The End-of-Year Bumper Storythings 2025 Recommendations Edition

👋🏼 Hi there!

🔔 This newsletter will be unlike the weekly ones you’ve been used to seeing from us. For those of you who joined us in 2025, at the end of every year we do a round-up of films, books, podcasts, events or stories that caught the attention of the Storythings team through the year. Maybe you’ll get some inspiration for things to do in the holidays, or in 2026!

📢 The Storythings office is closing for the year today, and we’re back fresh and rested (and probably too full of chocolates and mince pies) on January 5th 2026 - see you then!

💻 We find and share loads of audience research and data at Storythings every week, so we’re going to start sharing an audience insight at the start of every newsletter. Released this week, research done at Columbia and Harvard Universities shows that non-political creators have an outsized influence on their audience’s politics. Here’s more in Gizmodo.

👌 The Recommendations

Something Read

Matt: The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. I’m a bit of a sucker for a time travel story, not because I’m a massive SF nerd, but because I really enjoy authors who explore the human consequences of what would happen if it were possible. Every new technology has an emotional reaction, and in this case, it’s huge.

Anjali: Quarterlife by Devika Rege. It’s set in Mumbai in 2014 with multiple characters that slowly grow their arcs as the story progresses. I was lucky enough to attend an event with a conversation between Devika Rege and author Pankaj Mishra on the book earlier this year as well, where Ms. Rege spoke about how, even though it started off as a novel with a couple of main characters, there was so much she wanted to say that she found she couldn’t limit it to those two, and so the entire cast became vital. 

Emily: Anima by Kapka Kassabova. A magical work of creative non-fiction mapping the last of the pastoralists in Europe. It’s a subtle but vital plea for preserving different and disappearing ways of living. 

Isabella: One of the best books I read this year was Against the Loveless World by by Susan Abulhawa - although the book is a piece of historical fiction, it offers crucial insights into the lives of those who have been impacted by the 1948 Nakba, as well as those facing incarceration as political prisoners around the world. With themes of love, family, friendship and resistance it offers readers so much!

Darren: Old but gold. The World According to Garp by John Irving. I had seen the film version with Robin Williams many years ago and could remember a lot of the key beats, but that didn’t stop this book landing with an emotional wallop. Straight into my all all-time most loved books shelf.

Emma G: Been re-reading Phil Rickman’s Merrily Watkins series this year in preparation for the last installment - The Echo of Crows (next in my book pile) - which was published posthumously in November. I last visited the fictitious village of Ledwardine as everyone prepared for life during Covid lockdown but evil, of course, has no boundaries (poor Merrily)…

Emma S: Hosting Xmas so going through old school cook books right now - nice change from a digital search. 

Something Watched

Hugh: I Swear - Easily my favourite film of the year. Diagnosed with Tourette’s at age 15, John Davidson faced and overcame many hardships from adolescence and early adulthood as a result of what was a little known and entirely misunderstood condition in 1980’s Britain. You will laugh and cry and laugh and cry again. Exceptional!

Matt: I really enjoyed new seasons of favourite shows like Slow Horses, The Diplomat, and Severance. But I’ve really got into Plur1bus - it’s got a slow and steady pace, but does a great job of gradually exploring the world it’s created.

Anjali: Celebrity Traitors, White Lotus Season 3, The Beast And Me and All Her Fault were all compelling viewing, but Adolescence might take it for me because of how hard-hitting and yet unhurried it was. I’m also a fan of the single-take shooting technique they employed so expertly for each episode. A well-deserved Emmy sweep. 

Emily: Breaking Bach. A hip hop dance project to Bach’s music with kids from a North London secondary. Only available on Marquee TV or seeing it live (which I’d love to do) but this YouTube clip gives you an idea. 

Aimée: I’ve watched a lot of great shows this year, including Paradise, Loot, The Studio, and Celebrity Traitors. However my daughter has requested I mention K-Pop Demon Hunters, which I have to say has been watched A LOT in our house, and the songs have been played on heavy rotation! 

