Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1498713
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 MAY 2023 6 ALMANAC My essentials FAYE PARIS 45, Graphic Designer & Actor I have been working freelance as a one-woman-band since I had my second child, 11 years ago, which is around the time when acting took a major step back. I've worked with varied clients, ranging from big international hotel chains to small local businesses. My fortes are designing books and brand identities. My freelance continues to grow steadily and I've recently returned to the stage which is very exciting and gratifying. 1 4 5 1. Book 2. Film 3. Internet 4. Music 5. Place I get my daily news fix from pod- casts. I usually listen while I run or walk the dog. I love short doc- umentaries, true crime or any- thing really, if narrated well. My recent favourites are The Com- ing Storm, BBC 4, The Dropout, ABC News, I am not a Monster, BBC Podcasts. I also listen to podcasts about design, freelance businesses, nutrition, wellness, dogs, feminism, running and lots and lots of comedy. MY Spotify has been hi- jacked by my son, Char- lie, whose taste in music is slightly different to mine. So my daily mixes are a jumble of current pop (him) with my all-time favour- ites like Florence and the Machine, The Killers, Foo Fighters, Supergrass, Mum- ford & Sons. Anything you can sing loudly to in the car (with the windows sealed shut). I had a good start in my teens as I used to listen to everything grunge and alternative, which I still love. MY favourite place is sitting with my husband Alan, with a glass of good red wine in one hand, delicious food in the other, with Charlie on my left, Evie (my daughter) on my right and Ollie, our mixed-Lab-tal- kaċċa somewhere in between (usually dropping the wine and stealing the food). Ideally somewhere that's leafy, green and spacious with sun, fresh air and a clear blue horizon. Bliss! MY favourite genres for books are usually fiction mystery thrillers. My reading fluctu- ates but I've always tried to find the time for it. A recent favourite is 'Where the Craw- dads Sing' by Delia Owens. I find the story beautifully pro- found and quite haunting. I'm always drawn to stories about female characters, and this, combined with the exquisite description of the marshes and the natural world around her just kept me hooked. The New York Times describes it quite aptly by calling it a "painfully beautiful" read. IT isn't recent but my all-time favourite movie, which I fall back on if I just need gener- al cheering up is Jean-Pierre Jeanuet's 'Le Fabuleaux Des- tine d'Amélie Poulain' (Yes! French! With subtitles!). It is a delicious film named after its heroine, played by the amazing Audrey Tautou. It starts with tragedy and black humour and takes you on a journey through the imagination of quirky, iso- lated characters, in true Jeunet style. The film's soundtrack, by the inimitable Yan Tiersen, is just nostalgic and delightful. 3 2