Cambridge Edition October 2019

Happy October! Our new issue is out now, featuring... 💡 Cambridge Festival of Ideas 📰 Sunday Papers Live 🍿 Cambridge Film Festival 📚 Edition Book Club 🎃 Halloween hits & haunts 🍽 Autumn recipes 🎭Theatre highlights & loads more! Pick up a copy around Cambridge of have a read online!

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AUTUMN FEASTS

FESTIVAL OF IDEAS

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EDITORIAL Editor in chief Nicola Foley 01223 499459

nicolafoley@bright-publishing.com Chief sub editor Beth Fletcher Senior sub editor Siobhan Godwood Sub editor Felicity Evans Junior sub editor Elisha Young ADVERTISING Group ad manager Sam Scott-Smith 01223 499457 samscott-smith@bright-publishing.com Senior sales executive Harriet Abbs 01223 499464 harrietabbs@bright-publishing.com Key accounts Chris Jacobs 01223499463 chrisjacobs@bright-publishing.com CONTRIBUTORS Alex Rushmer, Angelina Villa-Clarke, Cyrus Pundole, Charlotte Griffiths, Siobhan Godwood, Sue Bailey, Daisy Dickinson, Jordan Worland, Ruthie Collins, Anna Taylor, Charlotte Phillips DESIGN & PRODUCTION Designer Lucy Woolcomb lucywoolcomb@bright-publishing.com Ad production Man-Wai Wong manwaiwong@bright-publishing.com MANAGING DIRECTORS Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

don’t know about you, but as soon as autumn sets in, there’s little more appealing to me than curling up with a good book. After a summer of guiltily adding books to my ‘to read’ pile then swanning off to a sunny beer garden, the chilly, dark evenings are a brilliant excuse to shut out the world and cosy up with a great read. Top of my list is this month’s Edition Book Club pick: Platform Seven by Louise Doughty. A supernatural thriller set in – of all places – Peterborough train station, it’s got ghosts, revelations, twists, turns and a fiendish whodunnit mystery at its centre. Read our interview with the author on page 20. If you’re not ready to hibernate just yet, good news:

October is one of the busiest months in the Cambridge calendar. The Festival of Ideas is back, offering a chance to see our city flexing its brainpower as academics, authors and more come together to discuss some of the biggest challenges facing humanity, from artificial intelligence to saving the planet. We get the lowdown on page 28. Another big hitter, Cambridge Film Festival returns for its 39th instalment this month – bringing the usual mix of indie films, documentaries, world cinema and blockbusters to the city from 17 to 24 October. We speak to Owen Baker from the CFF team about the event’s enduring popularity over on page 24. There’s also Sunday Papers Live – a chance to see a live-action version of the broadsheets while you kick back with a bloody mary (slippers/napping also encouraged) this month – read all about it on page 23. This issue we also chat to Luca Fiorio, the brains behind local bakery Grain Culture. If you’ve tried his life-changing loaves, you’ll understand his cult appeal, and why punters are beating a path to his door each time he opens his Ely bake shop – find out his fascinating story so far on page 64. After our Mill Road feature in the last issue received such a warm reception, we thought we’d head north in the city to shine a spotlight on another area worth exploring: Chesterton. With some of the city’s best restaurants, cafes and pubs, and more new openings on the horizon, it’s easy to see why CB4’s making a name for itself as one of the most exciting postcodes in the city.

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CAMBRIDGE EDITIONMAGAZINE Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridgeshire CB22 3HJ, 01223 499450, cambsedition.co.uk • All rights reserved. Material contained in this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior permission of the publishers. • Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Cambridge Edition or Bright Publishing Ltd, which do not accept any liability for loss or damage. • Every effort has been made to ensure all information is correct. • Cambridge Edition is a free publication that is distributed in Cambridge and the surrounding area.

As always, we’ve also got news on all the best gigs, theatre, art exhibitions and foodie happenings – enjoy the issue and see you next month!

This month’s cover illustration was created by Laura Bryant, senior designer at Bright Publishing

3 Nicola Foley EDITOR IN CHIEF

Author illustrations by Louisa Taylor louisataylorillustration.blogspot.co.uk

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6 ● STARTERS Top things to do and see in the city, plus our favourite social media pics 11 ● ARTS & CULTURE Exhibitions, concerts and theatre highlights to enjoy in October 19 ● ART INSIDER Ruthie Collins, founder of Cambridge Art Salon, shares her arty picks of the month 20 ● BOOK CLUB An unnerving read by Louise Doughty, thriller Platform Seven is in the spotlight this October 23 ● SUNDAY PAPERS LIVE Enjoy the ultimate Sunday with bloody marys, slippers and scintillating talks 24 ● CAMBRIDGE FILM FEST We chat to the organisers of Cambridge Film Festival to find out what’s in store 28 ● FESTIVAL OF IDEAS Get your grey matter working at this fascinating exploration of social sciences and humanities 31 ● AFTER HOURS Comedy, gigs, festivals and more nightlife fun this month 35 ● HALLOWEEN Spooktacular family events, a glamorously ghoulish Halloween ball and more 36 ● FAMILY FUN Theatre for kids, an autumn harvest, and a rave especially for tots and their parents 39 ● LISTINGS

