Writer, festival director, interviewer. Projects: Future City Film Festival, John Boorman, John Berger, William Gray Walter, revisiting J B Priestley, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel book. Writing/ interviewing/ editing: https://festivalofideas.substack.com
Andrew Kelly
Loading...
2026 Watching #120: Disclosure Day. Worthy fare bringing together alien conspiracies, Roswell, crop circles, an attack on vivisection and cruelty, car chase and wider troubles in the world. Emily Blunt good. Last 45 minutes are best. But it does go on a bit. John Williams score.
In Labour’s election victory in Bristol in 1963 it seems that a factor for two candidates - winning or losing - was their hirsute nature. From Western Daily Press.
2026 Watching #118: The Witness. Third Netflix series in a week and another good one. The horrific murder of Rachel Nickell and its aftermath on her partner and son is told sensitively, helped by excellent acting. Police incompetence rightly attacked as is some behaviour by journalists.
To be honest, the ‘curated box’ of safety pins and nail clippers looks like our kitchen drawer.
I read a lot but I wish I could read and remember like Harold Bloom: ‘He read “Moby-Dick” at 9. He could devour 400-page books in an hour. He had a photographic memory. As an after-dinner party game, he liked to recite “Paradise Lost,” starting from any line a tipsy guest chose.’
‘Swifts are on the UK red list of birds of conservation concern. Their population has declined by about 60% since the 1990s.’
Disgraceful action by Clarion Housing.
2026 Watching 2026 #119: The Day the Earth Caught Fire. Another viewing of one of my favourite films, this time as preparation for my introduction to Threads 22 June @wshed.bsky.social. Low budget but high impact. And you see an early 1960s Daily Express office. Lots of extras too in BFI release.
Good review of Sarah O’Connor’s new book on AI, robots and the future of work. @sarahoconnorft.ft.com will be speaking in Festival of Economics in November.
2026 Watching #117: The Four Seasons. I enjoyed season one. Season two is even better. Fine cast and good writing. Around four hours in total. It’s hard not to binge watch.
Andrew Kelly
Books read June #1: Brian Dillon: Ambivalence out now from
@fitzcarraldoeds.bsky.social ‘Brian Dillon is a stimulating intellectual companion, quietly heroic in his determination “to pursue a life in words and ideas”, yet by his own harsh estimate slothful and unfocused.’
This is a fine book.
With beloved stars’ personal items increasingly up for grabs after they die, a new generation of fans are bidding on everything from bowler hats to dog bowls
A few years ago, when ChatGPT and Claude were beginning to take off, some tech leaders seemed to develop a curious interest in oceanography. Consider, for instance, the Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s s...
