Take an adventure through the eclectic career of artist and performer Tilda Swinton in our special issue.
On 28 September 2025, Tilda Swinton will be present at the Eye Filmmuseum in Amsterdam for the opening of a grand and exciting new show called 'Tilda Swinton – Ongoing'. The story goes that Swinton and the museum (well, the people who work at the museum) had long been in talks about doing some kind of collaboration. Having visited various film-themed exhibitions dedicated to the works of great filmmakers and actors, Swinton thought that this mode of celebration was far too “past tense” and depressing – more like a funeral than a fiesta. And so the concept for 'Ongoing' was born, a focus on Tilda that draws on the past, present and future of her singular project. Alongside a presentation of classic films and artefacts, there’s new work to be savoured and various in-person talks with some of her most vital collaborators.
For the new issue of Little White Lies, we leaped at the chance to create an issue which would stand in as our own offering at the altar of Tilda. Issue 109: A Tilda Swinton Reader draws on two of our favourite subjects: the amazing craftspeople who dedicate their lives to making movies; and the possibilities of print magazines. Glancing over Swinton’s storied career, it was clear that it can be split into phases that are pockmarked by the decades. And so we decided to create five imaginary magazine covers to represent the first five (well, four-and-a-bit) decades of her journey.
Inside, we have created a miniature digest version of each magazine containing era-specific stories and styling. For example, Romance is our 1980s magazine, with a cover by the great illustrator Bijou Karman, and inside we have features on her first ever scene on camera, on her relationship with Derek Jarman, a piece in praise of one of her favourite books, ‘Bento’s Sketchbook’ by John Berger, and a special Sticky Gold Stars column on the queer aspects of her role as a cyborg space emissary in Peter Wollen’s Friendship's Death.
The magazine’s five chapters all comprise their own digest magazines, the details of which are listed below. To tie everything together, we courted the services of the illustrator Nick Taylor who was in charge of creating “Tilda paraphernalia", which are small objects and items that represent the full panoply of her diverse CV. This is the first time we’ve made an issue of Little White Lies dedicated solely to a performer, and frankly there are not many out there who would justify such a lavish treatment. In the case of Tilda, we had to be far too selective about what we were able to cover. So please enjoy this issue, and hopefully see it as a little independently-published stepping stone towards visiting the Eye Filmmuseum and diving even deeper into the wonderful world of Tilda Swinton.
On the cover…
As mentioned above, the cover for our Tilda Swinton special is a three-panel artwork that’s the product of a six way collaboration.
Romance, an imaginary fashion magazine from the 1980s referencing the early Joanna Hogg short, Caprice, was created by Bijou Karman.
Kiss Chase, an imaginary indie magazine from the 1990s referencing Susan Stretfield’s Female Perversions, was created by Louise Zergaeng Pomeroy.
Joyce, an imaginary art and culture magazine from the 2000s was created by collage artist Ben Giles.
T, an imaginary style magazine from the 2010s referencing Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom, was created by Pierre Mornet.
Mysterious Object, an imaginary culture magazine from the 2020s referencing Pedro Almodovar’s The Woman Next Door, was created by Xaviera Altena.
Nick Taylor created the background and five interstitial paraphernalia pages inside the issue.
Also in the issue we have amazing new artwork by Eri Aikawa, Carolina Altavilla, Karagh Byrne, Régina Dargère, Fortunate Joaquin, Stéphanie Sergeant and Ariadna Sysoeva. Art direction by Laurène Boglio.
Inside the issue...
Chapter One: Romance
First Love
On Tilda Swinton’s introduction to the world, in Derek Jarman’s Caravaggio.
Words by Juan Barquin
A Nurse’s Tale
Jarman, Britten and Swinton swirl together in the heady War Requiem.
Words by Lillian Crawford
In Praise of ‘Bento’s Sketchbook’
This late John Berger gem is front and centre of a Tilda Swinton reading list.
Words by David Jenkins
Sticky Gold Stars: Swinton Special #1
On Peter Wollen’s Friendship’s Death.
Words by Marina Ashioti
Chapter Two: Kiss Chase
Orlando Magic
Exulting Tilda Swinton’s masterful metamorphosis in Sally Potter’s classic.
Words by Esther Rosenfield
No Fear
Shooting the breeze with Swinton collaborator and friend, John Maybury.
Words and interview by Lucy Peters
Sticky Gold Stars: Swinton Special #2
On Susan Streitfeld’s Female Perversions.
Words by Marina Ashioti
Chapter Three: Joyce
The Bionic Woman
Talking with the maverick Teknolust director, Lynn Hershman Leeson.
Words and interview by David Jenkins
Childish Things
On discovering the wonderful world of Tilda through corporate merchandising.
Words by Yasmine Kandil
Brigadoon Part 2
A short oral history of 2008’s Ballerina Ballroom Cinema of Dreams.
Words and interviews by David Jenkins
Julia: An Anecdote
The 2008 Erick Zonca film holds chilling echoes of reality for writer Juan Barquín.
Words by Juan Barquin
Chapter Four: T
Lady Stardust Sang His Songs
Why David Bowie and Tilda Swinton were an artistic match made in heaven.
Words by Willow Catelyn Maclay
Changes
With her love of shapeshifting and make-up, is Tilda Swinton the new Lon Chaney?
Words by Tom Huddleston
Sticky Gold Stars: Swinton Special #3
On Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange.
Words by Marina Ashioti
Chapter Five: Mysterious Object
Dream Academy
Memoria, ‘The Maybe’ and the science of sleep according to Tilda Swinton.
Words by Mick Gaw
Method in Madness
Composer Simon Fisher Turner on making sounds to compliment Tilda.
Words and interview by Mike McCahill
Joanna on Tilda
A moving testimonial from Joanna Hogg on her great friend and accomplice.
Words and interview by Sophie Monks Kaufman
In the back section...
Ari Aster
The maverick filmmaker speaks to David Jenkins on how preaching to the choir was the furthest thought from his mind with provocative neo-western satire, Eddington.
Eva Victor
The writer/director/star of festival sensation, Sorry, Baby, speaks to Sophie Monks Kaufman about bellybutton piercings and finding a sombre humour and reflection in the subject of sexual abuse.
In review...
Ari Aster's Eddington
Ethan Coen's Honey Don't!
Jasmin Gordon's The Courageous
Albert Serra's Afternoons of Solitude
Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's Young Mothers
Mike Flanagan's The Life of Chuck
Macon Blair's The Toxic Avenger
Jan-Ole Gerster's Islands
Eva Victor's Sorry, Baby
Neo Sora's Happyend
Michael Shanks's Together
Urška Djukić's Little Trouble Girls
Sepideh Farsi's Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk
Cécile Embleton and Alys Tomlinson's Mother Vera
Jonathan Millet's Ghost Trail
Joseph Millson's Signs of Life
Plus, David Jenkins reviews eight exciting Home Ents releases, and Tilda Swinton closes off the issue with a diary entry from July 29th, 2025.
The post LWLies 109: A Tilda Swinton Reader – Out now! first appeared on Little White Lies.
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