The Five at Five: Maya Njie

25 Mar 2021

The Five at Five is a download of the best things to read, watch, shop, and get inspiration from. This week’s selections have been curated by artist and perfumer Maya Njie.

ALT_TEXT

Maya’s perfumes are unisex, vegan, cruelty free, created in small batches and bottled by hand. Her creations are inspired by her Swedish and African heritage.

ALT_TEXT

Read
'The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down' by Haemin Sunim. When it comes to going to bed I am an early bird, which means that I almost never read at night. I rise early and find that this book is great because it sets me up for the day and stops me from reaching for the phone. I dip in and out and read it again to re-set sometimes.

ALT_TEXT

Watch
Arena, Chelsea Hotel on BBC iPlayer. Last night I watched a documentary from 1981 about the hotel and its many residents over the years. Some well known, others not so much but all characters in their own right.

ALT_TEXT

Listen
Radio Garden, a radio app that takes me across the world and back in seconds. I hop from country to country and find the concept very inspiring and also a lot of fun.

ALT_TEXT

Shop
Scandinavian Kitchen, because I’m terribly homesick and they keep me topped up on my favourite supplies.

ALT_TEXT

Inspiration
I have been listening to Gambian folk music in the lab. The sounds of the Kora and Balafon are both inspiring instruments to listen to as I blend.