Hollie Fraser is a Book Fairy. In 2012 she began dropping books on the London Underground to make people fall in love with reading again, inspiring Rosy Kehdi to do the same on the New York Subway. The women now run the not-for-profit organisation, Books on the Subway (BOTS) together, with Books on the Underground (BOTU) safely in the hands of Cordelia Oxley.

With seven Books On… iterations around the world so far, celebrity collaborations and potential plans to launch a female empowerment platform, the Book Fairies are an inspirational lot. We caught up with Rosy and Hollie to hear about how they are managing to turn the daily commute into a literary scavenger hunt.

The goal of BOTS and BOTU is to get more people reading, do you think that you are achieving this?

We’d like to think so! A lot of people who have picked up the books posted back to us about how they’ve enjoyed the read, or that the book was just what they needed during a rough patch they’re going through. By making books more accessible to people, we’re hoping that our mission is working. Not everyone can afford buying books, and not everyone goes to the public library. This is an easy way to reach masses, and reignite the love of reading in people.

How do you choose the books to drop, is there specific criteria they must meet?

We currently drop all books that are donated to us. We decided that since we live in such a diverse city we wanted to leave books that appeal to all. We don’t want to be the ones who limit what New Yorkers read! But we do try and avoid that are controversial (religious, political) and any books that are too specific (medical, business etc.).

Is there a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes on? How do you cope with juggling this and your full time jobs?

There’s lots of emails and scheduling and even more actual Book Dropping!! We also try to keep track of people posting about us and comments on our social channels, and aim to reply to most.

We just do it around work, so we end up emailing a lot of evening and weekends too! Sometimes it feels like a second full-time job, but we love it, so it doesn’t feel like work!

What was the largest obstacle that you had to overcome to launch this organisation and how did you tackle it?

Probably the sheer massiveness of the subway! We felt that we were only targeting a small section, and not able to reach people in areas we don’t frequently visit so we’ve recruited some volunteers to help us out with our Book Drops. They’re all over the city, from the Bronx to Coney Island and Queens. We now reach more people and [they] allow us to drop even more books (and lift some weigh off our shoulders and backs! — quite literally!)

How do you feel about e-readers and the impact that they are having on physical books?

There is no denying that e-readers are much more convenient for many people, and we think people should use whatever medium they think will help them read more. That’s what matters after all. We have both dabbled in e-readers and audiobooks, but ultimately, we didn’t feel like they matched the experience of reading a physical book. And nothing, NOTHING, beats the feeling of browsing a bookstore, and picking your next read!

The organisation has received a huge amount of publicity recently from your collaborations with Emma Watson and Anna Kendrick – that must have been exciting! Can you tell us about how these came to pass?

Cordelia, from Books on the Underground reached out to do the partnership with Emma Watson’s Our Shared Shelf book club and they wanted to get involved, as did Emma herself. So that was absolutely fantastic and we had the pleasure of having Emma in NY as a Book Fairy for the day too. The Anna Kendrick partnership, Rosy and myself organized. She had a sell-out book tour taking place in NY and we knew loads of her fans would be in town, so we thought why not give them copies on the day, if they can’t get into the book signing. So she signed a few copies and we were able to drop them on the subway.

Do you have any advice that you could give to entrepreneurs interested in starting a non-profit?

Have a clear mission and a vision. It’s very easy to get distracted with all the opportunities and ways to grow the project. But by sticking to what we truly believe in, we can leverage the opportunities that come our way and make them work for what we want to stand for and be about.

What are your top three favourite books?

R: I don’t know why this is always such a hard question for me! I can’t really pick! Here are some of my favourites:

• Harry Potter Series – J.K. Rowling
• Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
• The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini

H: Me too, it’s such a hard question! I love so many books, but these just really stand out for me as the books I recommend to ALL of my friends:

• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
• The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri

—

• Not in London or New York? Books On are also in Washington DC (Books On The Metro), Melbourne (Books On The Rail), Montreal (Livres Dans Le Métro) and Toronto (Books On The Transit) with a Boston organisation set to launch shortly (Books On The T)
• For clues on the latest Book Drops, follow Books On The Subway on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
• To find out more about the program or to submit a book you can contact Rosy and Hollie at bookssubway@gmail.com

Graphics thanks to Hollie and Rosy.