47 ● FOOD NEWS The latest gastro goings on and happenings around Cambridgeshire 52 ● REVIEW We sample the Indian tasting menu at Atithi on Mill Road 55 ● CHEF’S TABLE Chef Alex Rushmer on what’s cooking in his kitchen this month 58 ● AUTUMN RECIPES Some of our favourite local eateries share their top autumnal recipes 64 ● BREAD WINNER We chat to Grain Culture’s Luca about his rise to success 68 ● CAMBS ON A PLATE Dr Sue Bailey dives into local wine history, making some intriguing discoveries 70 ● THORNE WINES We meet the team behind this thriving local independent

73 ● CB4 SPOTLIGHT Reasons to visit this buzzing neighbourhood, from great pubs to a lovely farm shop 83 ● BEAUTY Daisy Dickinson rounds up the beauty products on her radar this month 84 ● FASHION Seasonal style picks to see you through the chillier weather ahead 91 ● FIRST IMPRESSIONS How to size up a school when you visit, including the right questions to ask 99 ● EDUCATION SPOTLIGHT Oaks International School looks at different factors that can affect learning 105 ● GARDENS Anna Taylor takes us through this month’s essential garden jobs 107 ● INTERIORS Tips and inspiration for your home, plus products we love

Our at-a-glance guide to the top events and goings-on this October

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GRAND DAYS OUT

The Grand Arcade has a host of reasons for you to visit in the next few weeks. A student night takes place on 9 October when discount fever strikes. More than 40 stores will have offers – you simply need to take along your student ID to take advantage. Next up is a fashion show in aid of Cambridge Breast Cancer Appeal on 17 October. Tickets can be bought in advance from both the Rigby & Peller and Chesca stores on the first floor of Grand Arcade, or at cambridgebreastcancerappeal.com. All funds go to the breast cancer unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. Then it’s time to get festive, with the Christmas Lights Switch-on from 12pm to 4pm on 17 November. Choirs and musicians will build up the atmosphere frommidday, with Radio Cambridgeshire presenter Jeremy Sallis helping to switch on the lights at 4pm. grandarcade.co.uk

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ICE AGE BEGINS

Get your skates on… because Cambridge Ice Arena is now open! The ice rink, just off Newmarket Road, has been number one on Cambridge’s most-wanted list for the next big leisure facility ever since tenpin bowling opened at Clifton Way. Up to 250 people can attend the same session, and as well as paying for individual time slots, short- term passes are available, too. In addition to public skating, there are ice hockey, curling and figure skating sessions, plus learn to skate and birthday parties. The cafe is the perfect place to refresh, plus catch up with the news using free Wi-Fi. As a not-for- profit social enterprise, the cafe is committed to locally sourced, ethically produced treats. Anyone aged three and up can skate, and for younger children who would like to hold on to a ‘polar bear’ while getting the hang of the ice, they need to be under 1.2m height. better.org.uk

Cambridge Vegan Market returns, packed with stalls featuring a huge variety of mouth- watering favourites from great local businesses. With up to 45 stalls, as well as plenty of food sellers, there will be lifestyle brands, luxury cosmetics, ethical clothing and interesting charities to browse, all under one roof at The Guildhall on 20 October, from 10.30am to 4pm. Expect to find vegan fast food, healthy eats, artisan savouries, sweet bakes, craft cheeses and so much more. Organisers expect the middle of the day to be very busy, so get there early to guarantee you don’t miss out on anything. Tickets on the door (card payments only) are £2 for adults, while kids go in free. veganmarkets.co.uk VEGAN DELIGHTS

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THEATRE • ART EXHI B I T IONS • CONCERTS • BOOK CLUB

IMAGE Travis Burke’s photograph of freediver Chelsea Yamasee, part of the Corn Exchange’s Ocean Film Festival, 24 October

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ARTS & CULTURE

Land, Sea and Sky is an exhibition exploring the world around us, expressing the elements that add to our changing landscapes. Featuring paintings, jewellery, sculpture and more, catch it at Byard Art from 3 to 27 October. Among the artists whose work will be displayed are Susan Evans, Beccy Marshall, Dawn Stacey and Alex McIntyre. byardart.co.uk BYARD ART

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ARTS & CULTURE

OPERATION SURVIVAL

Do you like cracking puzzles while up against the clock, with a sense of danger thrown in? Then try Operation Survival. Set against the backdrop of a world in increasing crisis, Fire Hazard Games and the University of Cambridge Museums have teamed up for a wide- ranging game. Across four museums, players – who may learn quite a bit along the way – aim to create a fictional Foundation for the Future, which could help humanity survive the many challenges facing the environment. There’s just two hours to track down information, solve puzzles and deal with surprise clues. Using the collections at the Polar Museum, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences and the Museum of Zoology, Operation Survival reflects timely themes. Historical objects reflect the ways we’ve treated the natural world in the past, while technology has helped us understand the environment now and in the future. Before the game is over, teams have to decide how best to save the world, or learn to live with the consequences. Designed for over-18s, no prior knowledge is required and the game can be as casual or as competitive as you like. It takes place on Saturdays, 10am to 12.30pm, from 5 October to 14 December. museums.cam.ac.uk/operation-survival

