036: Main Character Syndrome

This week, Amile & Phoebe step into the artisanal streets of Crouch End to discuss Josh Silver’s Fruit Fly. They discuss the novel’s satirical look at North London’s liberal intelligentsia — from decanted supermarket hummus to distressed mirrors and Reddit writing formulas.At the centre of this world, where authenticity feels carefully curated, is Mallory Maddox. She is an author who attempts to escape her writers block & domestic dissatisfaction by appropriating the story of Leo (a young, vulnerable and homeless queer man).They interrogate the line between allyship and exploitation. They also explore the less visible power dynamics than can occur within marriage and close familial relationships.This episode pairs well with:Yellowface by R F KuangI Am Helen (Channel 4, 2026), dir. by Dominic SavageYou Can See Everything (2026), dir. by Nathan FielderAn effaciously written celebrity profile in a weekly women's mag.Learning how to cry on demand.A cheeky New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc picked up from Waitrose.Happy listening,A&P Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In their latest sit-down, Amile & Phoebe turn their attention to Clarissa, the Esiri brothers' star-studded adaptation of Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway.They explore why they connected more deeply with the screen adaptation than with Woolf's original text. As in the novel, we follow Clarissa over the ourse of a day as she prepares for an evening soirée. Through this, we revisit unresolved feelings, old crushes and a chemistry that endures across decades. Meanwhile, Aisha and Septemus bring a change of pace and poignant tenderness to the story.This episode pairs well with:Clarissa (2027), dir. Chuko Esiri & Arie EsiriPast Lives (2023), dir. Celine SongMrs Dalloway by Virginia WoolfUnexpectedly getting emotional over old photographs.A hibiscus gin sour, served with a squeeze of fresh lime.Happy listening,A&P Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Amile & Phoebe immerse themselves in Caleb Azumah Nelson’s prize-winning debut, Open Water. Against the fluid, sun-drenched backdrop of South London, they explore the novel’s exquisite depiction of Black love, emotional safety & the familiar dizzying sensations of falling in love for the first time.They contrast the intimate sanctuary built through shared pizza slices and held hands with the disorienting weight of public surveillance and everyday incivility. Drawing on bird theory and the Gottman Institute's concept of “bids for connection”, they consider the small, often overlooked gestures through which we ask to be loved.In a world that so often makes vulnerability feel dangerous, what does it take to let someone truly see you?This episode pairs well with:Open Water by Caleb Azumah NelsonForever by Judy BlumeRye Lane (2023) dir. by Raine Allen-MillerPointing out a bird to your partner, to see how they'll respond.Listening to love songs during your luteal phase.Happy listening,A&P Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of Taika Waititi’s film adaptation, Amile & Phoebe step into the quiet, disconcerting world of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun.Moving beyond the usual AI dystopia, they explore the commodification of childhood, the pressures of parental ambition and the complicated burden of maternal guilt. What happens when parents can buy their children every possible advantage, including a machine designed to love them? Or even replace them?Through Klara, an Artificial Friend (AF), the novel raises unsettling questions about grief, human uniqueness and the ethics of trying to replace a dying child. Along the way, we explore what happens when our most intimate spaces become transactional, and what happens when an artificial shop-window model become the only character left who is capable of genuine, unselfish care.This episode pairs well with:‘The Idiot’ by Fyoder DostoevskyThe Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le GuinLars and the Real Girl dir. Craig Gillespie (2007)A limoncello spritz, for your own equivalent of Klara’s solar powerGetting your Furby out of the attic, to re-experience the original AFHappy listening, A&P Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

