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Cancer Awareness Trust aiming to deliver trusted info for patients

Level39-based charity is developing Cancer Platform as a resource for those with a diagnosis and their loved ones that’s set to launch in 2026

Cancer Awareness Trust chief tech and data officer, Daniel Woolf - image by Jon Massey
Cancer Awareness Trust chief tech and data officer, Daniel Woolf – image by Jon Massey

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We live in an unprecedented age of information.

Never before have so many people had access to such a wealth of content at the mere tap of a finger. 

But with the vastness of a largely unregulated digital world comes the issue of quality.

With not only humans (who are bad enough) but AIs churning out swathes of answers, opinions and hallucinations as they whisper what it heard or saw, humanity is increasingly submerged in a sea of at best confusion and at worst falsehoods.

It’s not so very long ago that wellness blogger Belle Gibson fooled hundreds of thousands of followers and Apple with her tale of overcoming brain, blood, spleen, uterine and kidney cancers,  mostly through exercise, healthy eating and a positive mindset. 

In reality there’s no evidence the Australian social media personality was ever diagnosed with the disease – but that didn’t stop her developing an app, gaining widespread influence and being embraced by one of the world’s largest tech firms. 

Her twisted story is especially relevant, given its use of cancer as a jumping off point.

About half of us will develop some form of the disease during our lives. 

Cancer Awareness Trust is based at Canary Wharf tech community Level39 in One Canada Square - image by I-Wei Huang
Cancer Awareness Trust is based at Canary Wharf tech community Level39 in One Canada Square – image by I-Wei Huang

searching for information

“At the point of diagnosis, the vast majority of people will go online to search for information, as do their loved ones,” said Daniel Woolf.

“But they can easily find themselves in the wrong place – TikTok or Instagram, for example. 

“A short-form video of someone who is very charismatic may lead someone to go away and make life-changing decisions because they are looking for a glimmer of hope.

“But are they trustworthy? 

“Something like one in three online sources is either misinformation or not pertinent to a particular individual’s diagnosis.”

That’s what the development of Cancer Platform is seeking to change.

“Sitting beneath the umbrella of the Cancer Awareness Trust – a charity based at tech community, Level39, in Canary Wharf – the mission is to create a free-to-use app which delivers expert information, stories and services. 

As the organisation’s chief tech and data officer, it’s Daniel’s job to oversee the app’s development, a task he’s relishing after a long career in the NHS.

“I planned to be there for four weeks and ended up being there for 17 years,” he said.

“I’ve been an engineer, a data analyst and have directed a number of teams at regional and national level.

“But as I moved through the various national bodies, I found I couldn’t have the impact I wanted.

“There are so many layers and I felt insulated.

“With so many different governments the chairs were always being moved around.

“What I wanted to do was use technology to help improve people’s lives.

“The bureaucracy in the NHS was enormous and so, when it came time for a career change, I wanted something small with the feel of a startup where I could be hands-on, albeit in an organisation with huge ambition.”

the Cancer Awareness Trust’s ambitions

The Cancer Awareness Trust is aiming big.

Drawing funds and support from its creative brand Evamore Music – which has released works featuring the likes of Ozzy Osborne, Cillian Murphy, Glenn Close and the late Sinéad O’Connor – the organisation is supported by Canary Wharf Group, among many others, in its efforts to deliver Cancer Platform.

“The trust’s aim is to empower people to change the course of cancer,” said Daniel, who was born in Hoxton and grew up in east London.

“Having the artists, music, events and that creative spirit involved makes us unique – it’s very different from the technology side.

“With Cancer Platform we want to hold people’s hands through their journey after a diagnosis. 

“We’re testing it this summer and we’re aiming to put it out there in 2026 and then to gradually build it up with more and more information.

“What we’re creating is a layer above the standard websites that are out there.

“Cancer Platform uses personalisation and AI to make the information highly relevant to each user.

“There is a lot of good information out there already, but it’s fragmented and often it’s left to the individual to find what’s relevant to them.

