大象传媒

Sophie Duker @sophiedukebox

It has happened.

Your world has been rocked, your edges snatched, and you’ve cried your tiny peepers out at I May Destroy You.

Well misfits, fear not. I’m not going to do you dirty now the series is done. I couldn’t just leave you with nothing (except all six podcast episodes of Obsessed With… I May Destroy You, available to binge on anytime).

I’m invested in your happiness as much as the next professional comedian who also happens to be a 大象传媒 Sounds podcast host, and here’s my final gift: hand-picked recommendations of related content on which you can fix your aching eyes and ears.

Here’s the list, cuties. You’re so welcome!

Download all episodes of the Obsessed With... I May Destroy You podcast. Available now on 大象传媒 Sounds.

Healing starts here.

I May Destroy You deals with sex, sure – but what is centred, imho, are the attempts at connection made by Arabella and her friends, and the messy, painful glue that binds them together. Let the O.G. bell show you how “The word ‘love’ is most often defined as a noun, yet we would all love better if we used it as a verb”.

Afua Hirsch is a phenomenal writer and broadcaster who tirelessly and uncomplainingly does the werk black women are so often called upon to do. From making Piers Morgan froth at the mouth to eloquently communicating our nation’s problematic relaish with race – she’s an icon, and this book is clear evidence of her brilliance.

A deep cut for the true stans.

This is what Chewing Gum was before it was Chewing Gum. See how the tiny acorns Coel drops here bud into mighty oak trees in her later creative work - but mainly jaw drop at what a genius MC was even way back in 2013.

This anthology explores the experiences of black and minority ethnic people in the UK. Arabella’s experience of therapy and in the NHS in I May Destroy You has already sparked widespread discussions about the whitewashing of mental health and healthcare in general - as evidenced by Tobi Kyeremateng’s article for gal-dem “We don’t see black girls’ tears”.

If you haven’t already got this invaluable collection, get to know.

Ya girl almost didn’t include Queenie on this list, because CCW is already rightfully everywhere – from the winner’s podium of Book Of The Year 2020 to Ep 4 of our very own Obsessed With… I may Destroy You pod. Although her protagonist isn’t a victim of rape, the parallels between Queenie and Arabella are undeniable, and following Queenie’s journey in this funny, fascinating, fuschia (or limited edition gold!)-covered book is one of the absolute best things you can do with your evenings.

If you also fell in love with Arabella’s best friend Kwame, despite him being a) fictional and b) highly unlikely to be into cis women that way, you’ll probably adore a similarly loveable fictional creation – Rainbow Milk’s Jesse, a young black gay ex-Jehovah’s witness from Wolverhampton (whew) who hurtles dick-first into a hectic, heady and occasionally hostile London in this absolute banger of a book.

If you thought you’d seen Teen Arabella (played in I May Destroy You by the exceptional actress Danielle Vitalis) somewhere before, it just might have been in the searingly fantastic seven methods of killing kylie jenner, which deals viciously with themes of social media, female friendship, fame and notoriety in ways that are as heart-stopping and hilarious as any onscreen scene.

Plus, the title is the conversation starter we never knew we needed. Read this play in public and reap the rewards.

If you like a huge helping of wit to accompany your heartbreak, look no further than this exquisite pamphlet of poems on modern love and loss. Like the author of Chronicles of a Fed-Up Millennial (tho this book is fictional so buy Bridget’s instead obvs), Minamore is a working-class artist with fire in her belly and an ability to make words her bitch.

For those of you stubbornly allergic to flicking through non-fiction, but who would still appreciate a hot cup of sexual health tea - stick this brand-new podcast from the founder of ‘Decolonising Contraception’ straight in your ears. Spending a half-hour with hilarious doctors Annabel Sowemimo and Edem Ntumy is nothing short of joyful.

Lap it up.