Deep Read with Phoebe Lovatt

Deep Read Salon LIVE: 39BC Founder Sharmadean Reid on Rituals, Research, and Moving into her 'Yin' Era

Find Deep Reading lists for each episode at phoebe.substack.com
Follow Phoebe and the podcast: @phoebelovatt @deepread.podcast
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Today's episode was recorded live in London as part of our Deep Read Salon event series, with my longtime friend and returning guest, Sharmadean Reid (@sharmadeanreid).
 
We reunited for this live episode at Mason & Fifth in West London, where Sharma was hosting a pop-up for her new luxury bathing brand, 39BC (@39bc.world). As a master of what the internet loves to call “worldbuilding,” Sharma has created an entire universe around this brand — drawing on ancient bathing rituals from around the world to build something really special and unique.
 
It felt like the perfect moment to ask her more about her reading and research process, the evolution of her business philosophy, and the personal and professional transitions that have brought her into this new era of her life and career.
 
Sharma and I have loved talking to each other for over 15 years now, and I think you can hear that in this conversation. I hope you enjoy it.
 

Facialist and Founder Sofie Pavitt on Career Pivots, Locking In, and Building a Skincare Brand

DEEP READING LISTS are available at phoebe.substack.com
Sofie Pavitt is one of New York’s most in-demand facialists and the founder of Sofie Pavitt Face.
If you’re considering a career pivot, this episode will hopefully inspire you. After fifteen years working in fashion for brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, River Island, Gap, and Michael Kors, Sofie left her corporate job, retrained as an esthetician, and built a business from scratch — one client and one facial at a time.
 
This is a fun, business-focussed interview that explores the nuts of bolds of launching a skincare brand from scratch. Sofie shares how she transitioned from designer to entrepreneur, the reality of building a brand in the age of social media, and why her mission is to make effective skincare accessible and uncomplicated. We also talk about work ethic, motherhood, beauty standards, and what it means to build something that lasts in a culture obsessed with the new.
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@phoebelovatt
@deepread.phoebelovatt
@sofiepavitt
 

Professor Sophie Bishop on Influencer Creep, Authenticity, and The Future of Creative Work

Deep Reading lists for each episode can be found at phoebe.substack.com
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Today's conversation is with Sophie Bishop, an associate professor at the University of Leeds, whose new book Influencer Creep: How Optimization, Authenticity and Self-Branding Transform Creative Culture is out now.
Sophie shares how her early work on beauty bloggers led her to coin the phrase “influencer creep,” why artists now face the same anxieties as influencers about constant visibility, and how these dynamics connect to broader questions about labour rights, AI, and the future of cultural work.
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@phoebelovatt
@deepread.phoebelovatt

The Cut's EIC Lindsay Peoples on Style, Politics, and Editing with Intention

Deep Reading Lists are available at phoebe.substack.com
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Something a little different this week: Episode #42 of Deep Read is a live conversation with Lindsay Peoples, Editor-in-Chief, recorded in London during Fashion Week.
We spoke about making intentional work in a noisy media landscape, why fashion and politics are inseparable, and how she balances the heaviness of the job with joy.
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@phoebelovatt
@deepread.phoebelovatt
@lrpeoples
@thecut

Novelist Angela Flournoy on Friendship, Time, and the Wilderness of Contemporary Adulthood

Deep Reading lists for each episode can be found at phoebe.substack.com
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Today I’m joined by New York-based novelist Angela Flournoy, whose highly anticipated second book The Wilderness explores the evolving friendships of four Black women over the span of two decades.
In our conversation, Angela and I discuss what it means to come of age in uncertain times, how friendship can serve as a strategy for survival, and why Los Angeles and New York — the twin backdrops of her novel — carry such symbolic weight. We also talk about writing through motherhood, the shifting markers of adulthood, and the influence of writers like Toni Morrison and Mike Davis on Angela’s work.

Deep Read Salon LIVE: Multidisciplinary Artist Ronan Mckenzie on Seasons, Sacred Spaces, and the Importance of Creative Longevity

Deep Reading lists for each episode can be found at phoebe.substack.com
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A special episode recorded live in London, June 2025. Ronan and I spoke about:
How she recovered from creative, professional, and financial burnout
Interning in her late 20s
Having hobbies!!
Protecting sacred spaces
Her physical movement practice
Different moods for different months
Managing the pressure to always be sharing
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@phoebelovatt
@phoebelovattpubliclibrary
@ronanksm
 

Author Bolu Babalola on Second-Chance Romance, Internet Discourse, and Finding Joy Amid the Darkness

Deep Reading lists for each episode can be found at phoebe.substack.com
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Bolu Babalola is the author of 'Love in Colour', 'Honey & Spice' and a new book titled 'Sweet Heat', which comes out on July 3rd 2025. We spoke about finding joy amid the darkness, being a public person, internet discourse, Yoruba culture, and why rom-coms are due a proper renaissance – plus much more.
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@phoebelovatt
@phoebelovattpubliclibrary
@bolu
 
 

Founder and Artist Kai Avent-deLeon on Self-Love, Staying True, and Creating Community Spaces

Deep Reading lists for each episode can be found at phoebe.substack.com
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Kai Avent-DeLeon is the founder of the concept store Sincerely, Tommy and the restaurant Che–both beloved fixtures in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, the neighbourhood where Kai was born and raised. She also runs Sanctuary, a retreat programme in upstate New York. We spoke about Kai's spiritual and wellness practices, her approach to goal-setting and parenting, the power of real-life community, and so much more.
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@phoebelovatt
@phoebelovattpubliclibrary
@kaiaventdeleon
 

Live at Miu Miu Literary Club: Author Naoise Dolan on Sex Education, Female Socialisation, and Millennial Malaise

This special episode was recorded live at the Miu Miu Literary Club, which took place on 9th-10th April 2025 in Milan. Under the direction of Mrs Miuccia Prada, and now in its second iteration, the Literary Club is the latest in a series of cultural experiences devised by Miu Miu to promote the arts.
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Naoise Dolan is an Irish author whose first book, ‘Exciting Times’, was published to widespread acclaim in 2020. Naoise followed this with the equally well-received ‘The Happy Couple’ in 2023. In both books, Naoise tackles the confusion of contemporary life with precision and wit: her characters grapple with sexuality, housing instability, social media malaise, and our growing class disparities. At the same time, Naoise brings a fresh, often unpredictable perspective to the timeless topics of education, girlhood, and desire that inform this year’s Literary Club curation.
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Deep Reading Lists can be found at phoebe.substack.com
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@phoebelovatt
@phoebelovattpubliclibrary
@naoisedolan
@miumiu

Live at Miu Miu Literary Club: Writer and Translator Lauren Elkin on Girlhood, Desire, and The Joy of Female Friendship

This special episode was recorded live at the Miu Miu Literary Club, which took place on 9th-10th April 2025 in Milan. Under the direction of Mrs Miuccia Prada, and now in its second iteration, the Literary Club is the latest in a series of cultural experiences devised by Miu Miu to promote the arts.
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Lauren Elkin is the translator behind Simone de Beauvoir’s posthumously published book ‘The Inseparables’ - a focus text for this year’s Miu Miu Literary Club - and she is the author of multiple non-fiction books and novels. These include 2024’s ‘Scaffolding’, which explores the ethics of desire, the transition from girlhood to womanhood, and the impact that formative teachers can have on our lives.
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Deep Reading Lists can be found at phoebe.substack.com
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@phoebelovatt
@phoebelovattpubliclibrary
@lauren_elkin_
@miumiu