There is much to contemplate on this absorbing Delphian release, where time seems to stand still and the listener is drawn into a sequence of unhurried, inward-facing reflections. Look How Brightly offers a portrait of Alex Mill's music from the past decade: ten works, many closely linked to moments of change, loss, ritual, and renewal, together telling what feels like an intimate, personal story—almost, as Nico Muhly writes in the booklet, "a sequence of musical diary entries."

Harrogate International Festivals has announced the shortlist for the McDermid Debut Award for new UK and Irish writers. The winner will be revealed on the opening night of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, Thursday 23 July.

Jewellery company KOUREE has signed a product placement deal with Hot Flash, a new British comedy celebrating midlife women. Hot Flash tells the story of an accidental entrepreneur who triumphs despite imposter syndrome, brutal menopause symptoms, and the challenges of being a forty-plus single mum.

What may initially have been dismissed by some as playful eccentricity has matured into a distinctive artistic voice — one capable of adapting to changing musical landscapes without losing its character. The album may not demand attention in a loud or dramatic way, but its warmth, sincerity, and understated craft make it one of the band’s most quietly rewarding releases.

After two wildly different semi-finals, the stage is finally set for what feels destined to become one of the most unpredictable Eurovision Grand Finals in years. If Semi-Final One felt like a cautious warm-up, Semi-Final Two blew the contest wide open — and now the bookmakers, fan polls, and even long-held assumptions about the winner suddenly feel far less certain.

The National Science and Media Museum hasunveiled new temporary exhibition Setting the Stage: 70 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest, going behind the scenes of the world’s largest live televised music event. The exhibition invites visitors to explore the technological history and innovation at the heart of the competition, contributing to its enduring legacy today.

Harrogate International Festivals has announced the launch of the Swift Half Stage at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, the world’s largest celebration of criVme fiction, taking place in Harrogate, 23-26 July.

Red Ladder Theatre Company and Silent Uproar – two boundary-pushing theatre companies – are delighted to announce an exciting new partnership, showcasing the North of England’s rich seam of playwriting talent.

When the book arrived, I flicked through it initially and spotted the phrase, ‘Mel…the motorbike’ and thought this may just be for me. The prologue is set in London in 1941 and we’re introduced to Mel Greenway, on her nineteenth birthday, the day ‘the letter’ dropped through the letterbox, the letter inviting her to enlist.