Chris: Dexter: Resurrection was INCREDIBLE. After the first series’ trash finale and the divisiveness of the New Blood sequel, the Dexterverse was back in full effect. The level of fan service (bringing back ghosts of deceased characters), call backs, new characters/locations and soundtrack made this one of the best seasons of Dexter ever. My body is READY for the next season.

Isabella: A highlight this year was watching both Kneecap and Bob Vylan's sets at Glastonbury and witnessing the rise of artists standing out in support of Palestine and the solidarity of thousands across the world, including the current group of hunger strikers detained in the UK calling for and end to UK complicity and a Free Palestine.

Darren: Lots of obvious ones - One Battle After Another, Sinners, Weapons. But also caught up on The Outrun (works as a double bill with The Ballard of Wallis Island in terms of a small island setting, not much else), Slow West (top-notch off-kilter western), Strange Darling (lots of fun structural stuff going on). And for fans of I Think You Should Leave, you really need to watch The Chair Company and Friendship.

Emma G: I don’t know what planet I’ve been on. I hadn’t noticed that there was more to come from Stranger Things until Matt told me a couple of weeks ago! Now I’m cliffhanging for Volume 2 to drop on Boxing Day (along with everyone else who loves this fabulous show).

Emma S: Slow Horses and my guilty pleasure, Race Across The World.

Something Listened To

Hugh: Strangers on a Bench - This has been my favourite podcast this year. Tom Rosenthal talks to random strangers on park benches. Each episode proves that everyone has a fascinating story to tell when you have the right storyfinder asking the questions. The real treat comes at the end of each episode when Tom, a singer-songwriter creates a song that tells the story of the episode. Normally, that sounds like it could be terrible but it’s not. It’s wonderful.

Anjali: I’m really enjoying listening to the Journalism 2050 series on The Kicker, which is an extension of their Columbia Journalism Review editorial series.

Emily: Jimi Famurewa on Time Out’s Love Thy Neighbourhood podcast series. He talks about Gray’s Inn and Clerkenwell, one of my favourite parts of London, so I got to be nostalgic about places I know well. 

Aimée: Lily Allen’s new album, West End Girl. It was quite a jaw dropper on the first listen, with a narrative running through it. It leaves you wondering what was true and what may have been artistic license…let’s just say I have a whole new perspective on her ex-husband.

Chris: Sometimes, podcasts can be a challenging listen and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This past November, I was in Virginia this past November for the Resonate Podcast Festival and was introduced to Haitian-American Producer, Beaudelaire Ceus, who produced a fascinating podcast pilot called The Vodou Project. The podcast finds Beaudeliare tracing Vodou’s roots from Benin, through the Haitian Revolution and U.S. occupation, to its place in the modern diaspora. It was a challenging but necessary listening experience because it took me beyond the images of zombies, dolls, and devil worship and in some ways reconsider my own prejudices against the practice. Beaudelaire’s conversation with his Mother was so revealing and I couldn’t sleep after listening to the exchange. 

Isabella: This year I have loved discovering and listening to Mustafa's 2024 album Dunya - political, poetic and brilliant :)

Darren: There was a new Swans album, which is always good news. Discovered that David Lynch had made a couple of brilliant albums (Crazy Clown Time and The Big Dream). Took a punt on a compilation of weird British folk from the seventies by Bob Stanley, which turned out to be marvellous (Gather in the Mushrooms).

Emma G:  BBC Radio 4’s The People vs McDonald revisits the McDonald's Corporation vs Steel & Morris case and delves into the unexpected twists and turns of the stories behind it.

Emma S: The new De La Soul album, Cabin In The Sky.

Something Live

Matt: I saw two fantastic concerts with my teenage daughter - Billie Eilish at the O2 and Loyle Carner at Brixton - and one fantastic concert with my wife - Fionn Regan at The Old Market in Hove. The first two were huge and spectacular, the last one was beautifully intimate - we were barely six feet away from the stage!

