Helen Graves’ Shelfie
This is the chest of drawers next to my bed, which serves as a TBR pile but also holds books I’m currently using for research, have just read, or have been sent. I love the chaos of it. Most of my house looks like this, to be quite honest. I love living among my books, having them all on hand. I need to be able to just grab one and dip in. It’s the cosiest, most comforting feeling, being surrounded by all these little worlds, although I expect many people would see this as mess.
English Food by Diane Purkiss and Food in History by Reay Tannahill are two books I open constantly. As a food writer, they provide invaluable context. Even if there’s no historical focus to a piece I’m writing, I want to know about connections, previous versions, human stories. Of course, there’s the danger of ‘losing’ an hour. They’re some of the most well-written food history books out there. If you find food history dry and boring, these will change your mind. If you still find food history dry and boring after reading them, the topic just isn’t for you.
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin, How Music Works by David Byrne (yes, that one) and Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert are all about the creative process and again are on hand for inspiration. I’m fascinated by other people’s ways of working, and I love it when something resonates; it gives me energy. I’m very interested in nurturing creativity - in how we can feed it; how we can unlock the subconscious; how ideas are formed or accessed; our attention and where we direct it, and manifestation. I meditate at least once a day. As an ex-psychologist, I have a strong interest in neuroscience and (obviously) human behaviour.
The pen is an OHTO gel number and, unfortunately, now the only pen I can write with, which is inconvenient, honestly, as I have to order refills online. I buy them from Cult Pens. I also have a turquoise version. The pen isn’t expensive but writes beautifully in thin ink lines. She glides. This is also where notebooks of various sizes live. I probably bought the smaller ones to go in my handbag, but they all inevitably end up next to my bed. I’ve stopped resisting. My phone notes do the job when I’m out and about.
I finished Lucien by J. R. Thornton recently - I love dark academia books. Not to be predictable but The Secret History is in my top two books of all time along with A Little Life. The latter I adore for the group friendship dynamics even though it’s harrowing as fuck. A strong theme across all three books.
Arrangements in Blue by Amy Key I have also just finished. My God, I love a memoir by a woman, and I love a woman who leaves it all out on the field. It’s about the lack of a romantic relationship in Amy’s life, but loosely structured around the Joni Mitchell song “Blue”. Amy uses language so beautifully - she’s a poet, and this is obvious, I think. Every word is so precisely placed. I feel like I know Amy after reading this book. I’d love to sit next to her at dinner and overshare for a couple of hours; I love oversharing. I want to get into it with people immediately when I meet them. Let’s sack off the small talk - how are your hormones?
The newspaper at the bottom is the New Review section of The Observer newspaper, which is delivered on a Sunday. I read most of it right away, but often won’t finish with this part until Wednesday morning because I inevitably have to get up and do something or other. I have to read the sections in a specific order: main paper first, then the magazine, then the New Review. I chuck the sports section away as soon as the paper arrives.
Helen Graves
Helen is a food writer, author and editor of Pit magazine. She writes the bestselling Substack Flavour Nuggets.
Shelfies is edited by Lavie Tidhar and Jared Shurin.
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