Winter is a time for me to wrap up in blankets and read. Among the books I have enjoyed so far is Orbital by Samantha Harvey, which won the 2024 Booker prize. It follows six astronauts on the International Space Station over the course of an Earth day (16 orbits of our planet) and is a poetic meditation on everyday life on board, punctuated by moments of awe.
The main character is our beautiful, fragile planet, and I loved getting a different perspective on my home.
As the weather slowly improved, I ventured out to see the sun – , that is, the latest giant sculpture (pictured above) by Luke Jerram. It is based on detailed photos of the sun’s surface, stitched into a sphere 7 metres in diameter. I got lost in its sunspots and streaks of plasma that look like brushstrokes, thrilled to encounter our star so close up.
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I saw the sculpture in the large ballroom in the Bath Assembly Rooms. But if you missed it there, it is on tour across the UK this year – look online for a venue near you.
