WORDS BY FLOSSIE STRICKLAND

We get it, Love Actually and Dickens do have their place amongst the myriad of Christmas classics we love to indulge in over the Festive season. But books and films are in fact for life and not just for Christmas (just like the puppy you bought last year). So snuggle up, take a nightcap (that either being a beverage of some sort or hat) and dive right into our atypical holiday season book and movie list.

All About Love, Bell Hooks

In honour of the late Bell Hooks, we’re kicking things off with All About Love, a personal yet political text that provocatively stabs at the notion of love in all its forms.

What Artists Wear, Charlie Porter

A fascinating exploration into the clothing that’s adorned the bodies of iconic artists throughout time.

The World According to Colour: A Cultural History, James Fox

With chapters devoted to tyrian purple, perciest green and, of course, Yves Klien blue, Fox’s book is a deliciously vivid exploration into the curiosities of colour and, in turn, the ‘history of Humanity.’

Greek Myths, Charlotte Higgins

Complemented by Turner Prize Winner Chris Ofili’s fantastical illustrations, Higgins’ striking reinterpretation of the Greek mythological canon places female characters at the heart of the narratives. 

Modern British Jewellery Designers 1960-1980, A Collector’s Guide, Mary Ann Wingfield

Wingfield’s anthology, featuring the work of 25 seminal British jewellers, is an awe-inspiring display of opulence and exquisite craftsmanship.

Every Room Should Sing, Beata Heuman

The truth is in the title. A totally joyful, kaleidoscopic whirlwind of interior inspiration, warning: this is not for those with a minimalist sensibility.

The Talented Mr Ripley, 1999

A ruthless tale alleviated by the glimmering Italian coastline and iconic leopard on leopard looks served by Gwyneth Paltrow. To really set the scene, make this The Talented Mr Ripley inspired Venetian cocktail with a blood orange twist.

About a Boy, 2002

A classic Hugh Grant movie (it features a particularly iconic scene of stale bread and a duck). It’s one of our favourites here at KOIBIRD, plus, features a painfully cringeworthy rendition of ‘Killing me Softly’. 10/10 

A Bigger Splash, 2015

Seductive, sultry and with a stellar cast, this film takes place on a paradisiacal sun-blanketed Mediterranean Island. Is there a recurring theme here? A Bigger Splash is a feast for the eyes. 

Bait, 2019

Certainly for the niche-hearted, Bait conjures a chilling crucible of conflict amongst a cramped Cornish fishing village. Aesthetically disorientating but in a nostalgic and intriguing way. 

Senna, 2010

 This may well make you fall in love with Formula 1 if you haven’t already done so thanks to Netflix’s Drive to Survive. Oh, and Aryton Senna.