10 minute read
PAUSE FOR THOUGHT
Fresh thinking
Many of us have had much more time to think lately, and in honour of this Saskia Hayward and Matthew Leigh from Topping and Co. have some fabulous suggestions for books driven by reinvention and reflection
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Sometimes a new start can be found in a new person, such as in Caleb Azumah Nelson’s Open Water, an accomplished debut novel in which two artists meet, become best friends and fall in love, while also exploring themes of masculinity, repression and the experience of black men living in the UK today. This is a deceptively slight book, with hidden depths on every page. Exquisitely poetic, nuanced and rewardingly referential, it is the kind of novel you read with a highlighter in hand, marking passages that you will want to return to. Penguin, £12.99
The latest novel from the wonderful Edinburgh based indie publisher Charco Press, Havana Year Zero by Karla Suárez is long overdue for a translation into English. Warm and intimate, the reader is invited into the world of Julia, the narrator, in the year she considers to be Cuba’s ‘Year Zero’; the country at its lowest ebb. A lecturer who hates teaching, Julia becomes determined to take the reins of her own existence. Enlisting her colleague and former lover, Euclid, she embarks on a quest to find a document that proves the telephone was invented by Antonio Meucci in Havana, an achievement, she believes, that will secure their place in history. Charco Press, £9.99
High House by Jessie Greengrass is an incredibly rare beast; a low key post-apocalyptic novel. Caro grows up fearful of her stepmother Francesca’s slide into climate paranoia. A scientist, Francesca can see what is coming, but finds herself unable to shout loud enough to prevent the inevitable. Instead, she focuses on the High House, turning what was once a holiday home into an ark for when the time comes. Though a novel overtly informed by the climate crisis, High House also chillingly illustrates how we quickly accept change and eventualities that once seemed unthinkable and unstomachable. It is not, however, a pessimistic story. Instead, emotional resonance comes thick and fast from its exploration of family, and the bonds forged in collaborative community. It is a visionary tale of what life could be like, for better and for worse. In this incisive book, Empireland, British journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera examines how contemporary British life and culture has –and remains –heavily influenced by our imperial past. With acerbic wit, and built upon a foundation of meticulous research, Sathnam exposes the bewildering contradictions at the heart of discussions on British identity. He explores how ignorant we remain of the historic role and realities of the British Empire –often erased from our school textbooks and overlooked in our museums –when considering how profoundly they have shaped our nation and our relationships on a global stage. Beautifully written and passionate, Sathnam argues that a true understanding of our cultural heritage must involve acknowledging our imperial past, counteracting the Viking, £18.99
Having and Being Had is the latest sharp and insightful collection from the award-winning American essayist and author Eula Biss. A writer who troubles the boundaries of genre, Eula blends reportage and memoir in an interrogation of the lived experience of 21st-century capitalism and American class structures. Writing from the perspective of upper-middle-class Chicago, and emerging in response to becoming a homeowner for the first time, Eula recasts the everyday within a collage of social and psychological theory, literary history, and popculture references. The result is a meditative reflection on our relationship with the material world, our drives as consumers, and the impact on our collective and individual identities. A stylish and eloquent portrait of our moment in time. Faber, £15.99
In Four Hundred Souls, Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to be an Antirascist, and Keisha N. Blain have orchestrated a remarkable and expansive piece of history writing. Created as a collaboration of leading black writers and thinkers, each writer was given a five-year period from 1619 to 2019 to explore whatever they felt most fitting. The result is a groundbreaking and redefining act of communal history spanning four centuries and crossing mediums: a constellation of perspectives through historical essays, short stories, polemics and personal vignettes. It begins in 1619 with the arrival of 20 Ndongo people on the shores of the first British colony in mainland America, the year before the Mayflower arrived, and takes us right up until the present, charting centuries of inhuman oppression and injustice alongside magnificent resistance. As a piece of collaborative writing, it refracts a multitude of pasts unlike any other piece of history writing. Bodley Head, £23 n
While visiting the shop is not possible, books can be ordered from the website or at the shop door; toppingbooks.co.uk
HEALTH & BEAUTY NEWS
This month we have tracked down some cool products for some super indulgence over the Easter break, and showcase a selection of uplifting grooming and makeup ideas for the male of the species...
CHANEL YOUR HANDS
Inspired by the beautifying hand cream created by Mademoiselle Chanel in 1927, CHANEL now reinvents this essential step with LA CRÈME MAIN. A complete care product for hands and nails that leaves skin moisturised, velvety and radiant, all in one onthe-go item. Elegant and practical, LA CRÈME MAIN is made for travel and is the essential accessory to carry in your handbag. Includes May rose wax and Iris pallida, renowned for its brightening properties, both from the CHANEL Pégomas gardens in Grasse. • No 5 L’Eau On Hand Cream, £46; chanel.com/en_gb
GET EGGS-CITED
The cherry tree is iconic to the Provençal landscape with its delicate white flowers that light up the early days of spring. Laced with the soft and delicate scent of these early blooms, L’Occotane’s Cherry Blossom Easter Egg makes it possible to experience spring in Provence any day of the year and offers a perfect treat to comfort the body, mind and soul.
