???? ON THE TUBE TONIGHT-

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A Gothic romantic drama for Tom Hiddleston fans: The Essex Serpent is set in the Victorian period but it feels like a modern-day drama. Based on a 2016 novel by Sarah Perry, the Apple TV+ six-episode mini series is a tense and heartfelt exploration of science, skepticism, faith, and grief, and how much they can all mess with you. It centers on a widow (played by the formidable Claire Danes) who is freshly freed from an abusive relationship and moves from London to Essex with plans to uncover a mysterious, mythical beast that the locals believe is haunting them. In the new town, she befriends the village priest (played by Tom Hiddleston) and despite their divergent beliefs, they begin to fall in love.

⚽ Only one English Premier League game today: At 9pm, Newcastle will face Arsenal, who are looking to reclaim their place in the top four at the expense of their north London rival Tottenham.

And two games in Italy’s Serie A: Juventus v Lazio at 8:45pm — a game that does not matter much to the Old Lady who will finish the season in fourth place regardless of the outcome, while Lazio look to increase their points difference with Roma, who is chasing it in sixth place. Fiorentina will face Sampdoria earlier at 6:30pm.

On the home front, Ghazl El-Mahalla vs Eastern Company kicks off at 6:30pm, while Smouha faces Al-Masry at 9pm.

???? OUT AND ABOUT-

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Music lovers, head to AUC Tahrir’s Ewart Hall at 7pm today for a celebration of International Jazz Day featuring Egypt's Jazz All-Stars. The event will mark a belated celebration of International Jazz Day, which was officially designated as 30 April by UNESCO, for its artistic power to promote freedom of expression, peace, dialogue, diversity, and respect for human rights.This year’s festivity brings prominent musicians of the Egyptian Jazz scene and will be dedicated to supporting the renovation of Nassibian studio theater, which was destroyed in a tragic fire last year.

???? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

Bitter Orange Tree is a beautifully-written exploration of social status, wealth, desire, and female agency. The story offers a glimpse into the life of a young Omani woman living as a university student in Britain, who reflects on the formative relationships in her life and, most notably, her relationship with her grandmother. The book poetically dives into a historical narrative of Bint Amir’s challenged circumstances growing up, her struggles, her life, and her triumphs. Despite being a very concise read, the author Jokha Al Harthi manages to create exceptionally written characters.

Fun fact: Al Harthi was the first Omani woman to have a novel translated into English. Her novel Celestial Bodies was awarded the 2019 Man Booker International Prize and became an international bestseller.