{"id":573452,"date":"2026-07-29T08:11:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T08:11:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/573452\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T08:11:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T08:11:11","slug":"something-for-the-weekend-edie-hands-cultural-picks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/573452\/","title":{"rendered":"Something for the Weekend: Edie Hand’s cultural picks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dirt Pickers is the acclaimed debut novel from debut author Edie May Hand – read an extract here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A tale of love, trauma and survival set in a remote valley in Idaho in 1981, Dirt Pickers follows a man, a woman and three children, among the few survivors of a terrible tragedy.<\/p>\n

They stop running only long enough to wash the blood from their hands and bodies. Their only choice now is, somehow, to become a family…<\/p>\n

We asked Edie for her choice cultural picks…<\/p>\n

FILM<\/p>\n

Niamh Barry is an Irish photographer I’ve been a fan of for years, but recently they shot a short film in Oklahoma\u2019s Tornado Alley about transgender storm chaser, meteorologist, and climate advocate, Raychel Sanner. In Barry\u2019s own words, Something in the Air is “extremely urgent and very timely”, particularly given the rise of conservatism across the globe and how this affects the stripping (or complete absence) of transgender people\u2019s rights alongside the rejection of climate change\u2019s impact on our daily lives. The short film premiered at this year’s Galway Film Fleadh, and screens at the GAZE Festival in Dublin on July 31st – Barry is in the process of raising funds for a full feature-length film which will go into production this year. I can\u2019t wait to see what they create.<\/p>\n

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\nRaychel Sanner in Something in the Air (Pic: Niamh Barry)<\/p>\n

MUSIC<\/p>\n

There is so much to look forward to in music this year. Phoebe Bridgers\u2019 third album, Lost Weekend, is releasing on the 14th of August, and Ariana Grande\u2019s eighth album, petal, will be with us at the end of this month. I am a die-hard fan of both. As for Irish musicians, I\u2019m big into Lankum at the moment and, of course, CMAT. I\u2019d listen to an album of any genre if CMAT recorded it.<\/p>\n

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BOOK<\/p>\n

William Keohane\u2019s book Out There is being published by And Other Stories Publishing in November of 2026. Given that they published this year\u2019s International Booker Prize winner, I\u2019m really looking forward to this one. Recently, though, I\u2019ve been wanting to buy a copy of Sara Baume\u2019s Opening Night, which came out at the start of July. Her book Seven Steeples is a favourite of mine, and I adore how she writes.<\/p>\n

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THEATRE<\/p>\n

I\u2019d love to see Dracula in the Gaiety Theatre this November, as it\u2019s certainly the right time of year for it. And I\u2019ve heard that Hadestown will be in Dublin next summer, so that\u2019s something to look forward to. I\u2019ve only seen it once while on a trip to London, and it\u2019s still up there with one of the best musicals I\u2019ve ever been to.<\/p>\n

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TV<\/p>\n

My friends and I are currently watching Widow\u2019s Bay. It\u2019s a horror\/comedy set on an island off the east coast of America, starring Matthew Rhys as a mayor who is doing his best to make the island “the next Martha\u2019s Vineyard”. This, of course, does not work out for him, because the island is seemingly cursed. The show somehow balances the two genres brilliantly and creates the kind of tension that has you on the edge of your seat, without being too frightening.<\/p>\n

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GIG<\/p>\n

My last gig was The Kooks with my brother in Trinity College. It was the 20th anniversary of their debut album, Inside In\/Inside Out. I went to the 10th anniversary in the Olympia when I was seventeen, so it felt only right to attend this one. Next month, there\u2019s The Weeknd, The Strokes in October, then MUNA and Phoebe Bridgers in November. Between all of that, I\u2019ll take whatever I can get my hands on.<\/p>\n

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ART<\/p>\n

The National Gallery of Ireland\u2019s William Blake exhibition is pure magic. I went with a friend recently and we left feeling so inspired. There are only a few weeks left to visit, but it\u2019s well worth the trip. You can even take a wander around the gallery after. It\u2019s a whole day\u2019s worth of art to look at.<\/p>\n

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PODCAST<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not big on podcasts, but one I do look forward to is Dua Lipa\u2019s Service95<\/a>. A few months ago, she interviewed author Claire Keegan about her novel, So Late in the Day, and since then I\u2019ve tried to listen to as many episodes as I can. Dua takes such a considered approach with her questions and uses her platform to spotlight voices from around the world, which is brilliant, because I think we could all do with listening to each other a little more.<\/p>\n

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\nDua Lipa (Pic: Getty)<\/p>\n

TECH<\/p>\n

Charfoodguide\u2019s website<\/a> (and Instagram<\/a>) is a comprehensive guide to food and drink in Ireland. If you\u2019re on a budget, or want to bring visitors to somewhere exciting and new with the guarantee that it will be a hit, it\u2019s definitely worth checking out their articles and videos.<\/p>\n

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THE NEXT BIG THING…<\/p>\n

Lola Petticrew. I haven\u2019t seen much of their work, but I love how they dress and carry themselves; how they speak about the things that matter to them. Their next film, I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning is out this year, and I’ve heard great things!<\/p>\n

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Dirt Pickers is published by Manilla Press<\/p>\n

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