“Cancer Platform helps users to build up a scrapbook of information that helps them consolidate their knowledge and understanding from a trusted source.

“It’s about taking away the unpredictability of Dr Google.

“Cancer is complicated. Treatments may be available in certain regions but not in others. Ethnicity, background and age are also relevant.

“Our aim is to provide information and services that are relevant to each individual as well as relatable stories from people in similar situations, offering hopeful optimism where appropriate. 

“A lot of medical information can sound cold and clinical – more about the cancer than the person. 

“Our ambition is for people not to have to log-in initially.

“We want to build that trust first and some people might have a diagnosis they don’t wish to disclose – safeguarding is important to us and we won’t be selling their data.

“We also want people to be able to search for information that’s personalised to a degree, but then we’ll encourage people to sign up for an account so they can take the next steps and we can really hold their hands.

“They might come to Cancer Platform to ask about symptoms or a diagnosis and then what we’re doing in the background is pairing them up with relevant information, pulling it from trusted sources and feeding it back to them in an understandable way.

“The key thing is not just giving answers, but making sure we give them the right sources to guide people to specific charities. Then they are able to see the next steps.

“One of the things we’re trying to do is to inform people about the questions they should be asking when they next visit their oncologist such as whether they are entitled to a second opinion.

“Users will get responses, suggested prompts and stories of people like them so they can get an idea of what their own journey might be like.”

the process of assurance

Key to Cancer Platform’s aims will be ensuring the information it supplies to users is robust, accurate and clear.

This is one of the greatest challenges in its delivery and one Daniel and the team are already deeply engaged with.

“The assurance process is in development at the moment,” he said.

“It’s quite a new field. There are a number of academic papers, which are all looking at the area of trusted information.

“These include some principles and measures, which we’re then building our own assurance processes on top of as well as working with leading oncologists.

“We also have a team which is taking a granular approach in ensuring that the information we supply is accurate and comprehensive.

“For example, we have banks of questions from a wide array of sources, that say: ‘These questions are what people come to us to ask’.

“So we’ve taken those answers through our assurance process and then they’re assessed for their accuracy and fitness for purpose.

“It’s vital to get the balance right.

“We’ve got our oncology team working through that now and the results from them will show us what levers to pull next.

“Have we identified the gaps in our knowledge base?

“Do we need to tune the AI a different way to access and serve more information?”

a trusted source of information

Ultimately, the charity’s intention is for Cancer Platform to provide information on all forms of the disease, a project truly massive in its scope.

Initially, the plan is to focus on breast and prostate cancers before expanding out to other areas. 

“Admittedly, our ambition is huge so it’s about constantly focussing on the next step,” said Daniel.

“A number of specific charities already exist in these areas, so we can build out from that and make sure it’s working for those groups of patients.

“It also helps us to co-design with those communities.

“One of the biggest challenges – because there are so many good ideas – is to make sure we’re hyper-focussed. That’s my job.

“Building a platform like this is hard but we’re at a crossroads moment.

“Until recently, much of the information we needed just wasn’t there but it is now.

“We want to make it available to people and to do that without selling their data. We’re a charity so there’s no profit motive.”

key details: Cancer Awareness Trust

You can find out more about the Cancer Awareness Trust, Cancer Platform and Evermore via the charity’s website.

Read more: Lina Stores is set to open its doors in Canary Wharf

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Lina Stores prepares to open Canary Wharf branch in June 2025

White Rabbit Projects is set to bring the stalwart Soho Italian to Crossrail Place complete with a delicatessen, restaurant and vintage-themed bar

White Rabbit Projects founder Chris Miller - image by Jon Massey
White Rabbit Projects founder Chris Miller – image by Jon Massey

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White Rabbit Projects is all set to pull another Canary Wharf opening out of its hat.

Founded by Chris Miller, the brands the company works with already have a significant presence in and around Crossrail Place.

Now Lina Stores is getting ready to join Island Poké, Kricket, Soma and Arc Community beside the waters of West India North Dock as the team works to open a branch of the Soho stalwart in June 2025.