If no news is good news, then good news is fake news. That’s Jonathan Pie’s philosophy. The exasperated news reporter returns to berate people in power and the journalists apparently holding them to account. Described by Ricky Gervais as “brilliant, brave, raw and analytical, without forgetting to be funny”, Pie has more than 1.2 million Facebook followers and his response to the election of Donald Trump was viewed more than 150 million times. He drops into Cambridge Corn Exchange on 23 October. Tickets from £20.50 (7.30pm start). cambridgelive.org.uk JONATHAN PIE: FAKE NEWS

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ARTS & CULTURE

CAMBRIDGE LITERARY FESTIVAL

Another fantastic selection of big-name authors comes to the city with the winter edition of Cambridge Literary Festival just around the corner. Booking is now open to see experts in politics, history, science and nature, as well as new children’s laureate Cressida Cowell. Ian McEwan makes his debut solo appearance at the festival – which runs from 29 November to 1 December – to talk about new book Machines Like Us . Elif Shafak introduces her powerful, gripping novel 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World , and Will Eaves discusses his Wellcome Book Prize winner Murmur . Newsreaders George Alagiah and Tom Bradby share their talent for fiction, while Dame Darcey Bussell discusses her life in dancing. There’s a chance to see the New Statesman politics podcast, with Stephen Bush, recorded live, and political journalist Steve Richards has a timely discussion on prime ministers fromHarold Wilson to Boris Johnson. Festival director Cathy Moore says: “The collective joy to be found in gathering to hear from these eclectic, inspiring and uplifting writers and performers is what I am looking forward to most.” cambridgeliterary festival.com

It’s 150 years since women were first allowed to study at Cambridge University, and the University Library is sharing the stories of some of those who have studied, taught, worked and lived there in a new exhibition, The Rising Tide: Women at Cambridge . Though Girton College was the first residential university establishment for women in the country, opening in 1869, it was not until 1948 that Cambridge offered degrees to women. Those first students in the 19th century had to ask permission to attend lectures and take exams, and usually had to be accompanied by chaperones in public until after the first world war. Dr Lucy Delap, co-curator and Fellow of Murray Edwards College, says: “We hope to illustrate the incredible fight for gender equality in the university, while portraying the fascinating journeys of some of the militant, cussed and determined women.” The exhibition starts on 14 October. cam.ac.uk THE RISING TIDE: WOMEN AT CAMBRIDGE

Five humans take you on a whirlwind tour of their bizarre little planet, seen from the outside, in Cambridge Footlights latest show, Look Alive ! Learn everything from scratch in a fun-packed trip through the kinks and quirks of life, in Footlights’ annual international tour show, which has played to more than 20,000 people across two continents, now back for a final run. Performances are at 11pm from 8 to 12 October at the ADC Theatre. The theatre regularly has shows at this time – known as ‘smokers’ – often featuring edgy comedy, so this is a great way to not only catch the latest from this award-winning long-running sketch troupe, but also catch two shows in one night. Tickets from £7. adctheatre.com CAMBRIDGE FOOTLIGHTS

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Politics has gone crazy, and Talking Politics wants to help make sense of it all. From the twists and turns of the Brexit saga to the threat posed to democracy by social media, this Cambridge-grown podcast tackles the most pressing issues of the day, inviting experts and special guests to have their say. It’s recorded each week at the office of host David Runciman, Professor of Politics at Cambridge University, and features writers, historians, scientists, comedians and anyone else who can offer knowledge and insight on the political landscape – yes, including the odd politician. It’s been a runaway success: a chart topper that The Telegraph gushed was “the country’s cleverest podcast,” it’s now at almost ten million downloads. This month, there’s a chance to see an extra special live edition of Talking Politics at Cambridge Junction; beautifully timed for 16 October, aka the immediate run-up to Brexit Day, aka crunch time for British politics. The special guest is Ayesha Hazarika, previously a special advisor to Gordon Brown, Harriet Harman and Ed Miliband, who’s now a political commentator, stand-up comedian and the newly-appointed editor of The Londoner for the Evening Standard . The event is offering ‘pay what you feel’ pricing, where seats start at just £2.50. “Keeping on top of the relentlessly breaking political news can feel like an impossible task,” comments David Runciman. “What we try to offer is an informative and genuine dialogue, where experts with differing opinions come to explore themes in a collaborative and non-combative way – as opposed to just providing a platform where guests present their views. The result is that you can often hear contributors thinking, changing their minds, or learning from each other in the course of an episode.” talkingpoliticspodcast.com TALKING POLITICS

A trip back in time to the dawn of theatre combined with a long-running institution is back, as the Cambridge Greek play at the Arts Theatre returns. The triennial event, that has featured Tom Hiddleston and Rupert Brooke among past performers, is a performance of Oedipus at Colonus for 2019, from 16 to 19 October. Blind, broken and ravaged by years of exile, Oedipus comes to a sacred grove, the place the gods prophesied that he would die. He seeks the protection of Theseus, King of Athens, as he knows he is about to be betrayed by those he loves. Performances feature English surtitles, tickets start at £23. cambridgeartstheatre.com CAMBRIDGE GREEK PLAY

BROADWAY GALLERY

photographic paper in the sea during periods of low and high tide. The resulting images are often combined or layered, creating new landscapes and perspectives. There’s also Sofia Albina Novikoff Unger’s A Slow Longing Collapse to explore, which centres around a video installation that presents the first episode of a planned trilogy which explores the hybridisation of nature and artifice on a global scale. If you’ve got talent behind the lens yourself, you can take part in Photo Letchworth , a competition and exhibition showcasing the skills of local residents. The finalists’ work will be displayed in the main gallery as a supporting exhibition to One Day This Glass Will Break . The winner – chosen by the gallery’s visitors in a public ballot – will receive a £500 prize. broadway-letchworth.com

