Amanda Nicholls

A deep-and-meaningful with devout northern soul Richard Hawley – on life and death, chess and underdogs, ploughing your own furrow and fraternising with Fontaines DC. Rock ’n’ roll’s silver-tongued Sheffield crooner is running late. It’s not that he’s hungover or apt to prima donna behaviour even before exchanging hellos; his feet are red hot from…

Discussing the fascinating unknowns of human intelligence at the Royal Palace of Stockholm – where the first World Dyslexia Assembly saw Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock share the power of her own dyslexic thinking – has reminded the eminent space scientist of what exploration means to her. “It takes on many different facets for me,” she says.…

Sport, law, music, broadcasting: Jazmin Sawyers has made sure to diversify in terms of the spaces she occupies. She tells us why this is key, and shares thoughts on Commonwealth medals and Midlands delicacies, women’s athletics and Will.I.Am, and what makes a sporting venue special Q How is preparation coming along ahead of this year’s…

John Pakenham traversed the unforgiving landscape surrounding the largest desert lake in the world and lived to tell the tale – albeit four decades later. A lock-down read that transports you to lesser explored lands, his debut book packs a powerful punch and examines the attraction to extreme travel. “Pursued for several days by a…

The multimillion-pound heavyweight tier of the music industry may pull through. But what about the lifeblood of the rich layers beneath? Our grass-roots venues risk financial ruin and, with no clear idea of when and how gigs will return, the future of the middle-ground musician remains uncertain. The celebrity singalong version of John Lennon’s Imagine…

When (somewhat unsurprisingly, with the benefit of hindsight) the army of a 10-year-old Persian king succumbed to Muhammad’s Islamic forces in 651AD, it was a shock to Iran’s system. But the roaring flame of its cultural identity could not be extinguished. The second episode of Samira Ahmed’s groundbreaking exploration of Iran’s backstory aired last night, honing in…

Amanda Nicholls talks to a first-time nurse about what life is like on the NHS front line during the coronavirus pandemic. What a time to be fired into your first nursing post. Even for a seasoned healthcare professional, nursing is no picnic right now, with lack of PPE and anxiety over redeployment. Covid-19 is having…

When in doubt – say, for example, the fabric of society is disintegrating around us – the Brits turn to black comedy every time. Amanda Nicholls looks at the history of the comic form While some will have the energy to debate whether or not it’s appropriate to post memes and tell jokes about the…

If dressing A-listers and celebrities is your idea of the perfect job, imagine being wardrobe whizz for Killing Eve’s Villanelle. Here costume designer Charlotte Mitchell talks Liv Tyler and Jodie Comer, favourite characters and the instant-fashion culture. Words by Amanda Nicholls Charlotte Mitchell studied fashion at Central Saint Martins before earning her stripes as a designer and buyer for several…