Things to do in London in May - part one

Book nerds (such as myself) will surely want to check out the London Literature Festival, running at the Southbank Centre from Monday 20 May to Sunday 8 September. This summer-long extravaganza mixes readings and discussions with best-selling authors such as We Need To Talk About Kevin’s Lionel Shriver and The Time Traveler’s Wife’s Audrey Niffenegger with spoken words and music events. Me, I’m going to this, because Annushka has already bought the sunflower oil, and has not only bought it, but has already spilled it. After your event of choice, relax on the riverside with your cold drink of choice and enjoy the sight of London all dolled up in sunlight.

Embark on a quest to find the best ice cream in London. Milk-spun Italian creaminess in Borough Market, posh Argentinian dulce de leche at Freggo or an invigorating run to the ice cream van? You decide. Just go for your favourite flavours and be generous with the toppings.

In his latest TV production Apocalypse, Derren Brown convinced a man that he had passed out to wake up in the middle of a zombie outbreak... or did he? We don’t know, and we don’t want to know. What we do know is that Derren Brown is back on the stage with the the aptly titled Infamous. Book tickets well in advance for the London dates. We recommend you to a) celebrate your birthday in the next few months, as the tickets are steeply priced, and b) leave your cynicism at home. He could have a million stooges in the audience, and we still wouldn’t be able to explain all of his tricks, so just lean back and enjoy the show.