A season of photography awaits at Broadway Gallery in Letchworth, which welcomes a host of exhibitions through until 1 December. Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery Touring presents One Day This Glass Will Break , an exhibition of 20 large-scale photogravures by Cornelia Parker from three experimental series: Fox Talbot’s Articles of Glass (2017); One Day This Glass Will Break (2015) and Thirty Pieces of Silver (exposed) (2015). The pieces explore the artist’s fascination with the physical properties of objects, materials and their histories. Visitors can also enjoy Liz Harrington’s Where Land Runs Out , a series focusing on the fragility and transience of the natural environment. Inspired by desolate coastlines, the exhibition features a series of camera-less cyanotype images made by immersing the light sensitive

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OCEAN FILM FESTIVAL

Inspiring images and tales from the deep return to the city with this year’s Ocean Film Festival. This is the sixth year it has toured the UK, with its origins in Australia, with the aim to get viewers to go and explore for themselves. “From surfers to fishermen, and marine scientists to artists, these films feature fascinating characters who have dedicated their lives to the sea’s salt spray. It’s your chance to dip your toes into the wonders of the big blue, from a cinema seat,” says tour director Nell Teasdale. The Corn Exchange on 24 October is the place to be, with highlights including A Peace Within , featuring Philip Gray on a mission to paint Mexico’s cenotes – clear-water subterranean pools – and Surfer Dan , featuring the ‘crazy guy with an icy beard’ Dan Schetter, who surfs on Lake Superior in January among deadly

currents and icebergs. cambridgelive.org.uk

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ALL THAT JAZZ

A story of merry murderesses, sleazy singing lawyers and vaudeville vixens set against the glamour of the jazz age, Chicago is one of the most popular stage shows ever. Beginning on Broadway in the 1970s, with a hugely successful revival in the 1990s, it’s made even more compelling by the fact that the story is based on two real-life female murderers in the 1920s – and the media circus that surrounded them. This month, you can see the razzle dazzle world of Chicago brought to life by Cambridge Theatre Company, a local youth theatre group known for their ambitious productions. Running at the Great Hall at The Leys from 23 to 26 October, the show features classic numbers like All That Jazz and Cell Block Tango , with a cast of all-singing, all-dancing young performers. The story follows Roxie Hart, a wannabe Vaudeville star accused of murdering her lover. She persuades her husband to take the rap for it, but when he finds out he’s been duped, he turns on Roxie. Arrested and sent to jail, Roxie meets Velma Kelly, a double murderess, nightclub performer and the media’s top ‘murderer of the week’. As the two women vie for the reporters’ flashbulbs, their behaviour becomes ever more outrageous. “My favourite song is Funny Honey, ” says 18-year-old Rosie Dorsett, who plays Roxie. “This is when we see the switch in Roxie’s character and the audience starts to see a different side to her. Roxie is an ambitious character and quite a challenging one, which appeals to me because I wanted to explore the different and difficult characteristics that she has. I also love her musical numbers!” “Our version of Chicago is different to what people have seen before,” she adds. “It’s fun and enjoyable, and it showcases the young talent in Cambridge and surrounding areas.” Director Chris Cuming, a Cambridge Theatre Company regular, comments: “ Chicago ’s style of production is so iconic with the Bob Fosse choreography that’s intrinsic to the piece. However, when you look at what the piece is about historically, it’s not much different to what is going on in America at the moment, so we’ve tried to look at the story in today’s world and merge Chicago and Orange is the New Black .” Tickets cost £22.50 for adults or £18.50 for kids/concessions, and can be booked via Cambridge Live. cambridgelive.org.uk/tickets

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ARTS & CULTURE

RUTHIE COLLINS, FOUNDER OF CAMBRIDGE ART SALON, GIVES HER ARTY PICKS OF THE MONTH

Cambridge today, and those familiar with the art scene in the city will recognise some of the names on the bill. Anna Brownstead, Paul Kindersley and Eleanor Breeze to name but a few, as well as emerging artists such as Luciana Rosado. Watch out for performances from Caroline Wendling (whom some may have met on her public art River Cam commission) and Paul Kindersley. The 22 artists were selected by a panel, chaired by Andrew Nairne, choosing from 460 submissions. It’s a real achievement for those selected. Towards the end of the month, Kettle’s Yard will host a wildflower seed bomb-making workshop. Inspired by scientist and mathematician Alan Turing, it’s on 19 October with Open Ramble East artist Rachel Pimm. Watch out for two participatory installations – Arising and Mend Piece – from Yoko Ono at Anglia Ruskin on 3 October. Written comments, supplied in response to an open call for women to share how they have been harmed simply for being female, will slowly cover the gallery walls as part of Arising . Mend Piece invites us to mend broken pieces of porcelain as a way of mending the world. There’s also a symposium on Yoko Ono at the Heong Gallery on the 3rd, bringing together curators and scholars to explore the many facets of her work to date. All are part of the citywide exhibition Yoko Ono: Looking For that runs until the last day of the year. Can art really ‘mend’ the world? Well, art, kindness and action can certainly

utumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower”, said Albert Camus, and this feels true with Cambridge

change things. Why not check out a repair cafe for a reminder of how cathartic mending can be? These pop-up repair cooperatives run throughout the city, offering free mending of any item that can be carried and doesn’t make a mess. No guarantees are given on whether things can be fixed, but those volunteering will certainly give it their best shot. Visit circularcambridge.org for more details. Amelia Earhart said that ‘a single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make up new trees’. It’s a fitting quote for this time of year, with National Kindness Day just around the corner (13 November). I’m working as a writer for this throughout November, exploring kindness – and how it can change the world – with local schoolchildren. Kindness is often hidden in a generous spirit of goodwill, and can move an artist to spend months, even years, working to create something of significance or beauty for the world. Working as an artist teaches you that kindness is an unspoken currency in the creative world – so many great works would never have seen the light of day without the support of countless invisible benefactors. Those friends, artistic collaborators and supporters who encourage you, look after your children while you work, or meet you halfway through a project and cheer you on as you near completion. For all those in need of a spot of kindness-as-inspiration, pop over to north Cambridge to see one of my favourite public art pieces in the city, Kindness Is Always In Season , which is on the side of a Co-Op store in East

blazing so brilliantly at the moment. In this spirit, Pink Is The Warmest Colour , a film presented within mobile queer space Outhouse, is travelling to Kettle’s Yard this month. Running 8 to 20 October, it explores LGBTQI+ heritage in a regional setting. “Historically, queer lives and achievements have often gone unrecorded within regional settings. This project is part of a wider invitation to correct this,” says Ian Giles, the project’s founder. Made from found footage in which only the pink ink has not degraded, Pink Is The Warmest Colour hints at a lack of preservation of LGBTQI+ objects and narratives. The space itself, a cylindrical structure made with clear walls, features LGBTQI+ ephemera from across the East of England. It’s a fantastic installation produced by original projects, in association with First Site, Kettle’s Yard and Outpost, as part of the New Geographies project. On 8 October at 6.30pm there’s a talk and ‘ritual’ (sounds intriguing!) by Brooke Sylvia Palmieri of Camp Books, considering the meaning of queerness as it’s intersected with books and printed media. The project will travel to Colchester, Norwich and Great Yarmouth, so do catch it while you can when it comes to Cambridge. Also opening at Kettle’s Yard this month, on 4 October, is the first ever Cambridge Art Show. This long-awaited show celebrates artists working in

Chesterton (created by

Sa’adiah Khan, Dan Biggs and Samirah Khan). Why be mean? Just be kind. Have a fantastic October, all.

“Kindness is often hidden in a generous spirit of goodwill”

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BOOK CLUB

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WORDS BY CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS PLATFORM SEVEN, BY LOUISE DOUGHTY THIS GRIPPING SUPERNATURAL NOVEL FROM THE AUTHOR OF APPLE TREE YARD IS SET AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF PETERBOROUGH TRAIN STATION

nyone who frequently travels by train in this region will be all too familiar with the charms of Peterborough Railway Station.

Having to swiftly switch services or spend hours huddled on the platforms waiting for a connection is a regular part of the experience for an East-based rail-user – so it may come as a surprise to many of these travellers to learn that Platform Seven , the new novel from writer Louise Doughty (author of multiple bestsellers including smash-hit BBC adaptation Apple Tree Yard ) is set almost entirely at the somewhat unprepossessing transport hub. The book is narrated by Lisa Evans, a young woman in her thirties, who we meet on Platform Seven at 4am when she witnesses what appears to be a death by suicide – made all the more tragic by the swift revelation that Lisa died in the same spot, and is narrating the tale as a ghost. The opening scenes of the book were what initially came to Louise as the idea behind the entire story. “I knew immediately that Lisa was a ghost, and that she was trapped at the station,” Louise says, “and I knew that there would be a difficult relationship in her past, and that it would involve some sort of coercive control.” With the original idea firmly in her mind, Louise set about creating a world for her main character to inhabit – a challenge the writer rose to with relish. “The first thing you have to decide is: ‘what is your ghost capable of?’” she explains. “Are they a poltergeist? Can they move

station, but also those employed by the railway: the characters in uniform are often found centre stage in the book, both driving the narrative onwards and revealing so much of themselves in beautifully drawn vignettes. These sections are deeply affecting to read: we all people-watch at stations and imagine the lives of fellow passengers, yet it’s rarely the workers who feature in these daydreams – Platform Seven turns a well- deserved spotlight on to the hopes and

objects? Because if they can, then they can communicate with the outside world, and that raises all sorts of issues – so I decided straight away that my ghost was not going to be able to communicate in that way. I wanted her to be the omniscient narrator of the lives and loves of other people on the railway station – it’s a complicated narrative style that lives in other people’s heads as well.” Being omniscient gives Lisa access to the thoughts, feelings and emotions of people passing through the