The post Subterranean Fairy Dust: An interview with the founders of Books On The Subway appeared first on The Urban Watch Magazine.

Whether you’re a New York native or a first time visitor, without denial— the MET is the museum to visit in NYC.

Spanning two floors, The Metropolitan Museum of Art boasts well over 300 rooms and houses with some of the finest works of art the world has to offer. Priceless paintings, drawings and sculptures can be found within the countless exhibitions, while the beautifully curated galleries arguably outshine those of many other monumental museums. At the MET, the curation of the art is an art form in itself. Pieces are displayed together in ways that emphasize either a contrast or a striking similarity. Even the colors of the gallery walls have been chosen to bring out the best in each and every painting.

Yet there is much more to the MET than merely paintings. Lesser known, but no less breath-taking, are its furniture collections.  In European Sculpture and Decorative Arts (Room 507) a Venetian bedroom is brought to life, complete with a bed, desk, side tables, lounge chair and a vanity mirror. The ceiling swarms with cherubs carved into the crown moulding and two beautifully painted murals. Moving through the centuries and continents, the British Interiors exhibits, brightly colored in golden yellows and lavish blues, are truly a sight to see for anyone who enjoys interior design or architecture. Returning to home soil, the American House (located off of the Room 700 courtyard) is a great place to find authentic American furniture pieces, many hailing from New York City itself. On the second floor of the American house, you can find a quirky collection of paintings, sculpture and pottery— items currently independent of any specific exhibit. Such a collection is perfect for guests without much time on their hands, showcasing the vast scope of the MET’s repertoire in a single location.

The MET also offers an extensive collection of Asian art, including a 14-foot-tall statue of Bodhisattva. The star of the collection, however, is the Zen garden (Room 217). Complete with koi fish pond, the Chinese Garden Court boasts an open skylight roof, Asian flora, a small temple and a covered walkway. The garden especially shines when visiting the MET after dark. In the moonlight, the tranquillity of the garden with its dribbling koi pond is extremely relaxing, perhaps even therapeutic.

The most extensive and famous parts of the MET include the American and European paintings sections. In European Paintings on the second floor, Gallery 635 is a must see, especially for those with a penchant for Gothic art. The paintings featured in this gallery are wonderfully eerie, with dark canvasses and bright, almost luminous, subjects. Paintings featured in this exhibit include Vanitas Still Life by Jacob de Gheyn II, as well as Gamepiece with a Dead Heron by Jan Weenix. Further on from the Gothic, Gallery 821 marks the start of the Impressionist movement and includes works by the likes of Monet, Manet and Degas amongst many other amazing artists.

In the American Art exhibit, the top two Galleries to see are 760 and 767. Walking into Gallery 760, the first thing you will see is the extremely large painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware, measuring up at an impressive 149 x 255 inches. While many people may visit the room for this painting alone, the real treasures are the enormous landscape paintings that cover the rest of the walls. The painstaking details in these works are simply magnificent, causing them to look more like photographs than paintings. The gallery also includes The Valley of Wyoming by Jasper Francis Cropsey, as well as a beautiful portrait of The Aegean Sea by Frederic Edwin Church.

The MET also has galleries away from its permanent 5th Avenue address, including the Met Breuer, which features modern and contemporary art, and the MET Cloisters. Situated on the edge of New York City, the Cloisters specialises in medieval art such as the Hunt of the Unicorn, as well as tapestries and other exquisite items from ancient French monasteries. As half of the exhibits are outside, exposed to the open air, a visit to the Cloisters makes for an excellent day-trip, or simply a means of escaping the hustle and bustle of the city.

New York City continues to be one of the biggest art hubs in the world, with the Metropolitan Museum of Art at its centre.

