United Kingdom
A multimedia journalist and editor with a focus on arts and culture, and experience commissioning, writing and editing across literature, design, film, visual art, travel, music and theatre.
I’ve contributed to publications including The Spectator, Time Out, Broadsheet, Prospect, Elephant and The New European, and currently serve as Associate Editor at Engelsberg Ideas.
Arts & Culture – articles, interviews and features
The exhibition spans work from the 1950s to the end of her life, foregrounding drawing not as preparation but as Rego’s central language—she was, first and foremost, as she coined it, a “drawrer”.
It's the largest survey of the 91-year-old British painter's career yet, bringing together more than 90 works from four decades. And shockingly, it's the first time a woman artist has been given a full retrospective in the Academy's main galleries.
From vicious rumours to lurid portrayals of her sexual mores, the infamous queen was a victim of 18th-century France's scurrilous press long before she was sent to the guillotine.
The paintings evoke a carousel slide projection of childhood: beach holidays, Christmases, ballet classes and a father holding a newborn.
It was stiflingly hot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I was exploring the eastern Galápagos Islands, living cheek-by-jowl on a former
Corruption and instability in the Balkans are chipping away at Bosnia's fragile political settlement.
This new exhibition showcases the most comprehensive display of her work yet.
A new retrospective of 20th-century artists Ithell Colquhoun and Edward Burra reveals how their strange, radical visions were deeply attuned to the unease and upheaval of the postwar world.
The new V&A Marie Antoinette exhibition shows how her legacy has influenced designers like Vivienne Westwood and Moschino.
Saffron Swire reports from Shangri-La, a playground, a living, breathing outdoor art gallery at Glastonbury Festival. Words and photography by Saffron Swire.
A new exhibition foregrounds the enduring role of flowers in the life of the photographer Cecil Beaton, and how they cross-pollinated their way into his creative imagination.
The cemetery, opened by Napoleon, was unpopular at first. But then the VIPs came - followed by the ghosts
AI may play a role in unlocking secrets of our past, as archaeologists turn to futuristic technologies in the field
All that came after Young Americans would not have existed without it. And aren't we all the luckier for that?
From royal scandals to seismic geopolitical shifts and the rise of modern celebrity culture, the era served up a cast of characters on a silver platter, just waiting to be skewered.
When I arrived at Ananda to try their Sleep Enhancement Program, I hoped to be turned into a functioning narcoleptic
In Georgia, the 8,000-year-old tradition of winemaking is seen as a gift - and act of defiance
A new exhibition focuses on the painter's affinity with marginalised people-giving them not just life, but immortality
Writer Saffron Swire takes us into the world of the young auctioneer, object-lover, and storyteller Chloë Collins and explains how she is changing the world of modern auctioneering. "It's like having a bit of the owner's soul," the auctioneer Chloë Collin declares from her modish Parisian apartment, a stone's throw from Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre station.
As Georgia's democracy hangs in the balance, young musicians in Tbilisi are turning to their art as a means of protest
In 1996, Sylvester, who would have turned 100 this year, wrote his essay "Curriculum Vitae" later reproduced in his acclaimed About Modern
Rebel Sounds is an accessible snapshot of music as a soundtrack to life. Like Anthony Bourdain in Parts Unknown, Mulhall is intriguing,
It's only in the last decade or so that Neel has risen from relative obscurity to be acknowledged as one of the twentieth century's
In the first Australian tour since 2019, Florence and the Machine gave a spellbinding performance
Frieze week is here! As anticipation grows for the fairs opening, Saffron Swire is here to help us schedule our days spent outside of the tent. Frieze London is the art world's Mecca. Every year, as Autumn's copper and crimson shades transform Regent's Park, collectors, gallerists, and art enthusiasts make their annual seven-day pilgrimage to the city.
The largest-ever major exhibition of artist Eileen Agar is showing at the Whitechapel Gallery, featuring over a 100 of her paintings, collages, photographs and sculptures.
This middle-class metalhead is a class act with his whip-smart observations and waggish jabs.
One glass slipper may not fit all in this peppy retelling of a children's classic.
Sheridan Harbridge is a force of nature in this call-to-action polemic about how the legal system continues to fail victims of sexual assault
Michael Pollan's latest book, This Is Your Mind on Plants, looks into the impact of caffeine, opium and mescaline on the mind.
The master of surrealist improv served audiences scoop after scoop of unbridled randomness.
In braiding the personal with the political, the comedian offers a lively performance full of charming anecdotes and rabble-rousing rants.
From sex to dating apps, the effervescent comedian is tear-jerkingly funny on navigating the trials and tribulations of womanhood.
Romeo & Juliet have had a remix - and this time, things might end a little differently.
The comedian and newfound father danced the tightrope in a performance that was deeply sentimental and outrageously explicit.
A hugely talented cast take to this beloved production like wind to a kite, resulting in a sugar-coated delight for all
Bitch, Lucy Cooke's latest book, provides a radical and X-rated revaluation of ideas of sexuality in the animal kingdom.
