Jayde Adams, Self Esteem & Jack Rooke in conversation
- Text by Huck
Comedian, actor and recent contestant on Strictly Come Dancing Jayde Adams reclines on a sofa in the Mondrian London Shoreditch, slowly raising her leg to vertical, showing off her flexibility. Two of her best friends sit across from her, unimpressed. They’ve seen this behaviour before. The pair are award-winning TV writer and comedian Jack Rooke, whose recent autobiographical TV show Big Boys – about a young man dealing with grief and sexuality – received critical acclaim, and singer Self Esteem, whose much lauded sophomore album, Prioritise Pleasure, has achieved cult status along with a Mercury Prize nomination.
The talented trio have achieved their success through hard work, self-belief and never giving up. We invited them to discuss their relationship, their individual bumpy roads to success, how to deal with dying on stage and a lot of laughs.
You might like
Capturing life in the shadows of Canada’s largest oil refinery
The Cloud Factory — Growing up on the fringes of Saint John, New Brunswick, the Irving Oil Refinery was ever present for photographer Chris Donovan. His new photobook explores its lingering impacts on the city’s landscape and people.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Susan Meiselas captured Nicaragua’s revolution in stark, powerful detail
Nicaragua: June 1978-1979 — With a new edition of her seminal photobook, the Magnum photographer reflects on her role in shaping the resistance’s visual language, and the state of US-Nicaraguan relations nearly five decades later.
Written by: Miss Rosen
A visual trip through 100 years of New York’s LGBTQ+ spaces
Queer Happened Here — A new book from historian and writer Marc Zinaman maps scores of Manhattan’s queer venues and informal meeting places, documenting the city’s long LGBTQ+ history in the process.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Nostalgic photos of everyday life in ’70s San Francisco
A Fearless Eye — Having moved to the Bay Area in 1969, Barbara Ramos spent days wandering its streets, photographing its landscape and characters. In the process she captured a city in flux, as its burgeoning countercultural youth movement crossed with longtime residents.
Written by: Miss Rosen
In photos: 14 years of artist Love Bailey’s life and transition
Dancing on the Fault Line — Photographer Nick Haymes’s new book explores a decade-plus friendship with the Californian artist and activist, drawing intimate scenes from thousands of pictures.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Dalia Al-Dujaili: “When you’re placeless, nature can fill the void”
Babylon, Albion — As her new book publishes, the British-Iraqi author speaks about connecting with the land as a second-generation migrant, plants as symbols of resistance, and being proud of her parents.
Written by: Zahra Onsori
