Culture
Page 175
John Simpson
Covering conflict zones, war correspondent John Simpson daydreams of fish and chips. For his ‘last meal’ he chooses London’s J Sheekey, where he discusses his unplanned life and dangerous career.
Observation
When volcanic ash stranded Monocle staff, there were far worse places to be than Hong Kong. Its can-do attitude and impeccable service vindicated our decision to open our new Asia bureau there.
Culture
Monocle has a chat with the chairman of auction house Bonham's Asia division, and we review the new Bill Hicks biopic and the third album from Paris-based tango tearaways Gotan Project.
Elegant solution
Curate your wardrobe with simple spring masterpieces. We pick the showstoppers at the 21_21 Design Sight museum in Tokyo Midtown.
Fiell excited
After 15 years at Taschen, design editors Peter and Charlotte Fiell are launching their own publishing house. After two years of hard work, they are ready to make a splash with their new venture.
Word champion
Talk-show host Bernard Pivot made serious literature popular in France. When he liked a book, the nation bought it. A uniquely French hero, he even made a televised spelling test into appointment viewing.
Ready for kick-off
As coaches plot World Cup tactics, so do journalists. Monocle visits Durban and Johannesburg to see how 18,000-plus writers, pundits and photographers will be accommodated in South Africa.
Americas
We run the rule over Brazilian president Lula's wardrobe, and the US 10-year census gets a marketing makeover - and the ad industry gets all excited.
Observation
Monocle has been constantly remixing itself, much of it prompted by public demand. Our adventures behind the mic are now coming to fruition with an ambitious global audio project, writes Tyler Brûlé.
