Everything you need to stay in for this week

A woman’s home is her castle. Make yours a chic, cultured sanctuary with our picks of the best things to watch, read, listen to and buy.

Fill your home with unmissable culture

The TV, streaming and reading gems that eradicate #FOMO

Sunday night high drama

From the pen of sainted writer and director Sally Wainwright (Happy Valley, Last Tango in Halifax, every other great TV show of the past 15 years) comes the true story of Gentleman Jack – aka Anne Lister aka “the first modern lesbian”. Despite its Sunday night slot and 1832 setting, this is no ordinary BBC crinoline drama – a charismatic Suranne Jones breaks the fourth wall to give Fleabag-esque asides to camera, runs rings around rent-avoiding tenants and makes no bones about her desire to love a woman openly instead of settling for a sham marriage.

With a heavyweight cast of British acting gems (Games of Thrones’ Gemma Whelan is particularly brilliant as Anne’s resentful, irritated sister while Gemma Jones is delightful as her clued-up mother), Wainwright deftly builds a portrait of a patriarchy that’s about to move from a bristle to a roar at Anne’s temerity. Pure TV gold. Watch at 9pm on Sunday 19 May, BBC1

“The new Sally Rooney”

Jessica Andrews’ debut is being hyped as your follow-on drug to Normal People, but Saltwater is entirely unto itself. Conjuring up a startling immediacy, it’s the tale of Lucy who moves from Sunderland to London only to find there’s no space for her in a whirl of a city built for those with connections and confidence. As she retreats to Ireland, a whole new understanding of self comes to the fore. Out Thursday 16 May, £12.99, Hodder & Stoughton

National anthems

There’s a reason why any self-respecting TV series (Game of Thrones, The Affair) looks to The National for incidental, emotional music: they are the soundtrack to every longing you’ve ever had. Heck, even Obama used ‘Mr November’ for his 2008 run. Their new album I Am Easy To Find remains just as ruffling – tender tracks ‘Roman Holiday’ (featuring Gail Ann Dorsey), ‘Oblivions’ and ‘Light Years’ will break your heart. Out Friday 17 May, £9.99

Sounds of the city

Don’t miss BBC Radio 4’s show Estate Music, as journalist Kieran Yates explores how her childhood growing up on a London council estate was influenced by the immigrant communities around her. From jungle and grime to bhangra and R&B, Yates highlights how a mash-up of backgrounds created a soundtrack of a generation – plus what it means when artists leave their roots and the impact of regeneration projects. Listen at 4pm on Monday 20 May, Radio 4

New podcast of the week

‘Crazy In Love’. Mad Men. The Great Depression. Mental health and its descriptors permeate almost every level of our culture, from cult TV shows like Russian Doll to blockbuster movies like Avengers: Endgame. But what does it all mean? Sandy Allen’s new podcast Mad Chat explores just that – starting with an episode about BoJack Horseman, the world’s best cartoon about a depressed horse. Listen to new episodes every Thursday ● Words by Francesca Brown

Every week, we’ll be bringing you a bottle of booze that looks as good as it tastes. First up, Fishers Gin

OK, it’s not exactly a magic bottle washed ashore (although can’t you just imagine Poseidon propping it on his underwater drinks cabinet?), but Fishers Gin is a gift from the sea. Made with a mix of wild and rare herbs, its ingredients are sustainably foraged from the craggy shoreline shaped by the crashing waves off the Suffolk coast. At the heart of this spirit is spignel, a plant which tastes different to everyone and is so rare that Fishers has cultivated its own secret source. We recommend serving this the good old-fashioned way: in a tall glass poured over ice, topped with your favourite tonic and a wedge of lime. £39.99, Dover31 ● Words by Naomi Joseph

Pick-me-up products to make your home even chicer

Fire: a vital part of human existence for at least 400,000 years. Fancy matches: not so essential. But look how pretty these ones are! Courtesy of Barcelonan interiors brand Octaevo, they’re inspired by ancient mythology. Apollo, the Greek god of music, gets the graphic pink and blue treatment, while Janus (the Roman god of past and future) appears as a Matisse-esque illustration. Gorgeous. £10, Not-Another-Bill ● Words by Moya Crockett

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