Soft pale green stripes already adorn the windows of the space that used to house The Breakfast Club and inside serious work is well underway.

The colour is all important and, just before our interview, Chris has to pop off for a word with the site manager having spotted some tiles that aren’t quite the right hue and arrange for them to be replaced.

It’s a testament to how seriously both he and Éadaoin McDonagh take their stewardship of a brand that’s got 80 years of history behind it.

“It’s very clear for us what the brand’s identity is – quality first that’s affordable – and we’re here to ensure that this is protected and never compromised,” said Éadaoin, managing director at Lina Stores and COO at White Rabbit.

“When I look at the fresh food suppliers we have in London, we’re using the same companies as Michelin-star restaurants, but we’re not charging Michelin-star prices – people see that value.

“I’ve been involved with Lina for eight years now and we established its first restaurant in Greek Street in 2018.”

White Rabbit COO and managing director of Lina Stores, Éadaoin McDonagh - image by Jon Massey
White Rabbit COO and managing director of Lina Stores, Éadaoin McDonagh – image by Jon Massey

growing Lina Stores

That expansion was the first milestone on a road that has seen the green stripes appear on eight locations in London and one in Manchester.

Canary Wharf will be Lina’s 11th UK site in addition to three in Japan.

But it all began with a love story.

Orphaned in Italy, Carolina Parisio moved to London in the early 1920s to work at the Italian Hospital in Queen’s Square as a live-in cleaner, with the prospect of a better future and to financially support her two brothers.

There she met Enrico Crippa, an engineering fitter from Lake Como and began a relationship that would last the rest of their lives.

By 1939, he was the proprietor of a wholesale business and the couple teamed up with business partners Alberto and Rita Seradi.

Operating out of Tisbury Court, the women ran the day-to-day shopfront, while the men worked behind the scenes. 

Realising they needed bigger premises, they found space on a corner in Brewer Street and establishing the store that continues to trade there more than eight decades later.

Emilio named it Lina after the love of his life. 

Lina Stores is set to open at Crossrail Place in Canary Wharf - image by Jon Massey
Lina Stores is set to open at Crossrail Place in Canary Wharf – image by Jon Massey

safeguarding the legacy

“It’s passed through four generations of Italians since then,” said Éadaoin, who left a career in teaching to work in the hospitality industry in New York and the UK. 

“It was the first place in London you could get olive oil back in the day.

“The beauty of Lina Stores is that we have always had that we’re primarily and importer and have that direct relationship with Italy, where others might go through a distributor.

“We ship many of our products and ingredients over and taste everything regularly to ensure the quality is there.

“Our delicatessens are still the place to go for flavours and produce from Italy you can’t get elsewhere.”

It was Lina’s position as a Soho institution that first led Chris to approach the owners with an offer.

“I worked in Soho House in Dean Street for many years and, on the way home, I would regularly go into Lina Stores for meats and cheeses,” he said.

“It’s a very special place and I love it.

“White Rabbit is an incubator – a way to grow hospitality concepts – so I reached out to the families who owned the site with a view to collaborating.

“They wanted to do something with the brand to help keep it alive and they’d been approached by lots of people before – but having worked in and around the area for 15 years, I had a real love for Lina, and they said they would trust me to take it on the next journey. 

“They are still shareholders in the business, they come to all the tastings, sign off on designs, so it’s a real collaboration, a real, personal promise to the family to say we will look after this.

“We are growing and that provides real opportunities, but if you look at Soho, there are some really old institutions that over time have been forced out by rising rents and other pressures.

“What this collaboration has done is enable us to retain the original deli as it was. It’s been a really fun journey

“The only thing that’s changed is that it now has a bar in the basement, the first Bar Lina.”

The original Lina Stores in Brewer Street, Soho, which boasts a speakeasy-style bar beneath - image by Jon Massey
The original Lina Stores in Brewer Street, Soho, which boasts a speakeasy-style bar beneath – image by Jon Massey

a hidden drinking spot

This cosy, speakeasy-style venue is regularly filled and has been the inspiration for the drinking offer for the other venues since it opened.

