The actor Samantha Morton was born in Nottingham in 1977 and had a turbulent childhood, spending nine years in and out of foster care. At 13, she joined the Central Junior Television Workshop and in the late 90s broke through in the TV series Band of Gold and a searing performance in Under the Skin. She’s been nominated for an Oscar twice, for Sweet and Lowdown and In America, and won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Myra Hindley in Longford. For her directorial debut, The Unloved (2009), she won a Bafta. Earlier this year she released her first music with producer Richard Russell. Morton lives with the film-maker Harry Holm in East Sussex and has three children. Her BBC Radio 6 Music festive takeover will be broadcast on 6 Music and BBC Sounds on 27 December.
1. Photobook
Comprehensive by Nick Waplington
Years ago I saw a photograph by the British artist Nick Waplington that really freaked me out. It was from a series called Living Room, taken on the Broxtowe estate in Nottingham in the late 1980s, and I felt as if he’d gone into my childhood memories and was photographing my home, my family, my street. So I have a strong personal connection to his work. This Phaidon book covers his whole career from Living Room onwards. It’s an investment – it’s not cheap – but it’s an amazing book.
2. Gallery
This is up there with the best art spaces in the country. I go to anything they put on because they’ve got great taste, and it’s a stunning building as well. I’ve seen so many things there, but one that stands out is an exhibition a few years ago about the Black Panther movement, with photographs, books and films. That really moved me and taught me a lot. It’s an amazing place to visit – and it’s free, which is really important at the moment when everything’s so expensive.
3. Novel
How to Make a Bomb/Dartmouth Park by Rupert Thomson
Rupert Thomson is one of my favourite authors. His new book isn’t out in the UK till April but it’s already been released in the US, under the title Dartmouth Park. It’s a riot and very compelling – quite dark, as usual, but funny too. It’s about a historian who experiences an abrupt change in his life and suddenly everything is different and we’re not quite sure why. Has he had a mental breakdown? Hit a midlife crisis? There are lots of twists and turns. Thomson is an extraordinary writer.
4. Theatre
Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book at Little Angel theatre, London
As a mum with three kids, my first call at this time of year is the Little Angel theatre in Islington, set up by the parents of film director Joe Wright. I see every show they put on and have done for the past 20-odd years. I’ve never been disappointed. The puppets are handmade, the performances are incredible, the venue is gorgeous. This Christmas we’ll go to see Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book, based on Julia Donaldson’s story about a boy who loves books about pirates. I hope Little Angel never changes.
5. Film
Queendom at Broadway Cinema, Nottingham
I love watching films at the cinema, and Broadway is my favourite cinema anywhere. Growing up in Nottingham, that was where I saw Reservoir Dogs and loads of other arthouse films. They make you think differently about film because of the choices they make. At the moment they’re showing Napoleon, Fallen Leaves, and Queendom, which I’m very excited to see. It’s a documentary about a drag artist in Russia – a political statement about the war in Ukraine, but also a story of her journey. I want to see it so desperately.
6. Place
St Anthony of Padua Catholic church, Rye
This is one of my favourite churches. I like to go to church. I’m not always happy with what churches are connected with, but for me personally, there’s something very calming and peaceful about quiet reflection inside these buildings. And this church in Rye is really lovely, because, like the one that I went to growing up in Nottingham, it’s very simple. It was built by the Franciscan order, so everything is stripped back and minimal. We live in narcissistic times where crazy wealth is celebrated and abject poverty is hidden. I find it all quite sad, so it’s good to have places to go where you can reflect in peace and quiet.
7. Music
Kirsty MacColl: See That Girl box set/Isaiah Collier: Parallel Universe
I’ve been really busy recently but I’m never too busy to listen to music. They just released all of Kirsty MacColl’s material in a box set, which has 161 songs recorded between 1979 and 2000. It’s an incredible listen and contains some things that I’d never heard before – there are 47 previously unreleased tracks – as well as all the hits.. I’ve also been enjoying a new album called Parallel Universe by Isaiah Collier, a Brooklyn-based jazz composer, activist and educator. It’s pretty awesome.
