#41 I am overcommitting and won't stop

On a new, better, braver Culture Worm.

Jan 28, 2022

It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t panic that the first month of the new year has gone by in a flash and my “awareness plan” is already failing. (How are your resolutions going?)

I am aware of my awareness, and my awareness is so aware of me being aware that all I am doing is a silly game of self-awareness and a sentence that doesn’t make much sense. Huh??! Exactly.

I knew I’d get into trouble if I don’t plan – January has turned into a cycle of work, sleep, and repeat … with pockets of time spent playing with my cat. (Sorry, Pepper, I’m trying my best!)

Of course, I wouldn’t want the productivity disaster to go on for longer than necessary, so here’s what I’ve decided to do next – spoiler alert: work more, ha!

The recommendations section of The Culture Worm will come in monthly instalments to allow me to curate more ents & arts news, literary gossip, and analyse my media consumption more in-depth.
I’ll redirect the amount of time I’d normally spend curating articles on writing and researching long-form essays.
Starting this February, I will have monthly interviews with people that share the same love and appetite for literature, arts and culture as you, fellow culture worms! I’ll make sure they’re interesting, you make sure you keep on reading. Deal?
More Tuesday threads so you can have the opportunity to interact with other readers!
Aaaand yes, a virtual book club! The Culture Worm Book Club! (But more on this soon!)

[Btw, everything is free and remains so… for now!]

Riiight.

This is scary.

I’m not sure whether this is self-punishment for not sending this newsletter on time or an attempt to be more disciplined.

I might… I just might be over committing myself here.

Commitment is brave and noble.

However, overcommitment may reflect neediness, lack of focus or the inability to say no. (I’ve got them all, obvs!)

Maybe – just maybeee – this overcommitting is good for once.

(You guys are so patient for putting up with me and trusting me with your inbox. Thank you.)

Let me get to work and we’ll see how this unfolds. In the meantime, I prepared some food for thought for you.

Happy reading, happy learning,

Teodora x

P.S: It turns out I get more writing done on the train than when I’m home, by myself, staring at the walls or asking Pepper to stop scratching the carpet. Next time try to get off at the right stop, Teodora. Haven’t quite nailed that part yet.

📣 Coming up:

News on The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award, Spice Girls, Stephen King, and more.

Plus, time to cancel Spotify, the success beyond Wordle, and Cardi B’s defamation lawsuit.

See you next Friday!

🥁 📚 The latest in the literary world

2021 was an amazing year for book sales! 🎉 In the UK, more than 212m print books were sold in the past year, a 20% increase compared to 2019, and yes, you guessed it, Richard Osman was the bestselling author. 🙄 Sales of print books rose in the US too, however, according to a recent Gallup poll, Americans are reading less than they have in over 30 years. Why? Books are not for reading, you silly; they make great content on Instagram. 💁‍♀️
The 2022 PEN America Literary Awards has announced its finalists! The list includes 54 authors and 11 translators from 25 US states, alongside China, Poland, the UK, and the UAE. Winners will be announced at the Literary Awards Ceremony on February 28, at The Town Hall in New York City. BONUS: What a joyous surprise to discover that one of the shortlists in the translation category is Sean Cotter for his work on “FEM”, a novel by the Romanian poet and art critic Magda Cârneci! 🇷🇴 Here’s a fascinating interview with Cotter and Cârneci on the intricacies of contemporary Romanian literature, the legacy of French feminism, and the transcendental experiences of everyday life. 🤯
The five authors shortlisted for the UK and Ireland’s most influential prize for young writers, The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award, have now been revealed! 🙌 The winner will receive £10,000, on top of a bespoke 10-week residency by the University of Warwick and a partnership with Waterstones. (Previous winners include Simon Armitage, Zadie Smith, Max Porter and Sally Rooney.) ✨
Novelist Colm Tóibín, whose work has been shortlisted for the Booker multiple times, was named the new laureate for Irish fiction, taking over from Sebastian Barry. The three-year role is intended to “acknowledge the contribution of fiction writers to Irish artistic and cultural life”, as well as to encourage new writers, and engagement with “high quality Irish fiction”. 👏 🇮🇪
Three $25,000 stipends from Roxane Gay are up for grabs as part of a new writing fellowship in partnership with Substack for any emerging writer! 💰Hurry up: Applications are due on February 10th! ⏲️ A few words of encouragement from the queen herself: “It didn’t matter how different the bloggers [whose blogs I used to read] were. What mattered is how they made me want to understand the world from their perspective. People curate what they put from their lives into the public sphere, but a good writer makes what they curate one hell of a story.” 🤩
Whatever your view on Stephen King is, you can’t deny that this man is legendary – a hungry, relentless storyteller. 👑 After the incredible success of “Billy Summers”, the king returns with a new book about a teenage boy with keys to a parallel world. “Fairy Tale” will hit shelves on September 6, 2022. In the meantime, here’s an excerpt for you. 📖
Spice Girls fans, this one is for you! Melanie C has revealed she’s ‘finally ready ’ to tell her story in her upcoming autobiography entitled “Who I Am: My Story.” The tell-all book, which includes stories on the pop star’s struggles with fame, mental health and bullying, will be released on September 15. 💃
BONUS: HBO has released the official trailer for the third season of “My Brilliant Friend”, the TV adaptation based on Elena Ferrante’s bestselling Neapolitan novels. It premieres on February, 28. You’re welcome! 🙌 🎉