Edited by Sophie Walker & Demi Vitkute

The post Your Guide to The MET appeared first on The Urban Watch Magazine.

Highgate Cemetery

The most famous of the seven, Highgate Cemetery is a labyrinth of crumbling beauty. From imposing mausoleums to dishevelled, ivy-clad angel statues, it has the air of a hidden fantasy world. Be sure to visit the famous residents (many with fittingly outlandish headstones) including Karl Marx, George Eliot, Patrick Caulfield, Malcolm McClaren and Douglas Adams.

Events: On the 1st of November they open late for a beautiful candle lighting cemetery in honour of All Saints Day.

Opening Times: Mon-Fri: 10am-5pm, Weekends: 11am-5pm

Entrance Fee: £12 for East and West Cemetery Tour, £4 for East Cemetery

Closest Station: Archway

www.highgatecemetery.org

Abney Park Cemetery

An overgrown jumble of gravestones, nature and modern fencing, Abney Park is just the right side of decaying beauty. This Hackney cemetery became the resting place for many of London’s religious nonconformists, and has at its heart Europe’s oldest non-denominational chapel. With a surprise around every corner, Abney Park is perfect for explorers.

Events: Fear In The Dark, a Hallowe’en anthology show adapted from stories by Edgar Allan Poe, HP Lovecraft, Sheridan Le Fanu and MR James. 20-23 and 26-31 Oct, 7pm & 8.30pm.

Opening Times: 8am-7pm

Entrance Fee: Free

Closest Station: Stoke Newington

www.abneypark.org

Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park

More nature reserve than cemetery, Tower Hamlets is a colourful addition to the seven. To add extra magic, download one of these specially written audio walks: www.abneyrambles.com.

Opening Times: Dawn-dusk

Entrance Fee: Free

Closest Station: Mile End/Bow Road

www.fothcp.org

Kensal Green Cemetery

A more formal, manicured cemetery, inspired by Paris’ famous Père Lachaise. Kensal Green’s gothic atmosphere has provided the backdrop for a number of horror films, and also makes it the perfect Hallowe’en trip.

Opening Times: Mon-Sat: 9am-5pm, Sun: 10am-5pm

Entrance Fee: Free

Closest Station: Kensal Green/Ladbroke Grove

www.kensalgreencemetery.com

Brompton Cemetery

Owned by the Crown, this regal cemetery has stunning architecture at its heart. Famous residents include Emmeline Pankhurst, John Jackson and Blanche Roosevelt Macchetta. To add some fun to your visit, play a game of Beatrix potter bingo – many of her character names can be found on the tombstones, including Peter Rabbett, Mr Nutkins and Mr McGregor.

Events: To check the website for latest, click here or follow the link: www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/brompton-cemetery

Opening Times: Dawn – dusk

Entrance Fee: Free

Closest Station: West Brompton

Nunhead Cemetery

One of the lesser known of the seven, Nunhead is well worth a visit for winding romantic lanes and a beautiful view over London. Over 1,000 angels are hiding amongst the foliage.

Opening Times: Dawn – dusk

Entrance Fee: Free

Closest Station: Nunhead

www.fonc.org.uk

West Norwood Cemetery

West Norwood suffered heavily from bombing during World War II and when Lambeth Council (illegally) cleared many of the old monuments for new ones. A little more like a modern lawn cemetery than the other six, it is still a delightful place to visit. The fairly ordered gardens give way to hints of wilderness here and there, with flowers adding spots of colour to the green.

Opening Times: Dawn – dusk

Entrance Fee: Free

Closest Station: West Norwood

www.fownc.org

The post Meet Me at the Cemetery Gates… appeared first on The Urban Watch Magazine.

