So the week of magical thinking has come to pass. We didn’t get to the finals of the World Cup, the Wimbledon ‘Fery’ tale was not to be, and don’t even mention cricket. But for one teeny moment last week, the country felt the tingle of a vibe shift; a quiet hope that the glorious summer would be completed by a winning streak and an extra bank holiday. Yes, it’s the hope that kills us, writes Sophie Heawood, but it’s the hope that brings us back to life as well. Andy Burnham is taking notes.
It’s the Odyssey mindset that Helen Coffey says we need now. As Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster hits the big screen, a new book argues that looking to Homer’s epic is the best way to build the resilience needed to face life’s challenges. Helen chats to its author, clinical psychologist Dr Sam Akbar, to discover how ancient ideals can help us in our own lives
Meanwhile, The Odyssey is packed with mammoth set pieces as Odysseus and his soldiers encounter a variety of monsters, gods and mythical foes on their journey home after the battle. If you’ve seen the film, please let us know if you agree with our reviewer’s verdict here, or if you are of the same mind as Robert McCrum, who says that while Homer’s sublime poem is simultaneously epic and intimate, does this film really offer anything more than special effects?
Meanwhile, Jane Cochrane digs into the little-known real-life battle between Ithaca and Kefalonia – the two Greek islands fighting it out to be recognised as the birthplace of Homer’s hero. It is a fascinating and intriguing side plot to this epic tale.
Whether it is the Odyssey mindset, or a bit of magical thinking, that can help us with the growing challenges the UK is facing, I’ll leave that up to you to decide. Disaster planner Lucy Easthope has some ideas about what is coming down the track. In this piece, she looks at the heavily redacted report from the Joint Intelligence Committee, which says that Britain’s food insecurity is no longer a distant threat but a growing national security risk. As climate change, conflict and fragile supply chains collide, the warnings from intelligence chiefs are becoming impossible to ignore. But we need to be told the extent of the crisis, she argues, because all the signs in the supermarket are that this is not a future problem. It is already here.
I know many of you will be thinking about a staycation this year, and it is certainly becoming a more attractive option. But if you haven’t booked your holiday yet, our travel team have pulled together a great collection of coolcations - the places packed with sunshine, but where the temperatures are comfortable too.
Americans are having a similar idea it seems, with one vital difference. They are upping sticks permanently and heading for Europe. In fact, Donald Trump seems to be leaking US citizens who are fed up. The US saw an estimated net migration loss of 150,000 people in 2025, marking the first negative net migration since the 1930s. They can take their pick of reasons, from a lack of healthcare and education to their president’s continued ICE raids. Alex Hannaford spoke to a few who are leaving Trump’s American nightmare and setting sail for Portugal.
I know many of you reading this are history lovers, which is why lots of you were quick to point out the mistake in last weekend’s newsletter. I told you about the only member of the Royal Family ever to have played in the Wimbledon tournament - George V. It was, of course, George VI. What on earth was I thinking? I can only offer you my sincere apologies and blame human error and the heatwave.
Have a lovely Sunday!
Victoria Harper
Executive Editor
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