🎧 📰 👀 My media diet this week

What public philosophy is, and why we need it more than ever – Psyche | Why read this? Philosopher Lucia Ziglioli reflects on the presence of non-experts in philosophical debates and why this matters in stimulating meaningful public conversations. 💡
How the world went wild for Wordle – The Financial Times | Why read this? I must admit, I haven’t even tried Wordle but I feel like I know so much about it already. The internet word game has gone viral reaching more than 2 million players in just a matter of months. Janine Gibson explores what sets it apart from other similar puzzle games. 🧩
Is old music killing new music? – The Atlantic | Why read this? Old songs now represent 70% of the U.S. music market, whilst the new-music market is shrinking. Ted Gioia investigates this by looking at consumption trends, copyright, record labels, and the role radio stations are playing in this stagnation. 🎹
The Documentary Podcast: Fighting tobacco in Zambia – BBC World Service | Why listen to this? Smoking is on the rise in Zambia where 300,000 new smokers are predicted by 2025. This is the story of activist Breda Chitindi and her efforts to get tobacco control on the political agenda. 🚬 🙅‍♀️
Think with Pinker Podcast: Nudges and noise – BBC Radio 4 | Why listen to this? Despite being aware of cognitive biases, we are still very much prone to making bad decisions. Learn how to be smarter and more effective in decision-making. Plus, one of the guests is Daniel Kahneman, the Nobel Prize in Economics winner and author of “Thinking, Fast and Slow”! 🧠

📌 Random news in brief

John Lennon’s eldest son Julian is set to auction a range of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) featuring digitised pieces of Beatles memorabilia from his personal collection. Estimated price tag: £60,000! Good news: Proceeds will go towards Julian Lennon’s humanitarian and philanthropic foundation. 🙌
Go big or go home? Not necessarily. A miniature stable by the artist Banksy, part of the artist’s “Great British Spraycation,” has sold for more than £1m at auction. 💰 💸
Time to #CancelSpotify? 🎵 The music stream giant is reportedly down more than 25% since the dispute between the veteran rock star Neil Young and the podcaster Joe Rogan, who has been accused of spreading COVID vaccine-sceptical views on the platform. 💉Consequently, Neil Young’s music was removed from Spotify, and WHO chief – Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus – couldn’t be happier about it. Ha! 👀
Finally, a word of caution: don’t mess with Cardi B! The rapper has been awarded almost £1m in damages after a series of“slanderous and defamatory statements” about her by the American YouTuber Tasha K. 💥

Before we say goodbye… 🥺

If you liked this issue of the newsletter, please click on the 💜 button, so I know I’m doing a good job. There’s always the option to leave a comment with your feedback. I promise I’ll always reply!

The Culture Worm