Leeds in the Bleak Midwinter: book and film recommendations for short days and long nights

Lila Frost runs through her favourite books and films to support her through the harsh winter months.

As much as I hate to admit it, winter is upon us: umbrellas turned useless in the wind, walking back from campus in the dark, and wearing every scarf you own to brave a pub trip (is expedition too strong a word?). So, with many long and cold evenings ahead of us, here are some of my suggestions for snuggling up on a sofa with a cup of
tea, not taking your eyes off a book or TV for hours.

Romance
To stave off any premature watching of Christmas films, I start my book recommendations with Romance. If you’re in search of an ‘and they skipped off into the sunset together’ kind of ending, I warn you, these are not what you’re looking for. I don’t think you would be reading this article if you hadn’t already read Normal People (2018) by Sally Rooney, but the adaptations of it and of Conversations with Friends are also incredible, and truly part of the Sally Rooney experience. Nothing can beat Normal People, but Intermezzo (2024) comes close. Love in these novels is such a difficult and painful, yet beautiful and vital thing. Still on the theme of love is One Day (2009) by David Nicholls. Again, I’m sure that by now you have watched the series that came out last year, but you should let Anne Hathaway in the 2011 film adaption break your heart too. And, if you have managed to escape spoilers up until now, One Day is a perfect book to read this winter.

A personal favourite is The Pursuit of Love (1945), by Nancy Mitford. Austen-esque, it follows the romantic life of a wealthy English woman in the interwar period, with elements of both tragedy and comedy. The 2021 miniseries is one of many adaptations of the book and, consisting of only three-parts, is more than manageable for an evening by the telly.

Claire Keegan
Claire Keegan, a contemporary Irish author, focuses less on romance than on human relationships more broadly, and for this reason I admit that I prefer her to Sally Rooney. Writing novellas and short stories, I love that Keegan’s works allow for an uninterrupted read from beginning to end. In so few pages, her books are shatteringly impactful, and such a brief glimpse into their lives somehow makes the characters even harder to leave behind. I have loved Small Things Like These, So Late in the Day and Antarctica, and I have a copy of Foster on my bookshelf that I cannot wait to read soon. Set in 1980s Ireland, over the Christmas period, you have got to add Small Things like These to your winter reading list. The recent film adaptation, featuring Cillian Murphy, captured the quiet tension of the book brilliantly. Philomena (2011) is a must-watch if you enjoyed Small Things Like These: the character played by Judi Dench is so memorable, and her story so heart wrenching.

Fitzcarraldo Editions
In any conversation about books, including this one, I have got to insist upon the brilliance of Fitzcarraldo Editions. I am not exaggerating when I say that every single book I have read from this publisher has changed my worldview in some way. They often publish translations, offering insight into parts of the world that English literature often does not touch. As a continuation of Claire Keegan, I will start with John Fosse’s Aliss at the Fire (2010), a visionary work exploring love, loss and grief. Originally written in Norwegian, and set by a fjord, the bitter bleakness of the descriptive passages is reminiscent of Keegan’s works and will make Leeds feel balmy in comparison. Also enclosed in the recognisable Fitzcarraldo covers are two of my favourite books: Simone de Beauvoir’s A Very Easy Death (1964), and Annie Ernaux’s Happening (2000). Beauvoir talks about the death of her mother and her process of grief, and Ernaux opens up about an illegal abortion she had in 1963 – the intimacy of the autobiographical genre is part of what makes these books so poignant. Again, the short length of both books amplifies their intensity, their unforgettability. 

Over the course of writing this it has become dark outside, and as miserable as that is I am looking forward to spending the next couple of hours reading, followed by watching the new Frankenstein. I am about to make a cup of tea and do the only thing that, in my opinion, winter is good for.

Words by Lila Frost