we needed extra time to obsess over the artistic architecture of the drama. consider this your post-viewing debrief! we dive into the visual language, immersive framing, and prop details that bring this relationship's unraveling to life on the screen. from the subtle horror of domestic kitchen scenes to that rain-soaked diner reset, we examine how kristoffer borgli uses the camera to turn a private crisis into a masterclass on visual tension. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Netflix reviving East of Eden for a whole new generation, we take another foray into the world of classic lit.Building on past discussions of Woolf and Baldwin, we dive headfirst into Steinbeck’s interpretation of Cathy Ames. And naturally, it has us once again defending women’s rights (and wrongs).Sometimes the most interesting part of a book is not what it tells us, but what it reveals when we start asking questions.This episode pairs well with:East of Eden by John SteinbeckWide Sargasso Sea by Jean RhysEast of Eden (Limited TV Series, Netflix), 2026Difficult Women by Emily Nussbaum (The New Yorker), 2013The Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda (TED Talk), 2009Rereading a childhood favourite and questioning everything.A gently brewed cup of Jasmine tea, served in your best hand-me-down porcelain.Happy listening,A&P Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amile & Phoebe take it to the movies with none other than Kristoffer Borgli’s The Drama. It’s a film that asks a deceptively simple question: what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?When Emma, played by Zendaya, reveals her answer, the confession completely changes the way her friends and fiancé (played by Robert Pattinson) see her. We discover the moral outrage that follows and unpack the uncomfortable gap between what we think and actually do. It will leave you wondering whether a person’s worst thought can ever be worse than someone else’s worst action. Does intention matter if you never followed through?This episode pairs well with:The Drama dir. by (2026)Minority Report dir. by Steven Spielberg (2002)After The Hunt dir. by Luca Guadagnino (2025)Big Little Lies by Lianne MoriartyThe group chat becoming a court of public opinion.Deciding on which Cabernet Sauvignon goes with the wedding breakfast.Shall we do more movies? Happy listening!A&P Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amile & Phoebe use Paul Lynch's Booker winning novel, Prophet Song, to discuss the creep of fascism and surveillance in today's culture.They reflect on Tony Benn’s famous speech about refugee mothers from war-torn lands and explore the psychology of living under constant threat. They move from moments in the novel, including when Eilish forcibly cuts her daughters hair, to real life scenarios.Why it easier to recognise fascism when it happens somewhere else? What happens when we stop seeing refugees as political subjects?This episode pairs well with:Prophet Song by Paul LynchJulia by Sandra NewmanEnd Times Fascism by Naomi Klein & Astra TaylorSarafina! (Story by Mbongeni Ngem) dir. by Darrell Roodt (1992)The Long Walk (Book by Stephen King) dir by F. Lawrence (2025)Watching those British Army recruitment adverts.Following Miss Rachel for her commentary on pop culture.A Jameson, neat.Happy listening!A&P Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Amile & Phoebe venture further back in time with James Baldwin’s 1956 masterpiece, Giovanni’s Room. As they discuss the social climate that forced Baldwin & his characters into literal and figurative exile, they consider the extraordinary subversiveness of writing so openly about gay desire in the 1950s.But the conversation quickly becomes about more than sexuality. They unpack masculinity, respectability & the uncomfortable ways in which lovers can become collateral damage for those who are afraid to be known.From the claustrophobic sanctuary of Giovanni’s room to the tragedy of choosing belonging over honesty, they reflect on the familiar patterns of emotional detachment that run throughout the novel.This episode pairs well with:Giovanni’s Room by James BaldwinLooking for Lorraine by Imani PerryBrokeback Mountain (2005), dir. Ang LeePassages (2023), dir. Ira SachsPulling an all-nighter to watch the sun rise over the Seine.Wondering why the socially acceptable option feels unfulfilling.A French 75, of course.Happy listening,A&P Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the 2nd part of their dissection of MJ Corey’s Dekonstructing the Kardashians, Amile & Phoebe distil the family's media playbook down to its core. They examine what happens when hyper-visibility evolves into a self-sustaining corporate empire. They revisit some of the legendary conspiracies from the "Kardashian Curse " to Amile’s naive theory that Kanye’s demise was actually a piece of high-concept performance art. Along the way, they ask the hard questions. Just how far is Kim willing to go in service of the feed? Why has Khloé become the tragic, relatable figurehead of modern American anxiety? And did anyone actually buy Rob’s socks?This episode pairs well with:Dekonstructing the Kardashians by MJ CoreyFor the Culture by Marcus Collins The Society of the Spectacle by Guy DebordSuccession (2018, HBO)Aggressively organising your pantry into labelled glass containers.An ice-cold can of UPDATE, because even Kim’s energy has a personal brand.Happy listening,A&P Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.