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“I believe that those lives have the right to be written about with psychological subtlety”

would have been calling the cops on me a lot, as I was hanging around looking a bit suspicious…” Louise would get up in the morning and work in the room – always starting writing with the first coffee and avoiding email until lunchtime, if possible – then exploring Peterborough to research the answers to questions raised by her writing. “I’m a great believer in going on location to write a novel: I do that as much as possible, wherever the novel is set. I did spend some nights on the station as well – one freezing November night I was there in my fingerless gloves, my parka and my beanie hat – ‘bag lady with laptop’ was the look. I also went out on patrol with the British Transport Police, around the freight depot, shining torches around. There’s just no substitute for that kind of research. Get away from your desk, go out and find the book,” she says. Some books are more fun to research than others. “With Black Water, I was walking the rice fields of Bali at dawn – with this one, I was on Peterborough Railway Station at 4am. And there was a moment when I thought ‘Mm, I think I’ve got this wrong: my next novel’s going to be set in Tahiti,” laughs Louise. One for regular train-users and any readers who enjoy gripping, emotionally charged reads, Platform Seven is an unforgettable tale of relationships, love and loss – and it will certainly make you look at Peterborough Station in a completely different way.

God, I’m passing through the station!’” laughs the author. “And if ghosts really existed, why wouldn’t they be there? They wouldn’t restrict themselves to floating around in white nighties – they’d be everywhere.” Writing a novel set on Peterborough station did have its positives in real life, as well as within the narrative: Louise lives near Kings Cross, so nipping up to research on location was relatively straightforward. In the book’s acknowledgements, Louise mentions Room 132 at the Great Northern Hotel in Peterborough, where she spent many nights researching and writing the novel. “You can see the train platforms, the British Transport Police building and the multistorey car park: if you open the window, you can listen to the announcements, too. It’s not every novel where you can do your primary research while eating an excellently cooked breakfast in bed,” she writes in the book. “I’m aiming for a plaque in that hotel room,” she laughs when asked about the acknowledgement. “I’ll be very upset if I don’t get one. Though a copy of the book in the room might freak out some of the guests! I could have just done day trips to Peterborough, but because I have a family and a very full household, I often went up for several days at a stretch so that I could get lots done,” she explains. “I’d walk around Peterborough, spend a lot of time on the station: luckily I had befriended the British Transport Police, otherwise people

dreams of railway staff. Louise was keen to give this group a ‘proper dignity’. “I do believe very passionately that those lives have the right to be written about with the same complexity, density and psychological subtlety as the lives of people who run art galleries,” she says. “If there’s a passionate belief in my work, I think it’s that: the democratising belief in the seriousness of the lives of these people. You have the cliche that people who work on stations are jobsworths: of course they’re not, they’re complex human beings just like everyone else.” Setting the story at a station did raise literary challenges, as well as opportunities. “The big question of course, when you have someone who’s died at a railway station, is ‘did she fall or was she pushed?’ – and the mystery of her death,” Louise says. “I knew that I didn’t want her to die by suicide, but it’s incredibly difficult to murder someone at a railway station because of all the CCTV. And when you set up a central question like that in a book, you’ve got to answer it in a way that’s simultaneously surprising and inevitable: you’ve got to make your reader go: ‘Oh gosh! Oh – of course,’ almost in the same breath. And that’s difficult.” Louise also enjoyed the idea of writing a ghost story which wasn’t set in a Victorian house, and instead places the spirits in a modern, more commonplace environment. “A lot of people know that place so well – the number of people who now send me screenshots saying, ‘Oh my

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SUNDAY PAPERS L I VE

Best EVERYTHING THAT’S GREAT ABOUT THE SUNDAY PAPERS DISTILLED AND BROUGHT TO YOU AS A LIVE EXPERIENCE

elebrate the joys of the Day of Rest this month when Sunday Papers Live returns to Cambridge Union on 27 October. A chance to see

the broadsheets brought to life, section by section, while you put your feet up and enjoy delicious food and drink, the event features talks by some of the most engaging speakers in the UK. It’s hosted by My Little Festival, organisers of Wild Wood Disco and family festival Rumpus, and comes to the city as part of this year’s Festival of Ideas. With the Union serving as a grand backdrop, guests can sip on bloody marys, mimosas and wine, as well as enjoying a Sunday roast-inspired sandwich from the fantastic Bread & Meat. There’s a recycled art session to join in with, too, plus – like all good Sundays – there’s a leisurely walk on the cards, led by Cambridge On Foot and promising to reveal plenty of fascinating facts about the city. “We once again have access to an amazing array of speakers through the Festival of Ideas, Sunday Papers Live in London and our own network of great artists and performers,” enthuses My Little Festival’s, Alex Ruczaj. “The theme of this year’s Cambridge Festival of Ideas is ‘change’ and has led us to programme speakers that will inspire positive change in our audience. Imagine reading the very

touch to the issue dividing the nation. An equally spiky subject, hedgehogs, is in the spotlight with Hugh Warwick, who’ll be explaining how these prickly critters could form an unlikely centrepiece for ecological and societal transformation. World news is covered, too, with journalist Azadeh Moaveni, who has been covering the Middle East for two decades, while Dr Magdalena Zawisza, renowned consumer psychologist, tackles the portrayal of gender in advertising. Giving a local flavour will be Emma Thompson, ecologist and founder of Cambridge’s zero waste pioneers, Full Circle. After moving from the front line of conservation science to setting up a company that helps people tread more lightly on the planet, she’ll offer advice on tackling food waste, minimising consumption and reusing, repairing and sharing. All sound good? Grab yourself a ticket from the My Little Festival website, priced at £15 for adults and £10 for 12-16 years. The event runs from 12pm to 5.30pm. mylittlefestival.uk