Leonora Carrington has been described as 'Britain's lost surrealist' - how did the English artist become a national treasure in Mexico?
Emma Gannon's anecdote-filled new book, (Dis) Connected, is a guide to staying human in an online world.
The major James Barnor retrospective at the Serpentine Gallery is the British-Ghanaian photographers largest survey of work to date.
Interviews
Saffron Swire of Elephants speaks with London gallerist Alison Jacques about the wide range of responsibilities she has embarked upon in her career, such as managing the estates of iconic artists. Alison Jacques doesn't want to be put in a box.
Australian singer-songwriter Angie McMahon's latest album maps her personal journey to catharsis, exploring her experiences of heartbreak, anxiety, and depression.
Writer Saffron Swire takes us into the world of the young auctioneer, object-lover, and storyteller Chloë Collins and explains how she is changing the world of modern auctioneering. "It's like having a bit of the owner's soul," the auctioneer Chloë Collin declares from her modish Parisian apartment, a stone's throw from Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre station.
Director Kitty Green on her Australian thriller The Royal Hotel and sparking conversations about everyday sexism
The English singer-songwriter on his years in the Portico Quartet, spirituality and embracing ancestry through music.
An interview with artist Libby Haines about rediscovering her love of painting, motherhood, and her favourite Melbourne go-tos.
Society & Politics
After what was supposed to be a moment of reckoning, woman sexual assault figures continue to rise since Sarah Everard's murder.
Interest in witchcraft on social media has been on the rise in recent years and has surged due to the uncertainty brought about by the pandemic.
Roe v Wade: a leaked draft suggests the 1973 ruling that guarantees federal constitutional protections of abortion rights could be overturned.
Criminalising sending unsolicited sexual images is a step in the right direction in ensuring the online safety of young women and girls.
Online abuse has grave consequences. To avoid falling foul of trolling, we must understand the psychology behind the act. All trolls want is attention.
A specialist camp in Jamaica is harnessing the therapeutic benefits of magic mushrooms to tackle anxiety and depression. And it works...
Imagine if all the photographs from your life were stolen from you. Photos of you blowing out candles on your 18th birthday, basking in the sun on holiday, looking gleeful at graduation, or awestruck at a friend's wedding.
The viral campaign 'Everyone's Invited' has exposed the severity of rape culture in many schools.
Groundbreaking report by HOPE not Hate reveals that conspiracy theories about Covid-19 are being used to spread antisemitism online.
The warped internet culture of "involuntarily celibate" men has spawned a number of mass shootings. But what exactly do they believe and why?
The hit new podcast Sweet Bobby has reignited interest in what motivates people to catfish online.
Why are more and more youngsters turning to astrology after the pandemic?
The PM faced an assault from all sides in a momentous session in the Commons.
Men should be talking about how to eliminate violence against women, not putting their fingers in their ears.
Anonymous social media accounts were behind much of the racist abuse directed at England's footballers this week.
In Act 5, Scene 1 of Hamlet, two gravediggers shovel out a grave for Ophelia as Hamlet and Horatio watch in the distance. Hamlet asks: "Has this fellow no feeling of his business that he sings at grave-making?" Horatio replies: "Custom hath made it in him a property of easiness."
Deepfake images and videos are becoming increasingly sophisticated and easy to make. Soon we may struggle to separate fact from fiction.
The country is bidding farewell to the deputy chief medical officer for England, Jonathan Van-Tam, and his memorable metaphors.
Health & Science
Birth rates are declining across the world. How worried should we be?
Psychedelic research has enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance over the past decade. A wave of studies in the US, UK and Australia have investigated the transformative potential of psychedelics in tackling conditions like depression, anxiety, anorexia nervosa, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Imperial College London launched the world's first 'Centre for Psychedelic Research' back in 2019.
An awareness campaign has been launched by the charity GambleAware to address a predicted one million women at risk of gambling-related harms.
A demographic crisis could have profound effects on political and economic stability in China.
Despite a landmark law change, it's still fiendishly difficult for patients to access treatment they desperately need.
We must tackle the staff shortage, improve midwifery training and end the toxic obsession with natural birth if we are to improve the state of maternity care in the country.
The Covid-19 pandemic has triggered a worrying upsurge in mental health issues. The toxic blend of social isolation, lack of routine, and uncertainty about the future, has created a perfect storm in many people's lives.
When Toby Trice found out about the extent of his fertility problems, he was devastated. A test had shown that Toby had a high level of DNA fragmentation affecting his sperm cells' integrity. He and his partner, Katie, had been trying for a baby for around six years and after two unsuccessful rounds of IVF, the [...]
Police are probing allegations that women have been "spiked by injection" in bars and clubs across the country.
The growth of the health and fitness industry over the past decade has been met by the unprecedented rise of the wellness "guru".
Binge-eating bloggers and children being sent to "fat farms" are symptoms of the country's growing weight crisis.