That includes Canary Wharf which will have its own Bar Lina to the rear with a menu packed with Negronis.

The Crossrail Place venue will also feature a full Italian deli (complete with correctly coloured tiles) and a more formal restaurant on its upper floor under an expansive curved ceiling.

“We’ll be doing breakfasts in Canary Wharf, including a new menu, so people can come in for a full sit-down meal in the morning, at lunch or for dinner,” said Éadaoin. 

“We’ll have the delicatessen at the front where customers who don’t have much time can come in and grab panini or a salad to go.

“In the restaurant, guests can have just one or two courses and we know how customers in busy neighbourhoods need to have lunch in just 45 minutes, so we can provide fresh pasta with toppings that can be served very quickly.

“We also know that Canary Wharf has a lot of families visiting over the weekend and we’ll be ready to welcome all ages.

“Our bar will have an Italian style, based on the 1940s and 1950s and a late licence. In addition to the Negronis, people really love our Limoncello Spritz, which is made with our own liqueur.

“Working with Lina over the past eight years has been a really beautiful opportunity and I feel really protective of it and the people.

“The team we’ve built up over the years is very passionate and excitable and that’s really infectious.

“It started off with me and a couple of people I knew, but it’s extended and become the norm across the business.

“I love what I do and that’s driven by the people.

“With that number of branches we’ve opened we’ve grown a real entrepreneurial spirit in the teams to make everything better and better.

“They also know, that if we open another store, then it’s a real opportunity for them and that enhances the camaraderie.”

a boost for Lina Stores

It’s also good for that very first store.

As the brand has grown, the buzz has grown with each new opening creating fresh interest in the story of Lina.

“The original deli is much busier than it’s ever been, because people know more about it now,” said Chris. 

“I think the starting point of its appeal is still value.

“We provide incredibly high quality at an accessible price point.

“We’ve been careful over the years, with massive inflation, that we’ve rarely had to touch price.

“We’re still seeing very positive, like-for-like growth, and that’s down to a value-for-money proposition.

“We picked Canary Wharf to open our latest restaurant because there’s so much development and opportunity here.

“I think the food scene in the area has changed dramatically over the last five to 10 years.

“When I first came to Canary Wharf, the super high-enders were well taken care of. 

“What’s great now is that the premium quality is available to many more. It’s about value for money, but that doesn’t necessarily mean cheap.

“Lina provides a really flexible way to dine.

“You can come in for lunch and you can just have a bowl of pasta – you’re in and out very rapidly.

“Alternatively you can have starters, sharing dishes, pastas and more. It’s the kind of place where customers can also come for special events and they’ll get a great deal for their money.”

With Lina now gearing up to launch, it’s tempting to look at White Rabbit’s list of brands and wonder what else might benefit from a Canary Wharf branch.

Maybe it’s time the likes of Eve X Proper Slice expanded its pizza offering beyond Kensington.

key details: Lina Stores

Lina Stores is set to open its doors at Crossrail Place in June, 2025.

The ground floor will feature a delicatessen and bar, while the upper floor will house a restaurant.

Find out more about the brand here

Read more: Sauna Boat arrives on West India Quay, offering hot and cold therapy

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Wharf Wellness returns to Canary Wharf for the whole of June 2025

Festival of health and wellbeing features classes, workshops, taster sessions, music and more

Wharf Wellness is returning to Canary Wharf for the whole of June - image by Canary Wharf Group
Wharf Wellness is returning to Canary Wharf for the whole of June – image by Canary Wharf Group

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Sip mocktails, sweat in the UK’s largest sauna, thwack padel balls, dive into the dock, bend, flex, run and jump – Wharf Wellness is returning.

Canary Wharf’s festival of health and wellbeing is back and for 2025, there will be events running throughout the whole month of June.

This year, in addition to a selection of free activities, the festival will also feature an extended range of paid-for classes offering Wharfers the chance to experience discounted sessions from top brands.

