The Five at Five: Maya Njie

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.