Anjali: Together4Palestine, the concert organised by Brian Eno featuring an A-list roster of talent. The next day, thanks to Instagram, I realised almost every journalist or entertainment-related person I followed had been there. The true heroes though? The Palestinian artists who showcased or performed their work, the doctors who spoke about the horrors they were going through in Gaza day after day, and UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Francesca Albanese who has been unwavering her support for Palestine. If you’d like to support, Together For Palestine have released a single called Lullaby that they’re hoping to get to Christmas number 1. You can buy or stream it here.

Emily: Circa Humans 2.0 at Brighton Festival. Mind-bending acrobatics. 

Aimée: I saw Self Esteem perform her Complicated Woman album, which was phenomenal. I’ve seen her perform a few times but this was the most uplifting and powerful concert I’ve been to in a long time. 

Chris: I was outside for WWE RAW and Smackdown at The O2 in June 2025. I have a confession to make though. I’ve been watching Wrestling since 1991 and it was my first time at a major WWE event. These two nights were special though. I finally got to see John Cena live and he retired from in-ring action on December 13th. I also got to pay homage to my Wrestling man crush, AJ Styles, who will be hanging up the boots soon. I am still recovering from the shock that a bag of Fruit Pastilles cost me £4.99. 

Isabella: I loved going to see Kerry James Marshall's exhibition at the Royal Academy - and his blend of themes of afro-futurism, love in the mundane, history and family. It's on until 18th January 2026, so you still have time to visit!

Darren: Went to see – and was nearly deafened by – My Bloody Valentine in November.

Emma G: I went to Derren Brown’s Only Human show at the Theatre Royal, Brighton. We were late booking and the three of us had to sit separately so we had bets on whether any of us would inadvertently end up involved in the audience participation. My lips are sealed on everything. “Prepare to be astonished…” it says in the link. And we were… It’s still touring.

Emma S: Watched my daughter winning the national cheer competition - scary (in particular the amount of lipstick worn) but proud despite being far from a typical cheer mum.

Something Surprising

Hugh: Pee-wee as Himself - Growing up in the 80s I thought I knew all I needed to know about Pee-wee but then when I tried to recall what happened to him, all I could come up with was a vague recollection of controversy. This wonderful three-part doc not only fills in the gaps but paints a fascinating picture of an artist who understandably struggled to allow someone else tell his story. The film includes a final message from Reubens, recorded the day before his death.

Matt: This might not have been totally surprising, but it was fantastic to see Celebrity Traitors become such an old-school TV success. It’s nice to see the BBC get a big win in yet another year where public media has taken a battering.

Anjali: Cabaret - The Musical at the KitKat Club. Something about being thrown back to an older time, with the experience being all hush-hush, made for a nice surprise. 

Aimée: How much I enjoyed going to my daughter's first concert. We went to see Nick Cope, who sings the best songs, which are also enjoyable for grown ups too. He even shared an exclusive story about how one of his songs, about 'how babies are made', was banned by the BBC for his show. He obviously sang it for us!

Chris: I went to Pitch Black Playback earlier this year where you listen to albums in the dark with a blindfold. I was skeptical at first and teased my wife for making such a ridiculous suggestion. But, as Mrs Mitchell and I sat in total darkness and listened to Voodoo by D’Angelo, I got lost in the music and my hearing powers were heightened. I heard things in the music I had never heard before. I can actually say it was a spiritual experience. 

Isabella: I wasn't expecting to fall into The Summer I Turned Pretty pit, but I fell and fell hard - I think i binged all three seasons in 2 weeks. Which team were you?

Darren: After numerous sequels and dead ends, how were they going to make Alien: Earth (Disney Plus) work? Well, somehow they did and also gave us a new iconic monster that is essentially a machiavellian eyeball with a penchant for other creatures’ eye sockets. It also gave us the Alien/Barry Lyndon crossover we didn’t know we wanted.