“Wharf Wellness is a celebration of the health and wellbeing brands we have in Canary Wharf,” said Poppy Price, retail events and partnerships executive at Canary Wharf Group.

“This is the third time we’re hosting it – we held four-day events in 2023 and 2024 to showcase our diverse offering.

“It’s really grown in popularity and classes were selling out very quickly, so this year we wanted to extend it to a whole month, working with our partners for a longer period of time.

“We wanted to ensure as many people as possible could come here as we know there’s a real appetite for these kinds of events and activities.

“Workers can take a break from their desks for a taster session at Padium or Pilates with Third Space trainers at Eden Dock.

Canary Wharf Group's Poppy Price - image by Jon Massey
Canary Wharf Group’s Poppy Price – image by Jon Massey

“For our residents it’s an opportunity to try different things that are on their doorstep.

“For visitors, it’s a chance to discover a different side to Canary Wharf and to see what else is here.

“It’s about showing people they can really make a day here, participating in our programme of wellness activities, then making use of the offers our retailers are running throughout June.”

Retailers across the neighbourhood will also be participating in Wharf Wellness with June offers and experiences available from the likes of Aesop, Malin+Goetz, Jo Malone, Pure, Feels Like June and Get A Drip.

Pure is offering a 20% discount for the whole of June to customers mentioning Wharf Wellness at the till - image by Pure
Pure is offering a 20% discount for the whole of June to customers mentioning Wharf Wellness at the till – image by Pure

Wharf Wellness, going deeper…

Poppy added: “We know wellness goes beyond fitness. It’s your mental health, self-care and the chance to spend some time with nature too.

“Canary Wharf offers all that. We’re really excited to be working with Arc Community on a series of talks during June.

“Arc is a contrast therapy space where people can engage in meditation, communal saunas and ice cold plunge baths.

“For Wharf Wellness the venue will be hosting three expert-led sessions in the beautiful lounge space they have.

“It’s a chance to both see Arc and also learn something. There’s one on hormonal optimisation, which is an area that’s growing.

“There’s another one on sleep too, which is a huge trend. We’re all so busy it’s about finding time to relax and take time out.”

Scroll down to find full listings for Wharf Wellness’ month-long programme and booking links.

Padium in Bank Street Park is set to run social events and introductory sessions in June as part of Wharf Wellness - image by Padium
Padium in Bank Street Park is set to run social events and introductory sessions in June as part of Wharf Wellness – image by Padium

a chance to win

In celebration of Wharf Wellness, Canary Wharf Group is also running a competition for one person to win a £500 gift card to spend on health and wellbeing on the Wharf.

Find out full details, including terms and conditions, here

Third Space will be running an outdoor HIIT workout at Union Square - image by Third Space
Third Space will be running an outdoor HIIT workout at Union Square – image by Third Space

what’s on at Wharf Wellness

The core of the Wharf Wellness offering is the wide range of activities, classes and workshops on offer in June.

Bookings are now open, which can be made via the links below.

Feels Like Zero Mocktail Terrace

Jun 2-26, daily, noon-9pm, Feels Like June, 15 Water Street, Wood Wharf, £15

Elevate your wellness with Feels Like June’s exclusive mocktail offer – only available on the venue’s terrace.

For the whole of June, guests can enjoy two mocktails alfresco for £15.

Find out more here

Pilates For 7 Days

Jun 2-8, daily, times vary, Freedom Clinics, Cabot Place, £49

The challenge – join Freedom Clinics for seven days of Pilates (or at least 3x a week) and experience the transformation this form of exercise delivers. 

Every participant is entered into a draw to win a 10-class pack

Book via this link and select pass: Wharf Wellness Pass

Arc Community Workshop: Peak State

Jun 2, 6.45pm-7.30pm, Arc Community, Crossrail Place Level -2, £35

This workshop provides multiple tools to optimise mental, physical, and emotional performance in our chronic burnout culture.

Through intention setting, education on the science of peak performance and self-assessment activities, you’ll gain actionable insights to enhance your performance sustainably.

