelist from Waitaakere, New Zealand. She has a BA (hons) in German and European studies from the University of Auckland and an MA from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington, where she won the Adam Foundation Prize in Creative Writing for 2019. (Courtesy of Penguin's site) Find the book here. Or at your local seller.  For more literature, head to sanclemente.co.uk, catch up on previous episodes or get ready for more this week. 

Viktoria is the first autistic author nominated for the Booker Prize. All the Little Bird Hearts explores the autistic perspective through motherhood, new friendship and class as the arrival of a glamorous couple one summer in the Lake District threatens life as she knows it.  We talk about writing from a neurodivergent perspective, Sicilian folklore and developing character. It’s really a masterclass for aspiring writers and a very lovely bookclub episode.  Find the book here. Or at your local seller.  For more literature, head to the sanclemente.co.uk, catch up on previous episodes or get ready for more this week.  “Part of being an autistic person is you are created by necessity because you’re always having to find ways to translate and ways to connect where they’re not coming naturally. So I think that makes us creative just to survive. We’re creative because we’re always trying to find new approaches that neurotypical just don’t need to look for because those things come organically for them.”