Thelma Fitzgerald

Why One Battle After Another should win the best picture Oscar

Why One Battle After Another should win the best picture Oscar Paul Thomas Anderson’s capering clash between a demented repressive regime and ragtag freedom fighters is both cartoonish and deadly serious – and perfectly tuned to its times

‘A lot of late 70s bands wore grey. But we were determined to have fun’: the return of the mega-influential Swell Maps after 46 years

‘A lot of late 70s bands wore grey. But we were determined to have fun’: the return of the mega-influential Swell Maps after 46 years Championed by the BBC’s John Peel and signed to Rough Trade, the band were punk when that meant DIY, psychedelia and prog as well as screaming chords. What’s more, they loved Pink Floyd …

And the least likable character is … how Oscar season became dominated by difficult people

And the least likable character is … how Oscar season became dominated by difficult people From Marty Supreme to One Battle After Another, this awards run has been populated by a harder-to-love group of spiky characters

‘I owe Iron Maiden my English A-level!’ The great literature our writers discovered through pop music

‘I owe Iron Maiden my English A-level!’ The great literature our writers discovered through pop music Ahead of World Book Day on Thursday, Guardian music writers pick out the musicians whose literary references illuminated them – from Adam Ant on Joe Orton to the National on Grace Paley

Mike Wozniak: ‘An RAF officer didn’t like my sketch about the Queen Mum so he set off the fire alarm’

Mike Wozniak: ‘An RAF officer didn’t like my sketch about the Queen Mum so he set off the fire alarm’ The comedian on non-verbal heckles, one-legged dancing before gigs and his new show about benches

The Zero Line: Inside Russia’s War review – harrowing testimony from a military that turns on its own

The Zero Line: Inside Russia’s War review – harrowing testimony from a military that turns on its own Jailed, beaten, executed … this BBC documentary gives voice to Russian dissidents and conscripts trapped in a system of violence, fear and punishment. The result is devastating

‘I don’t want to micromanage my body’: how the adjustable waistband became a way to regain control

‘I don’t want to micromanage my body’: how the adjustable waistband became a way to regain control Given the average British woman may change dress size more than 30 times in adult life, flexibility is one route to feeling at home in a fluctuating body. But that’s not all it’s good for

The brutal hunt for low-paid work: ‘It’s like The Hunger Games – but for a job folding clothes’

The brutal hunt for low-paid work: ‘It’s like The Hunger Games – but for a job folding clothes’ It used to be fairly easy to get work that paid at or around the minimum wage. But with a shrinking number of positions come ever more hoops to jump through, from personality tests, to trial shifts, to towers constructed of marshmallows

Saunas, safaris and silence in Norfolk: a winter weekend on a rewilded retreat

Saunas, safaris and silence in Norfolk: a winter weekend on a rewilded retreat A transformative conservation project encompassing East Anglia’s large but secluded Fritton Lake has high-end hospitality and nature-rich experiences at its heart

How a disused Edinburgh quarry became a surfers’ paradise: ‘Scots have the appetite to push boundaries’

How a disused Edinburgh quarry became a surfers’ paradise: ‘Scots have the appetite to push boundaries’ The man behind Lost Shore, Europe’s largest inland surf resort, wanted to create a distinctly Scottish experience. Collaboration and a can-do attitude have delivered

A moment that changed me: I shaved off my hair – and immediately became an invisible woman

A moment that changed me: I shaved off my hair – and immediately became an invisible woman Strangers used to open doors, help lift my pram and greet me with approval when I looked ‘like a mum’. After one simple haircut, I was treated very differently

Goodbye, breast implants: why I went back to having a flat chest

Goodbye, breast implants: why I went back to having a flat chest At 56, I want to age naturally. Having breast implants ran counter to that, so I got explant surgery, which has surged in demand recently