Book an Arc single credit, then reserve a space via its calendar

Padium: Big Club Social

Jun 3, 7pm-8.30pm, Padium, Bank Street Park, £40

Meet other padel enthusiasts in a fun, social setting where you’ll play a series of 15-minute matches, moving up or down a court based on wins and losses.

After the games, unwind and connect over delicious pizza in Padium’s mezzanine area.

Book via this link

Alfresco Arts: Music

Jun 4, 12.30pm-2pm, Jubilee Park, free

The Hot Club Of Jupiter – Docklands Sinfonia Jazz will play interplanetary gypsy jazz and hot swing at this free concert. No booking required.

Find the full Alfresco Arts: Music programme here

Lunchtime Resets

Jun 9-15, daily, 1pm-1.45pm, Freedom Clinics, Cabot Place, £50

Try a 45-minute Pilates session at 1pm each day and get a discount if you sign up for a class pack on the same day.

Book via this link and select Wharf Wellness Lunch Reset – code WHARFWELLNESS25

Intro To Padel

Jun 10, 11am-12.30pm, Padium, Bank Street Park, £40

Begin your padel journey with this introduction session.

Perfect for first-timers, this class covers all the fundamental techniques and rules you need to start playing with confidence. 

Book via this link

Arc Community Workshop: Sleep Optimisation

Jun 10, 6.45pm-7.30pm, Arc Community, Crossrail Place Level -2, £35

Unlock the secrets to restorative sleep and enhanced resilience.

This workshop provides applicable tools, knowledge and core practices to optimise your sleep quality. 

Book an Arc single credit, then reserve a space via its calendar

Pilates With Third Space

Jun 11, 7.30am-8.30am, Eden Dock, £5

Join Third Space for a bodyweight mat Pilates class on Eden Dock.

Mat Pilates is a slower-paced class that emphasises precise instruction, with a strong focus on proper alignment and posture improvement.

All proceeds go to the Magic Breakfast Charity

Book now via this link

HIIT class with Third Space

Jun 12, 6pm-7pm, Union Square, Wood Wharf, £5

Ignite your evening with a high-octane HIIT session in the heart of Canary Wharf.

This 45-minute bodyweight workout will push your limits and boost your fitness, all while supporting a great cause.

Book via this link

Padium: Big Club Social 2

Jun 14, noon-1.30pm, Padium, Bank Street Park, £40

See description above, book via this link.

Barry's in Crossrail Place will be hosting two charity classes for Wharf Wellness - image by Matt Grayson
Barry’s in Crossrail Place will be hosting two charity classes for Wharf Wellness – image by Matt Grayson

United We Barry’s Charity Class

Jun 14, 3pm-4pm, Barry’s, Crossrail Place Level -2, donations

Experience Barry’s legendary workout while supporting a worthy cause.

This special charity class offers the perfect opportunity to challenge yourself in their signature Red Room while contributing to their partner charity.

All proceeds go to United We Barry’s partner charity.

Register you interest via this link

Pilates, Performance And A Perfect Sip

Jun 16-20, daily, times vary, Freedom Clinics, Cabot Place, £50

Try this small group Pilates session followed by refreshing Exalt Juices to help you refuel and recover.

Book via this link using code WHARFWELLNESS25

Intro To Padel 2

Jun 17, 11am-12.30pm, Padium, Bank Street Park, £40

See description above, book via this link.

Pilates With Third Space 2

Jun 18, 7.30am-8.30am, Eden Dock, £5

See description above – all proceeds go to the Magic Breakfast Charity.

Book via this link

Alfresco Arts: Music

Jun 18, 12.30pm-2pm, Eden Dock, free

Docklands Sinfonia String Quartet are set to delight with a programme of classical chill-out, helping audiences relax to their favourite melodies. No booking required.

Find the full Alfresco Arts: Music programme here

United We Barry’s Charity Class 2

Jun 22, 3-4pm, Barry’s, Crossrail Place Level -2, donations

See description above – all proceeds go to United We Barry’s partner charity.