1. London Rum Festival, Ocotber 22^th  – 23^rd

So let’s see what I can do to cheer you up a bit. Let’s begin our marvellous tour around the city events with the London Rum Festival. The end of October, the weekend of the 22^nd and 23^rd, is all dedicated and devoted to the culture of rum: founded by Ian Burrell, Global Rum Ambassador, in 2007, it is a festival which celebrates and gives you the chance to know the best qualities of rum, meet the experts of this drink and have the chance to be involved in workshops and seminars. By purchasing the tickets you’ll be part of this amazing event which will unveil the secrets of rum. The venue will be at the ILEC Conference Centre, where the seminars, tastings and show will be held in a fantastic and beautiful location.

2. London Literary Festival, October 5^th – 16^th

Now that your days have been shaken up, let’s slow down the pace a bit and get involved in the London Literary Festival. Taking place at the Southbank Centre from the 5^th to the 16^th, the main focus this year is the present and the future; a topic which involves our everyday life since the beginning of the technological revolution. The festival features a great number of guests including authors, poets, and speakers, such as Margaret Atwood and Michel Faber. You don’t need to be a bookworm, scholar or a man of letters to enjoy the festival. There will be a full range of events and activities from readings, talks, and discussions available to anyone who wants to open their mind.

3. The Hackney Wonderland, October 15^th – 16^th

After drinking and reading, let’s listen to some music! The Hackney Wonderland is waiting for you on Saturday 15^th and Sunday 16^th of October. Held at five amazing locations; Oval Space, The Laundry, London Fields Brewery, Sebright Arms, and The Pickle Factory, this music festival offers the best of rock and indie music, featuring the likes of Mystery Jets and We Are Scientists. If you’re ready to dance, let yourself go and get lost in the sounds of Hackney Wonderland.

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4. Africa on the Square, October 15^th

If London still looks too grey, take a walk through Trafalgar Square on the 15^th because here colours await! Africa on the Square is a free, day-long event, from 12 to 6pm, which celebrates the cultures, art, food, and fashion of Africa, as part of Black History Month 2016. In its third year, with DJ sets, live performances, and dancing, Africa on the Square is the right place if you want to cherish this incredible continent with all its diversity, beauty, and traditions.

5. Bloomsbury Festival, October 19^th – 23^rd

Even as the month nears closing the fun is far from over. From the 19^th to the 23^rd, the Bloomsbury Festival is held on the streets and in buildings of this beautiful quarter. Over five days, it offers a great mix of events and activities which brings together people involved in the progress of art and science, from academics to musicians, and school children, who have had the opportunity to create new amazing projects. Be inspired by this itinerant festival which invades every corner of Bloomsbury.

Edited by Ivy Joseph

The post London: Five Events You Can’t Miss in October appeared first on The Urban Watch Magazine.

Reportedly starring Dakota Fanning as the troubled Esther, Dunst’s The Bell Jar will not be the first time cinematographic attention has been paid to Plath and her work.  In 2003, Christine Jeffs released the biopic Sylvia, in which Plath was portrayed by Gwyneth Paltrow alongside Daniel Craig as her husband, the English poet Ted Hughes. The novel itself was previously adapted in 1979 by Larry Peerce, though it failed to tap in to Esther’s inner dimension, her traumas and her eventual journey to recovery. As Janet Maslin wrote in her New York Times review, “the movie barely even goes skin-deep. The audience isn’t given the slightest clue about Esther’s quirks, her fears, her peculiarly distorted notion of herself. She seems to be afraid of sex, and she also seems to be the object of amorous attention from most of the women she knows but, beyond that, the movie doesn’t explain a thing.” Here, Maslin underlines perfectly the great challenge Dunst will have to face if she does embark upon such a project. She will have to make Esther’s mental disorders and subsequent collapse apparent to the audience in both a sympathetic and subtle way, just as Plath portrayed them on the page.

The Bell Jar will undoubtedly strike a chord with many contemporary twenty-something women who, like Esther, may have moved to a big city after finishing their degree, full of hopes and dreams, only to find that success is not always so easy to achieve. Esther struggles— though perhaps in a more extreme way— with the same problems many young women face today, whether living in New York City or elsewhere, such as London. Esther finds it hard to choose which kind of woman she must be: whether a wife and mother, a poet, an academic and, in her precarious state of mind, these three potential paths clash together, creating a confusion that leaves Esther feeling paralysed. Plath uses a marvellous metaphor to describe this feeling, imaging Esther’s life— and by extension, her own— as a beautiful fig tree of which every branch is a different path, every fruit a different achievement. Esther sits in front of this tree longing for each and every fig and, whilst unable to choose which to pick, all of the figs rot and the tree is left as bare as she feels her life will be.

