Specialists In Lockdown | Catrin Jones

How are you keeping busy in lockdown?

Lots of reading! I have what can probably be described as a book buying addiction and I generally add to my pile of unread books faster than I can get through them – so I’ve taken this opportunity to try and redress the balance. I’ve just finished Miranda July’s ‘No One Belongs Here More Than You’ which I loved. It’s a collection of short stories featuring a string of isolated protagonists, which feels appropriate at the moment!

I’ve also been trying to make the most of all the amazing educational resources that are currently being offered, so have been tuning in to various webinars on gemmology and antique jewellery.

Do you have a favourite self-isolation recipe you can share with us?

I’ve been cooking a lot from Meera Sodha’s recipe book East – it’s so full of delicious vegan and vegetarian recipes that it’s hard to pick a favourite, but her tomato curry is definitely up there. Having fresh curry leaves as opposed to the dry variety makes all the difference. I’ve found them a bit hard to source but they can be bought online if you don’t have a good Asian supermarket near you – they freeze well.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/aug/19/tomato-curry-recipe-meera-sodha-vegan

What is saving your sanity during lockdown?

Long cycle rides. It’s been great fun both exploring central London whilst the roads have been so quiet and heading out of the city to see a bit of greenery! I’ve also been doing themed ‘holidays’ with my flatmates at the weekends where we pick a country and base our food and activities around it – last week our trip to Italy involved arancini, cannoli, Chianti, a cycle ride to Little Venice, and Cinema Paradiso in the evening. A slightly silly way to try and demarcate one week from the next!

Which online exhibition/gallery viewing room or other Internet offering has caught your eye? 

I’ve really been enjoying ICA Daily – daily recommendations from the curatorial team at the ICA on things to watch, read and listen to. Their suggestions are really diverse, from archival material to content created during the current pandemic, and they occasionally bring in artists to guest edit too. I particularly liked Ghetto Life 101 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYuC_3lJCFE), a 1993 radio program in which two thirteen year old boys from the Ida B. Wells project in Chicago were given equipment to record their daily activities for a week – it’s a gentle portrait of growing up amid poverty.

You can contact Catrin on catrinjones@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778