Blake Matich
Monocle’s digital sub editor and a regular contributor.
Mark Carney’s Davos address put world leaders – and their speechwriters – on notice
The Canadian prime minister’s speech stood out not just for its polish but also its provenance. In an age of outsourced language, Carney showed leaders why writing for yourself is worthwhile.
Is New York’s scaffolding getting a glow-up? Expectations are low – but rising
Scaffolding, or sidewalk sheds if you want to get technical, is as much a part New York’s fabric as flooded subways or breakfast bagels. But does it have to be so ugly and ubiquitous?
A letter from Magdeburg to Sydney: terror, grief and the road to justice
Writing in the wake of a terror rampage in Sydney, and one year after a deadly car attack shattered Magdeburg’s Christmas market, Blake Matich reflects on grief, resilience and how communities restore order.
The art of ageing: Inside the studios of seven in-demand artists in their eighties and nineties
As we all too easily forget, ageing is a gift – and what gifts these artists continue to give the world.
Course correction: How restaurants are rebelling against performative dining
From phone bans to surprise menus, new collabs and extended late-night dining, restaurants are pushing back against the homogenisation of hospitality, one real meal at a time. No filter, no wi-fi, no problem.
Tray bien: Canteens make an upscale comeback as Londoners invest in lunchtime
Dining al desko is done and dusted. Office workers are reclaiming their lunch hours with the help of canteen-style restaurants that are healthy, a little smug and suddenly ubiquitous.
London’s most pointless event is also its best dressed
“Where are we headed?” asked a moustached man in a Saville Row suit so sharp that it would have made Tom Wolfe feel underdressed. “Haven’t the foggiest,” said a tall gent in a pith…
