Here is a selection of some of my journalistic writing
Interviews
The man transforming London Overground stations into solar-powered gardens
Striding through the garden, Agamemnon Otero pauses to grasp some leaves. “This is salvia. This is rosemary. That’s thyme.” It is an icy December morning but the last of the kale and artichokes are still pushing through the earth and hops cling to their frames.
Activist Diana Nammi on frontline life in the Peshmerga forces: ‘If I stayed, I would be executed’
An interview with the female leader of one of the first mixed-gender battalions in the 1980s, who fought in Iranian Kurdistan for 12 years before fleeing to the UK as a political refugeee.
From refugee to referee: Meet Jawahir Roble, the first FA match official to wear a hijab
Jawahir left Somalia with her parents and eight siblings when she was ten years old. She remembers playing football in the streets of the capital, Mogadishu, with her brothers.
Raymond Blanc on the simple rules of cooking that make every dish taste Michelin-worthy
It is morning in the garden at the two-Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire, where today the first spears of asparagus, nutty, earthy morels, bitter chard and vibrant edible flowers have been picked and delivered to the kitchen to be transformed into lunch.
Sir Michael Craig-Martin on creativity under coronavirus lockdown: ‘Art doesn’t have parameters’
Bursting colours and precise outlines make Sir Michael Craig-Martin’s depictions of everyday objects instantly recognisable. For almost half a century he has been drawing and sculpting everyday consumer goods – a telephone, a light bulb, a portable television from the 1980s and a flat screen from today – that are signs of their times and familiar to all.
Krept & Konan: ‘People think that once you’re successful all your troubles go’
No strangers to suffering, the rap duo from Croydon talk about bringing mental health into focus on their second album.
Features
Cheap tricks for cheap treks: How Himalayan treks raise millions from scam helicopter rescues
In a multi-million dollar scam, tourists climbing the Himalayas’ iconic peaks, of Makalu, Lhotse, and Mount Everest were pressured into accepting airlifts at the first sign of minor illnesses.
‘Skin-to-skin contact is the thing I missed’: Polar explorers and astronauts on extreme isolation
The psychological impact of coming out of lockdown is unknown, but people who have gone through other forms of extended isolation offer clues into how we can cope.
The race to record ancient pathways in England and Wales that will disappear forever in 2026
There are 79,000km of public paths that have dropped off maps in England and Wales. Time is running out to get them in the record books.
Afraid to go out, afraid to eat: The young people living with severe food allergies
Elizabeth Thompson recites some of her allergies: “Nuts, peanuts, sesame, milk, egg, coconut. It’s quite a list.” Her tone is light, but if a sliver of egg or a splash of milk passes her lips, the 23-year-old masters student from Worcestershire could go into anaphylaxis.
Once more unto the breach… Can the Prime Minister have anything new to say about Shakespeare?
Boris Johnson was accused of skipping Cobra meetings to work on a book about Shakespeare – ruminating, no doubt, on illicit sex, power struggles and political corruption.
Why live streaming concerts and plays will continue long after in-person performances return
After a year of rapid innovation, they are creative, cinematic, ticketed productions that do not attempt to replace live shows but are a format in their own right.
Travel
‘The Hawaii of Korea’: Visiting Jeju, Asia’s paradise isle
The flight route between Seoul and Jeju is the busiest in the world. What’s bringing all of Asia to this tiny island?
Volcanoes and vineyards: How Mount Etna inspires the flavours of Sicily
The active volcano, and its constant (if minor) volatility doesn’t just affect the taste of things grown on the island, but what Sicilians do with their produce.
I went on one of the first green-list holiday flights to Madeira
The bureaucracy was outweighed by the joy of being on the subtropical Portuguese island. Once I’d navigated all the red tape and tests, there were verdant mountains, volcanic sea cliffs and hillside towns to look forward to.