As an actress, Dunst has played a number of troubled and rebellious characters, such as Lux Lisbon in The Virgin Suicides and, of course, the ill-fated queen in Marie Antoinette. Perhaps, as a director, she will be able to use these experiences in creating the story of Esther, another strongly rebellious female figure. With this premise— and with Dakota Fanning playing the protagonist—Dunst adapting Plath could be a match made in heaven.

Edited by Sophie Walker

The post The Bell Jar: The New Project By Kirsten Dunst appeared first on The Urban Watch Magazine.

The Cavendish Arms offers an ‘entry level’ open mic night for Londoners crazy enough to crack a few gags on stage, aptly named ‘Comedy Virgins.’ The free night, running on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and the occasional Thursday, offers a stage for anyone who has been tempted or bullied into trying stand-up comedy.

It was the simultaneous terror and excitement that had me signing up for a 5-minute spot and then inviting all my friends so that I didn’t have the option to back out. Intrigued by this vulnerable art form that exposes the very heart of humanity, I found myself eager to contribute to comedy’s honest discussion on London life without sugar-coating anything. From Weight Watchers weekly weigh-ins to Brexit Britain, no conversation is too dull, disruptive or dramatic to constitute comedy. Anything goes, as long as it’s funny.

The only rule is that every comedian brings a friend. This prevents a comedy car-crash, where a crowd is only made up of other comedians anxiously awaiting their spot and not laughing. So I was grateful for the lively room packed with people and pints looking for a laugh. The night showcased a real mix of experience, age, style and subject matter, all hoping to win the Cavendish Arms’ coveted prize: a mini plastic trophy. After each act the crowd decides if the contestant is a worthy winner by shouting “Buy them a drink”. A clap off at the end of the night confirms the overall champ. If I’m honest, I didn’t care about the trophy. I just wanted to get through my 5 minutes without vomiting. After years of acting on the stage I was surprised by my stomach-turning response to the reality of stand-up. Luckily, I was put out of agony early on in the night, when my name was called out in the first act. To my complete surprise, I absolutely loved it. The responsive crowd gave me the confidence and energy I needed to get through my set and by the end I didn’t want to leave the stage. Of course, I was glad I had invited a few friendly faces who had promised to laugh no matter what but in general the uncritical crowd were a generous bunch, offering solid support for my first ever stand-up gig. I even got “bought a drink” and during the final clap off found myself finishing 3^rd. Maybe I have beginner’s luck to thank, but I’ll definitely be back for more; it’s an adrenaline rush like no other and a fantastic way of facing your fears.

A great evening for performers and audience members alike, ‘Comedy Virgins’ offers unique, free, and funny weeknight entertainment. You might even find yourself seduced into booking a spot.

More information

Where: Cavendish Arms, 128 Hartington Road, Stockwell, SW8 2HJ

Nearest tube: Stockwell (Victoria and Northern lines)

When: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesday (and the occasional Thursday).

The bar opens from 5pm, comedy starts at 8pm. The night usually ends around 10:30pm (depending on the number of performers).

Booking a spot: You can book a performance spot in advance by signing up to the Comedy Virgins mailing list using this link. You will receive an email every month, when booking begins, asking you to pick your three preferred dates.

Alternatively, you can head down early on the day you wish to perform and grab one of the five open spots, (WARNING: these fill up fast). There are also five reserve spots just in case booked acts don’t turn up.

http://www.thecavendisharmsstockwell.co.uk/comedy

Edited by Ivy Joseph

The post Stepping into the Shoes of a Stand-Up Comedian: Comedy Virgins at the Cavendish Arms appeared first on The Urban Watch Magazine.