A Q&A with Dr Albert Garcia-Romeu, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Johns Hopkins.
With record demand for mental health services, many people have been downloading apps whose efficacy remains contested.
In countries around the world, body-positive moments are cropping up that aim to dismantle unrealistic beauty standards by promoting all shapes and sizes. Yet in countries like China, thinness is still prized as the ultimate beauty ideal; the daintier you are, the more desirable.
Over the last two years, the pandemic has created a strange new class of celebrity who have had an unexpected influence on our lives.
The number of women trying to pause the biological clock has surged during the pandemic as the hunt for love is put on hold.
The health secretary is appointing a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) tsar as shortages of the medication have left some women feeling suicidal.
Three breakthrough cancer drug trials are offering hope to patients.
Food & Travel
New York City has an instantly identifiable soundtrack with its cacophony of sounds. Whether it's the apocalyptic whirr of sirens, the honking of horns from a fleet of yellow cabs, the hiss of steam pulsating from the ground or the chortle of laughter spilling out into the streets, the city's beat bounces off skyscrapers and reverberates all around.
"Pretend you're back in your mother's womb," Mary whispers to the class, "safe, warm, protected." A heap of unfamiliar bodies, mine included, are currently curled up in a foetal position on the floor of the Euphoria Retreat in Mystras, Greece.
A wistful weekend spent in the late summer sun in Madrid, the city that siestas, but never sleeps, full of drinking, dancing and al fresco dining.
From a pint of Guinness at the riotous Temple Bar to a trip to Francis Bacon's fossilised art studio, here is a guide on how to spend a weekend in Dublin.
From cookery classes to catering and baking, culinary-based enterprises are trying to deliver a powerful social impact through offering Londoners life-changing food.
There is a select handful of people in this world who on entering a room, light it up with magnetic luminosity. The chef-proprietor Jeremy Lee is one of these switches. What with his bellowing Dundonian voice, wry humour, and infectious smile, is it any wonder that he has charmed the socks off restaurateurs, customers, and critics alike?
An interview with Naved Nasir, the Executive Chef at Dishoom, the Bombay-inspired restaurant chain located across the UK.
An interview with the chef-patron of The Water House Project in Bethnal Green Gabriel Waterhouse. Featuring a recipe for mussels with artichokes.
Ahead of opening her first restaurant and releasing her debut cookbook, the chef Emily Scott shares her love for all-things Cornish.
An interview with the former MasterChef winner and co-founder of Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca.
An interview with the Romanian-born cook and food writer Irina Georgescu.
An interview with Selin Kiazim, the British chef of Turkish Cypriot heritage who owns and runs the restaurant Oklava in London.
An interview with Dominic Auger, the head chef of East London's low-waste fine dining restaurant Hackney Coterie.
An interview with the British pastry chef, author, activist and television presenter Ravneet Gill. Featuring a recipe for rhubarb cheesecake.
An interview with the chef, food writer and illustrator, Letitia Clark, who moved from Devon to Sardinia and wrote a cookbook about it.
An interview with Rukmini Iyer, the food stylist, chef, and author of the bestselling Roasting Tin series.
An interview with the Mexican chef-patron of the restaurant KOL, Santiago Lastra.
An interview with Myles Hopper, co-founder of the health-focused food box delivery service Mindful Chef.
Food for Thought features interviews with chefs, restaurateurs, and cooks to discuss all-things gastronomical. Expect appetising anecdotes, delectable discoveries and a weekend recipe or two.
An interview with the Argentinian chef and restaurateur Fernando Trocca. Featuring a recipe for wild mushroom fideua.
Lengthy power cuts, severe food and fuel shortages and record inflation have thrust Sri Lanka to the fore of international news in recent months. As we saw plastered all over the front pages, the dire situation amassed to widespread protests and demonstrators even stormed the presidential palace and the prime minister's residence in hot-headed rage.
The chef, food writer and co-author of Ottolenghi Flavour, Ixta Belfrage, sits at the epicentre of three electric cuisines, fusing the simplicity of Italian fare with the vibrancy of Mexican and Brazilian food, creating dishes to excite and delight.
An interview with Noor Murad, the Bahraini-born chef and co-author of Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love.
An interview with the entrepreneur and founder of the eponymous food brand Charlie Bigham.
An interview with the award-winning drinks writer and expert Olly Smith. Featuring a cocktail recipe for an Olly Daiquiri.
An interview with the Japanese executive chef and co-founder of Dinings SW3 Masaki Sugisaki. Featuring a recipe for sea bass yuzu ceviche.
An interview with the chef, martial arts expert and third-generation restauranteur, Kwoklyn Wan about all-things Chinese takeaway.
An interview with the British-Italian founder of Pasta Evangelists Alessandro Savelli. Featuring an Easter recipe for Lamb Ragù
An interview with Anna Higham, the former Executive Pastry Chef at the River Café. Featuring a recipe for a raspberry ice cream sandwich.
An interview with James Bulmer, the founder and CEO of Wonderland Restaurants.