best features and articles that the Sunday papers offer and feeling inspired to learn, do, think, read and eat differently. We offer you that as a live experience, as well as a place to relax, laugh and enjoy being with family and friends.’’ Highlights from the programme are sure to include leading geneticist Giles Yeo, who will be cutting through the mumbo jumbo to delve into the world of dieting. Sharing findings from his 20 years’ expertise studying obesity and the brain control of food intake, he’ll take on the clean eating trend, the Paleo diet and more, taking a close look at our obsession with calorie counting. Meanwhile, Tim FitzHigham, writer, comedian and holder of several unusual world records, discusses some of his wackier endeavours, from running across deserts in suits of armour to taking a bathtub on the high seas. It’s hard to escape Brexit chat at the moment, and with B Day looming just days after SPL takes place, poet and writer John Osborne brings his light, humorous

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ARTS & CULTURE

Cambridge Film Festival AS THIS CELEBRATION OF FILM FROM AROUND THE WORLD MARKS ITS 39TH YEAR, SIOBHAN GODWOOD FINDS OUT WHY IT’S STILL GOING STRONG

three days at the Light Cinema and it went really well, so this year the festival has expanded into having a film there for the entire week. There will also be screenings at Emmanuel College and The Heong Gallery at Downing College. Alongside regular segments including world documentaries, restored and rediscovered films, as well as award- winning films from international festivals, a new strand for this year focuses on art as moving image, which will be happening at Kettle’s Yard. “It’s an exciting move for us,” says marketing manager Owen Baker. “Partnering with one of the university’s museums is really exciting, and Kettle’s Yard feels like a really good fit for the festival – our aim is to have venues for the festival all around the city, so this is another step in the right direction.” NATURAL EVOLUTION It’s clear that Cambridge Film Festival is constantly evolving and changing. “It would be easy after so many years to become complacent, or to keep doing things the way that we’ve done them before,” says Owen. “But constantly reinventing ourselves, staying vibrant and passionate, is absolutely key to the way the festival operates, and a huge challenge in an environment where we’ve been running for such a long time.”

n the almost 42 years (it’s had a few years off) that the Cambridge Film Festival has been running, many other similar festivals have come and gone, and the event is now the third longest-running film festival in the UK, after London and Edinburgh. It started life in the old, single- screen Arts Cinema on Market Passage – sadly no more – and

IMAGES (Clockwise, from top) Stills from Zero Impunity, Distances, System Crasher, Stitches and Life Without Sara Amat – just some of the films that are set to screen at Cambridge Film Festival

One way the festival does this is not only to focus on the main event in October, but also on community screenings throughout the year. The Cambridge Film Festival’s ‘in your community’ programme organises screenings in community and church venues around the city. It started in spring 2019 and is running right through until next spring, featuring a series of ‘pay what you can afford’ screenings with special guests – including TV presenters and well-known film critics – who will be introducing films that they love. These events help to keep the profile of the festival up all year round, as well as giving the organisers the chance to try out new things they haven’t done before. “The community screenings are done in conjunction with the council,” says Owen, “they help spread the word about what our film festival is all about to people from Cambridge who perhaps wouldn’t otherwise get involved. The hope is that some of those people will love what we do in the community, and come along to the main festival, too. Everyone who works for the festival loves film, and getting great films in front of people is why we’re here.”

set a pattern for diversity, innovation and an emphasis on world cinema right from the word go. Cambridge seemed like the perfect setting for a festival of this kind, with its love of the arts and its population of students from all over the world – particularly a thriving community of those from countries like Spain, France and Germany, where there is a strong cinema culture. ALWAYS GROWING When the current Arts Picturehouse opened in the late 90s, the festival moved there, and now it’s held in six venues across the city. Last year the festival did

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ARTS & CULTURE

2019 FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

The 2019 Cambridge Film Festival will be screening more than 150 films from over 30 countries, including several from Spain, Germany, Greece, Africa and Iran. There will also be introductions from filmmakers to their own favourite films, and Q&As at venues including Emmanuel College, the Light Cinema and the Arts Picturehouse. The festival has a number of different strands in which films are grouped, helping you identify the kinds of films you want to look out for, or new styles of filmmaking that you haven’t investigated before. Below is just a small selection of some of the different strands and the films on offer. So they can bring the latest and best films from around the world, the festival team are confirming screenings right up until just a couple of weeks before the festival opens. CAMERA CATALONIA This ever-popular strand is led this year by Laura Jou’s feature, Life Without Sara Amat , a film about the transition from childhood to adulthood which has been critically praised in Spain. Also featured will be Distances , the second film from director Elena Trapé, about a group of friends from university who meet up after many years in Berlin and find their friendship tested by life circumstances and the passage of time. AWARD WINNERS Winner of the World Cinematic Dramatic Special Jury Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Monos by Alejandro Landes tells the story of eight teenaged guerrillas with guns who watch over a hostage and a conscripted milk cow. Playing games and initiating cult-like rituals, the children run amok in the jungle. Winner of the Silver Bear Alfred Bauer Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, System Crasher is a drama about how the system fails a troubled nine-year-old girl with psychotic episodes, whose trauma goes deeper than anyone can reach. HUMAN RIGHTS This strand returns with Zero Impunity , a call to action to join a growing global movement that demands zero tolerance for sexual violence in war zones, and On the Inside of a Military Dictatorship , the gripping tale of Myanmar’s disastrous transition to democracy. MICROCINEMA This strand features a screening of James Benning’s Glory at The Heong Gallery, plus three screenings at Kettle’s Yard, including a film by Cambridge-based filmmaker Sarah Wood. cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk

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WE TALK TO OWEN BAKER, CAMBRIDGE FILM FESTIVAL MARKETING MANAGER, WHO HAS BEEN WORKING AT THE FESTIVAL FOR SIX YEARS

festival at all, there’s no red carpet and there’s nothing being bought or sold here. It’s very audience focused, so filmmakers who are themselves making their films for an audience tend to appreciate that. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE AUDIENCE? IS IT PRIMARILY CAMBRIDGE PEOPLE? It’s very much a Cambridge festival, and a large part of our audience is local. But we certainly have people coming from further afield, and certainly lots of people from London. One of the nice things about the timing of the festival is that we are immediately after the London Film Festival, so filmgoers who want to avoid the expense of London or want to make it to films they’ve missed in London – we offer them another chance just down the road! A significant proportion of our programming is films that are coming out of London or have chosen not to go to London, so they can come to Cambridge Film Festival instead. WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT SOMEONE WHO IS INTERESTED IN FILMS CHOOSE TO COME TO CAMBRIDGE FILM FESTIVAL? Increasingly, festivals are becoming the only place to see interesting films. The platform for those films in normal cinema programming is becoming less

and less – and this is a trend not just in the UK, but across the whole of Europe. So the only opportunity to see films outside the mainstream is at a festival, and Cambridge is one of the best examples of that. And that’s why our festival is appealing to filmmakers, too – if you are an independent filmmaker or small distributor, festivals are often now an end in themselves, as there’s little opportunity for getting your film shown even in small cinema chains. So festivals like Cambridge are more important than ever. WHAT ARE YOU PERSONALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST AT THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL? I’m really proud of the fact that we’re bringing some award-winning films from around the world to Cambridge and, in some cases, to the UK for the first time. And on a personal level, I’m excited about the Camera Catalonia film strand. Before I worked for Cambridge Film Festival, it was what brought me to it as an audience member, and the films are always brilliant. The two things for me that are really cool about the festival are: you might get to see a really big film six or 12 months before your friends can see it at the cinema, which is great to boast about; and you get to see films that you just won’t have an opportunity to see other than at the festival, which is a great privilege.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE SECRET OF CAMBRIDGE FILM FESTIVAL’S LONGEVITY?

I think it’s the unerring focus the team has when it comes to curating the festival. We have a small team who are all experts in very particular fields. For example, we have one of the country’s pre-eminent experts in restoration and rediscovered film, and we have an international expert who travels to festivals all over Europe and the rest of the world. So the festival has a very curated feel; every film that makes it in is one that is passionately argued for by someone who has seen it and loved it. In contrast to that, in terms of the way the festival comes across to the public, it has a really nice relaxed feel to it. So those two things together – the very serious, considered aspects of the film choices with the informality of the festival itself – is what I think makes Cambridge Film Festival special. DO YOU THINK THE INFORMAL ATMOSPHERE IS SOMETHING THAT FILMMAKERS VISITING THE FESTIVAL ALSO APPRECIATE? Very much so. One of the things we always say is that there’s a good chance visitors to the festival will bump into the filmmaker in the bar after the film. It’s very unpretentious and not an ‘industry’

“The very serious, considered aspects of the film choices with the informality of the festival is what I think makes the Cambridge Film Festival special”

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F EST I VAL OF I DEAS

CAMBRIDGE’S ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF BRAINS AND BRILLIANCE IS BACK WITH A BANG THIS OCTOBER

hat makes us human in an age of artificial intelligence? What action do we need to take to save the planet? Why does maths make us anxious? Find out at the Festival of Ideas, which returns with 273 mind- expanding events from 14 to 27 October. Asking the big questions about life and the universe every year since 2008, the festival brings together leading voices to discuss some of today’s most urgent, challenging topics. From talks to film screenings and hands-on workshops, there’s plenty to discover on the programme, with this year’s event offering a special focus on the theme of ‘change’; encompassing both technological and socio-political shifts. “The festival highlights the latest thinking about the important topics shaping our lives. Change is everywhere,” explains David Cain, the Cambridge Festival of Ideas manager. “As we change, so do you. And sometimes the smallest change makes the biggest difference. I’m looking forward to welcoming you to the University for a series of thought-provoking events this October as we explore change in all its forms, identifying its challenges and embracing its opportunities.”

unnerving – examination of the ethics, trust and humanity of AI systems. Lex Ex Machina, meanwhile, will consider a not implausible future where lawyers and judges are replaced by AI, considering the implications for democracy and the rule of law on the 18th. The next day, Artificial Intelligence and Social Change will zone in on language-based AI systems such as speech recognition, looking at both the

Artificial intelligence will be a hot topic within the tech strand of the programme, under the spotlight at events including AI: Life in the Age of Digital Machines on 16 October. Bringing together leading researchers from the Leverhulme Centre for Future intelligence and The Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at Cambridge University, this discussion promises to be a fascinating – and possibly

“The festival highlights the latest thinking about the important topics shaping our lives”

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