Where: Clapham London

When: Last weekend of every August

WIIFM: Music, Food, Themes, Markets

I could feel his joy through his moves; his arms reached high towards the sky; his feet stepped on different parts of the grass; his head followed along up in the air; his soul nurtured on the sounds of music and his shadow closely danced along.

Their fingers interlocked as they moved in a wavy-like way. Their eyes are closed blindly looking up at the sky. Shaking their heads to the beat of music, their bodies synchronically danced under the moving clouds.

A young man gave way to his dancing. He stepped out of the crowd and found himself a bigger space to spread his imaginary wings. While snapping his fingers to the beat, his shoulders followed the sound of the snares and he drifted away to the melancholy of the festival.

It was 3 pm on a beautiful Sunday when I got into SW4 Music Festival in Clapham in London last weekend. The event is one of the biggest in the vibrant city where a high number of local and international DJ’s showcase their best musical talents and entertain thousands of ravers and electronic music lovers.

As the sun shined over Clapham I started the day with a soft creamy ice cone with a flake from a Mr. Whippy van and a coffee from an old beetle turned hot drinks stand car.

The main stage had 4 towers of speakers that stretched a few inches above the grass all the way up towards the flying planes.

There were names such as Antz, Silver City and Amnesia Ibiza. Three circus like covered tents hosted different types of electronic music that included a long list of line up DJs.

I realised it was also a drinks and food festival when I witnessed the endless lines of food kiosks and drinks bars. There were Hot dogs, BBQs, as well as Asian American burgers, to name a few. Drinks included everything from alcohol to soft drinks, fresh juices, tea, coffee, smoothies and cocktails.

And if you thought that was not enough to entertain you, there was a sky scraper rollercoaster and a giant revolving swing that would bring back your childhood moments.

Once I filled my brain with enough caffeine and my body with enough carbs, I was ready to explore the day ahead.

The main stage was warming up with Black Coffee dropping sweet and slow beats and the crowd seemed to enjoy the free Reese’s peanut butter cups and new Mohito 7up giveaways.

I couldn’t resist the temptation, so I grabbed some and headed to Amnesia tent where Chez was performing a musical show intertwined with dancing laser lights of many colors while the frequent spraying of fog got the fans jumping non- stop. Hanging from the ceiling were octopus shaped creatures that swung to the wind as if they were actually dancing to the great house tunes.

As the music reached its ecstatic climax a group of 6 girls, dressed up in black, entered the stage in front of the DJ and gave a-one- to- remember dance performance.

I didn’t want to leave such a vibrant sexy atmosphere; it was approaching 4 pm when Fritz Kallbrenner was about to kick some German house at Antz arena.

He opened up with a live performance of his very best track Ways over water and for the next hour the crowd jumped to the electronic sounds of Berlin.

At 6 pm his brother and my all time favorite DJ Paul Kalkbrenner kicked his show on the main stage with one of his biggest tracks Gebrün Gebrün from the album Berlin Calling.

He played German techno at its best, and the crowd sang along with every track and wooed their lungs out when Mr. Kalkbrenner took his jumper off to show his love for soccer wearing his German jersey.

At 9 pm The Chemical Brothers gave an hour and half show that was worth every penny. I would have happily paid the same price for that ticket if it was only for their performance.

They played every tune live in real time and synchronized the visuals along with the sounds of the music.

At one-point green and orange balls followed the music along on the two big screens, and out of nowhere lots of massive balloons in the same color dropped from the roof onto the crowd. They went mental. At times I couldn’t hear the music because the whistles blown by the fans.

Just before closing a giant robot dropped down in slow motion behind the brothers and started dancing along; its eyes blinked, beamed and reflected different laser light colors with every beat while the arms and legs moved along to the melodies.

It was a show not to be missed.

In summary, the event was very well executed, organised and directed. All DJs started and finished on their allocated times; they gave their fans two days of absolute fun and entertainment.

Edited by Chermaine Sowah

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