• Cherry Blossom Easter Egg with Shower Gel, Body Lotion and Hand Cream, £16; uk.loccitane.com
BE INDULGENT THIS EASTER
BATH BOMB This sleepy-scented bath bomb features reusable glow-in-the-dark stars, released with dried flowers to illuminate your path to dreamland. The wax stars and moon are reusable, take them out of the bath to dry before you pull the plug and keep them cool before you are ready to charge them and add to your bath next time. Switch off the lights, get cosy, and take an unforgettable bath before bed. • The Sleeping Giant Bombshell, £14.95; uk.lush.com
SLEEPY DUST Try some sleepy dust that’s sure to send you off to the Land of Nod. Just dry off after your bath or shower, sprinkle on to your skin, massage it in, and you’ll be ready for a hard night's sleep! You can combine this with the Sleepy body lotion or the Sleep massage bar –and then get ready to slip into your favourite pyjamas. • Sleepy Dust, £9; uk.lush.com
SKIN PERFECTOR SKIN HERO’s formula has selected exfoliating enzymes which have a resurfacing effect, elimating dead cells and refining your skin’s texture as soon as it is applied. • SKIN HERO Bare Skin Perfector from Eborian, £18; uk.eborian.com
HEALTH & BEAUTY NEWS
FIND YOUR MOJO: MALE GROOMING
ECOMOFO!, the new exclusively ethical grooming store for men, takes the leg work out of finding high quality, sustainable alternatives that not only do the job for men, but feel good and look the business too. Whether you’re a hippie or a brickie, a craftsman or a draughtsman, a landscaper or a manscaper, they’ve got you covered. • ecomofo.com; Instagram ecomofo_uk
A rich, vegan friendly, organic and luxurious cleansing bar that adds natural moisture and vigour, designed specifically for the needs of men’s skin. Milled three times for a dense, longer-lasting form, triple-milled soaps hold their shape and deliver a richer, creamier lather, while the active ingredients are more consistently distributed across the bar. Vegan friendly, organic, plastic and cruelty free. • £16; ecomofo.com The Adventurer Roll Up houses three products to cleanse and hydrate the hands when commuting, travelling, or simply outand-about: Resurrection Rinse-Free Hand Wash, Resurrection. • £45;
aesop.com
NORSE EBONY SHAVE SET
This UK made shaving set comprises a double edged safety razor, shaving brush and stand made from steel, brass and chrome and is designed to provide a great shave as well as looking great on the bathroom shelf. • £110; ecomofo.com
SCRUBD SOAP BAR CLEAN TRAVEL
SHAKE IT UP BABY
Shake Up Cosmetics are on a mission to break down the barriers and stigma around men’s cosmetics, by offering easy-to-use products with unique formulas, specifically designed for men; • shakeupcosmetics.com
THE DISCOVERY BUNDLE Choose any shade of Let’s Face It BB Tinted Moisturiser, and Eye Eye Captain Under Eye Concealer and Moisturiser, plus Lip Life To the Full Volumising and Moisturising Lip Gel. Vegan and cruelty free, bespoke formulation. • All three products, £50; shakeupcosmetics.com
Izzy Walton, CNM Health Coach Graduate
Most people already know the answers and what changes they need to make, but they don’t know how. As a Health Coach, I help facilitate change using all my coaching, nutrition and fitness knowledge.
I’ve always had a strong interest in natural health which evolved alongside my interest in yoga. Many years ago, I studied complementary therapies, reflexology, reiki and aromatherapy. These therapies bought me closer to my interest in nutritional therapy and where I am today.
I was already working in the wellness industry running corporate wellness events, yoga retreats and wholefood catering, so studying to become a Health Coach was another step towards practicing naturopathic wellness. I wanted to do a course that offered a holistic health offering, comprising of both of food, nutrition and mindful movement for both physical and mental health support.
For the first time, I feel like I’ve found where all my previous studies and qualifications have been leading me to. I always knew I wanted to help people achieve optimum health, whether that be through their diet or through yoga practice. Now with all my competencies, I have the skills and knowledge to do this with health coaching.
The content on CNM’s Health Coach diploma was very in-depth and each module explored all parts of heath coaching, including business, marketing and promotion modules; this is something that other courses didn’t seem to cover.
The course was immersive and I got to experience everything first-hand. When we explored a topic, such as fasting, cleansing or fitness routines, we completely embedded ourselves in that topic and we were encouraged to experience and practice it for ourselves. This learning experience was invaluable and helped cement the knowledge for me.
Since graduating, I’ve been working with clients remotely in my practice and I have a few collaborations lined up for the next few months. I’m also still teaching my regular yoga classes.
What I love most about practicing is being able to offer my clients’ space. Many people just don’t honour themselves the time to really enquire into their own health and understand why they are manifesting their symptoms. As a Health Coach, I help facilitate change, and use all my coaching, nutrition and fitness knowledge to best support and empower them towards achieving their health goals.
CNM’s Health Coach diploma is a unique course which has naturopathic principles at its heart, something most health coaching courses don’t offer.
Become a Health Coach – enrolling now!
Turn your passion into a career. CNM Health Geoff DonCoaches are trained in nutrition and health, fitness and exercise, how the body works, coaching, marketing and business promotion.
Visit cnmcourses.com
or call 01342777 747 to find out more
