What is 10 Gentle Spells?

I’m Jude Rogers, freelance arts journalist, broadcaster, documentary-maker, public arts person, kitchen sink wrangler. I’ve spent over 20 years interviewing music and film stars, writing and reviewing, making programmes, doing all sorts.

10 Gentle Spells started life in January 2025 as a way of me noting and sharing ten things from my week, to make my use of social media less frequent, but much more meaningful, and share reminders of life’s wonders in the middle of the grimness of everything – from music, film, TV, art, nature, online culture, anything that made me smile.

Enjoying the practice of doing this (it’s really good for the head!), I’ve added a Mid-Week Culture Blast (a short essay, by me) and a Friday Flashback (reflecting on something topical from my archives) for paid subscribers, plus full access to my Substack archive. I’ve stopped and started these newsletters so many times (I’m also doing most of this around school runs, like so many of us), but I’m enjoying writing short, sharp bursts so much, and I hope you enjoy reading them!

Enjoy, and thanks for reading.

Jude xx