Are you a fan of natural wine, womanhood-inspired stories, and Gay Pop? If so, you’re in for a treat. Welcome to this week’s WonderGuides.
What to see… “In Plain Sight” at the Halcyon Gallery
@halcyongallery
Strolling around Marylebone this weekend? Make sure to stop by the Halcyon Gallery to check out its new exhibit, “In Plain Sight.” Featuring the work of six dynamic artists, including David Hockney, Bob Dylan, Ernesto Cánovas, and Dominic Harris, it’s a compilation of art under the overarching theme of flowers and how artists respond to the everyday, transforming the mundane into the miraculous.
“In Plain Sight” is on view at Halcyon Gallery’s flagship at 148 New Bond Street until July 7.
What to taste… Oranj, in Shoreditch
TikTok’s favourite East London spot has just opened its kitchen to a new residency, as Oranj welcomes Bangladesh-Italian chef Naz Hassan with a menu available until the 15th of June. Think paneer, think pasta — what else could one ask for? A curated selection of natural wines, maybe. But consider that sorted as well. Minutes away from Brick Lane, make sure to book a table in advance if you’re keen on finding out what all the hype is about.
Oranj, 14 Bacon St, London E1 6LF
What to read… Send Nudes, by Saba Sams
@saba_sams
What does it mean to come of age as a woman in 2024? If you struggle to put the feeling into words, British author Saba Sams might be able to help you out. Her debut book, Send Nudes, is an intimate, dazzling, and poignant collection of ten short stories about the angst and joy of womanhood, deliciously toxic relationships, social dynamics and hierarchies, and, of course, desire. You’re in for a treat — described by THE Sally Rooney as “beautiful, compressed, fleeting.”
Where to shop… Choosing Keeping Stationery
@choosingkeepingstationery
Try to name a better shopping destination than a perfectly curated stationery shop — we’ll wait… Tucked in a corner of Covent Garden, Choosing Keeping Stationery is your go-to destination to find everything you need to take your crafty side to the next level, from notebooks covered in handmade Japanese patterned papers to an A-list of art tools and wrapping papers that will be kept as dearly as your gifts. Pin it on your maps!
Choosing Keeping Stationery, 21 Tower Street, London WC2H 9NS
What to listen to… “Love Bites” by Nelly Furtado featuring Tove Lo & SG Lewis
Still looking for your summer hit? Look no further. 00’s icon Nelly Furtado is back, and we were so ready for it. Her new single, “Love Bites,” is, of course, a dancefloor wrecker, featuring Swedish pop powerhouse Tove Lo and English singer-songwriter SG Lewis. Add it to your playlist now — and to see the Canadian superstar live in London this weekend, keep scrolling…
Where to party… Mighty Hoopla
Nelly Furtado, Jessie Ware, Rita Ora, and… Jojo Siwa? Yes, please. This weekend, one of London’s biggest music festivals is back, taking over Brockwell Park for a full schedule of what’s best in Pop — sorry Jojo, Gay Pop — music. More than 30,000 people are expected to head south over Saturday and Sunday for the event that has become the epitome of colour, effervescence, and diversity in the city. Are you down?