This week, bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld joins us to talk about romantic comedies. Curtis is a long-time fan of rom-coms – her most recent novel is, in fact, called Romantic Comedy. She loves love. But she also knows that there’s a difference between how love is portrayed in TV and movies, and what it’s like in real life. Curtis speaks with Lilah about the state of romantic comedies today: how they’ve changed, and where they could go next.Don’t forget! Send us your top summer tip: what’s one thing that you’d recommend people do to have the perfect summer? Record a message here: http://sayhi.chat/15xxg  You can also email us at [email protected], tweet us @ftweekendpod, or message Lilah on Instagram or Twitter @lilahrap. --------------Links: – Curtis’ latest novel is called Romantic Comedy– The FT’s review of Romantic Comedy: https://on.ft.com/3OGt4wC – Curtis’ other novels include Rodham (an alternate history of the life of Hillary Clinton) Prep (set in an American boarding school), Eligible (a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice), and American Wife (a romance based loosely on the life of Barbara Bush)– Follow Curtis on Twitter @csittenfeld Romantic comedies mentioned: – When Harry Met Sally – Say Anything– Notting Hill– Four Weddings and a Funeral– Dirty Dancing– Jerry Maguire– You’ve Got Mail– Ticket to Paradise (starring Julia Roberts and George Clooney)– Rye Lane– Fire Island– Russian Doll– Something’s Gotta Give--------------Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of Columbia Pictures, Universal Pictures, and Vestron Pictures / Lionsgate Entertainment. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Shrimsley has written a satirical column for the FT for years, and this week we talk through one where he gives advice to his older self. As it turns out, forecasting who you might become is an exercise in recognising who you are now – and coming to terms with your genuine interests and limitations. Then Lilah speaks with Alice Lascelles, the FT’s drinks contributor, about the rise of non-alcoholic beverages. Turns out, making a cocktail that’s non-alcoholic and good is the ultimate challenge for bartenders. --------------Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at [email protected] We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. --------------Links:– Robert is the FT’s UK chief political commentator and UK editor-at-large. He has two columns, one on UK politics and one in the FT Weekend Magazine– Robert’s ‘Advice to my older self’ column: https://on.ft.com/41GYoy2 – Another column by Robert: ‘What’s with all the farmer’s markets?’: https://on.ft.com/3IgOIU8 – One more column by Robert: ‘Humanity has built AI in its own image, heaven help us’: https://on.ft.com/41QmfLW – Alice’s column on the World Alcohol Free awards: https://on.ft.com/3IgsGAX –Robert is on Twitter at @robertshrimsley. Alice is on Instagram and Twitter @alicelascelles.--------------Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we speak with artist Sheida Soleimani. Soleimani grew up in the American Midwest hearing stories of her parents’ escape from Iran: her father spending years in hiding, her mother imprisoned in solitary confinement. Now, she is using three-dimensional collages to tell their story. And she’s doing it in collaboration with them. --------------Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at [email protected] We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. --------------Links:– Lilah’s profile of Sheida Soleimani, from the FT Weekend Magazine’s recent photography special: https://on.ft.com/3MjCQTB – You can explore Ghostwriter on the Edel Assanti website. It’s on view at their gallery in London until May 13: https://edelassanti.com/exhibitions/115-sheida-soleimani-ghostwriter/ – Sheida Soleimani’s 2021 work Proof: https://dennygallery.com/artists/sheida-soleimani/ – Ghostwriter will be on view at the Denny Gallery in Manhattan in September– Sheida is on Instagram at @sheidajanam--------------Our US edition of the FTWeekend Festival is back! Join Hillary Clinton, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Waters, your favourite FT writers, and more on May 20 in Washington, DC, and online. Register now and save $20 using the promo code weekendpodcast at ft.com/festival-usSpecial offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we consider what it means to have a good death. As nursing strikes escalate throughout the UK and Ireland, the writer Imogen Savage couldn't help but think of her mother Anne, who spent more than 45 years working in end of life care. Imogen spent her childhood watching Anne help people die comfortably and with dignity. Today, we speak with them both about what they've learned about death, and why we shouldn’t cut corners when it comes to caring for the dying.--------------Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at [email protected] We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. --------------Links:– Imogen’s article about her mother: https://on.ft.com/426JTED --------------Our US edition of the FTWeekend Festival is back! Join Hillary Clinton, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Waters, your favourite FT writers, and more on May 20 in Washington, DC, and online. Register now and save $20 using the promo code weekendpodcast at ft.com/festival-usSpecial offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This weekend, we meet actor Arian Moayed. You may know him as Stewy Hosseini from HBO’s Succession, a scheming private equity shark who loves money and fears no one. He's also currently in A Doll's House on Broadway opposite Jessica Chastain, playing Torvald Helmer, one of theatre history's most famous chauvinists. He talks to Lilah about the difference between a trope bad guy and a complicated person, and how to play unlikeable characters as fully formed people. Arian and his family fled from Iran in the 1980s. He says when he sees A Doll’s House, all he sees is Iran. We discuss how his culture informs his work as an actor.--------------Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at [email protected] We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. --------------Links:– Succession airs on HBO in the US and SkyAtlantic in the UK. The finale is on Sunday, May 28. Here’s the FT’s review of season 4: https://on.ft.com/3LdbxZA – A Doll’s House, adapted by Amy Herzog and directed by Jamie Lloyd, is at the Hudson Theatre on Broadway through to June 10: https://adollshousebroadway.com/– A column by the FT’s Jo Ellison on why the Succession wardrobe is so good https://on.ft.com/3VcfulE – A profile of director Jamie Lloyd: https://on.ft.com/3Ldbyg6– Our conversation with Michael Patrick Thornton: https://link.chtbl.com/ftweekend-mpt – Arian is on Twitter and Instagram @arianmoayed. His non-profit, Waterwell, is at https://www.waterwell.org/ —-------------Our US edition of the FTWeekend Festival is back! Join Jamie Lee Curtis, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Waters, your favourite FT writers, and more on May 20 in Washington, DC, and online. Register now and save $20 using the promo code weekendpodcast at ft.com/festival-usSpecial offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.--------------Original music by Metaphor Music.Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips in this episode courtesy of HBO.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.