Emma G: Alan Carr in Celebrity Traitors was a delightful surprise. Also, the film Pillion was extremely funny and an antidote to the usual run-up to Christmas madness. And I’d totally forgotten that Alexander Skarsgard was in Succession.

Something Old

Matt: I started listening to Adam Buxton’s podcast right from the beginning, because I’ve come to it very late indeed and I’m a bit of a completist. It’s very odd listening to podcasts from 2016 talking about Brexit and Trump’s first election again. I’m not looking forward to hitting the COVID era.

Anjali: I started Race Across The World from Season 1, though I know everyone is on the latest Celebrity Race Across The World, and I can’t believe I didn’t start it sooner. I’m actually watching it with my daughter, and have spoken to at least one other parent who is doing the same. The restrictions (no plane travel, no phone, fixed budget) make for really interesting viewing. 

Emily: All the issues of Muzik Magazine from 1995 - 2003 are here as downloadable pdfs. I’ve only just found this out and spent hours this last week going down clubbing memory lane.  

Aimée: The documentary about John Candy. Ok the documentary is new, but it did make me want to revisit some of his old classics, such as Plane, Trains and Automobiles and Splash, which are two of my personal favourites. I have also since discovered that there is going to be Spaceballs 2!

Chris: I grew up singing in choirs and my Mum was the Church Choir Director. I am a serious addition to the tenor section. Don’t play with me.  I’ve been on Instagram double tapping on all the posts from Gospel Music 90s and reliving the glory days of Mass Choirs from the golden era. There was a really cool moment this year when Gen-Z was introduced to the sounds of the Friendship Baptist Choir directed by Gospel OG, Brent Jones. Their song, My Search Is Over, (led by Dahliam Williams and interpolating I’m In Luv by Joe) went viral 27 years after it was released because of Tik Tok.

Isabella: I was shamefully extremely late to this, and only watched Anora this weekend - but I can attest to the hype being absolutely deserved - I thought this was brilliant (from the acting, actors, cinematography, dialogue - all of it) so if you happen to be part of the very few like me who hadn't seen it - then please run to go see it!

Darren: Finally managed to take a tour of the Catacombs in Paris. Saw a lot of bones. Was not disappointed. 

Emma G: The Leigh Bowery exhibition at the Tate earlier this year was a trip back to the 1980s club culture, fashion design and performance. 

Emma S: Been listening to old favourites Groove Armada (and admit to a little kitchen dancing)

Something New

Matt: I’m going to be extremely biased and promotional, and say Colin’s Grandma, the second book in my wife’s picture book series about Colin, a Vampire who just wants a quiet life, but moves into a castle inhabited by a rogue duck. In the second book, his many-hundreds-of-years-old Grandma comes to visit…

Anjali: Jad Abumrad’s new podcast, Fela Kuti - Fear No Man. A fantastic look at the legend, talent and political activist that was Fela Kuti. 

Emily: Pillion. Such a brilliant film. 

Isabella: I loved Rosalia's recent LUX album.

Darren: I’ve covered films of the year, but one I didn’t cover, which is definitely new, is The Long Walk. It’s mainly people walking and talking, and occasionally stuff happens and they make it work. Feel good film of the year.

Emma S: Not sure this can be classed as new, but new to me: Kerry James Marshall at the Royal Academy. On until 18th January 2026 and very worth a visit.  

💌 Humans of LinkedIn

This week, someone who’s been a champion of technology and education talking about the need to invest in the latter as well as the former, particularly in the UK. Here’s Martha Lane Fox talking about her visit to Hong Kong recently to attend the Yidan Education Prize award ceremony, contrasted with her time as President of the British Chambers of Commerce.

READ HER LINKEDIN POST HERE, AND FROM THERE FOLLOW THROUGH TO HER SUBSTACK POST →

Thanks for being loyal subscribers - do pass our newsletter on to anyone you know looking for an agency who can create fascinating stories for humans in B2B in 2026 (no robot writers in sight)! We always appreciate the kind words.

Have a great Christmas and festive season, and all the best for the new year,

Matt, Anjali, Hugh, and the team