English movies from this period can be dour and repressed, but this one, made by the incomparable Powell and Pressburger, is eccentric, complicated and weirdly life-affirming.

This is probably my favourite band of the last ten years. Rock, soul, sweat, banjos, and fantastic songs.

One of the sweetest, saddest and most beautiful debut novels ever written.

If there's a better use that the graphic novel form can be put to, then I'd like to hear about it. The recent history of a country—Iran—as seen through the extraordinarily sharp eyes of a young girl.

Terrific, plangent country songwriting. And who doesn't like boy/girl duets? This album is one long good one.