Register your interest via this link

Arc Community in Crossrail Place will host a series of three talks in June - image by Arc Community
Arc Community in Crossrail Place will host a series of three talks in June – image by Arc Community

Arc Community Workshop: Hormonal Optimisation

Jun 24, 6.45pm-7.30pm, Arc Community, Crossrail Place Level -2, £35

Discover the keys to hormonal health through lifestyle changes, somatic movement and self-awareness.

This workshop blends research based education with practical, embodied exercises. 

Book an Arc single credit, then reserve a space via its calendar

Padium: Big Club Social 3

Jun 24, 7pm-8.30pm, Padium, Bank Street Park, £40

See description above, book via this link.

Intro to Padel 3

Jun 26, 11am-12.30pm, Padium, Bank Street Park, £40

See description above, book via this link.

Open Water Swimming

Ongoing from Jun 5, daily, times vary, Eden Dock

Our popular Open Water Swimming will be returning to Canary Wharf this summer.

In partnership with Love Open Water, residents, visitors and workers are invited to take a dip in the beautiful clear waters of Eden Dock.

Find out more here

Short Story Stations

Ongoing, daily, Crossrail Place Roof Garden and Jubilee Place Level -2, free

Take time out to print out a free short story from Canary Wharf’s two vending machines.

Presented in partnership with Penguin, Wharfers can get a proper screen break by reading an extract from the publishers’ catalogue.

Find out more here

Pride In Wellness

Jun 26-29, times vary, Throughout Canary Wharf

Get ready for London’s first dedicated wellness event for the queer community, coming to Canary Wharf this June.

Pride in Wellness will be a primarily free event featuring talks, taster sessions, wellness experiences, and workshops.

The full programme is set to be announced later this month.

You can find more details here

Read more: Sauna Boat arrives on West India Quay, offering hot and cold therapy

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BBQ Boats reopen for summer bookings in Canary Wharf

Electric craft offer the chance to grill and chill on the dock, sailing from Skuna’s West India Quay base


Captain cook: Groups use an onboard grill to prepare food on West India Quay - image by Skuna
Captain cook: Groups use an onboard grill to prepare food on West India Quay – image by Skuna

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SUMMER SOCIALS

Making memories are what summer socials are all about.

As the mercury climbs, the great outdoors provides an ideal change of scene from the office or the home – a backdrop to shared experiences.

For those seeking something just that little bit different, Skuna’s BBQ Boats are all set for 2025’s summer months.

Based at West India Quay, these self-drive electric craft come with built-in BBQs offering Wharfers “an unforgettable way to eat, drink and spend time with others”.

BBQ Boats hold up to 10 people, with cruises lasting 100 minutes
BBQ Boats hold up to 10 people, with cruises lasting 100 minutes

BBQ Boats offer 100-minute cruises

The experience begins with a quick briefing before guests take the helm for 100 minutes of cooking and relaxing on the tranquil waters of North Dock. 

Each boat holds up to 10 people,  who can either bring their own food to grill or pre-order from Skuna’s freshly prepared food packages.

Drinks can be purchased from the on-site bar, which also sells captains hats for those who want to take a turn at the tiller.

“Our BBQ Boats offer the perfect dining on the water experience for summer,” said Stuart  ‘Tommo’ Thomson, founder of Skuna

“They are great for team bonding experience as you cook and sail yourself around the beautiful docks of Canary Wharf.

“This is a world away from the ordinary BBQ in the park or back garden – it’s summer dining, but not as you know it – and a bucket list activity to enjoy with friends and colleagues alike.” 


The craft are a popular option for summer parties in Canary Wharf
The craft are a popular option for summer parties in Canary Wharf

key details: Skuna BBQ Boats

Skuna’s BBQ Boats are available during the summer months from their home on West India Quay.

Prices and details of the various food packages available can all be found on Skuna’s website, as well as booking links for its Sauna Boat and Hot Tub Boat experiences – also based in Canary Wharf.

Find out more about cooking on the water here

Read more: Sauna Boat arrives on West India Quay, offering hot and cold therapy

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Hawksmoor Wood Wharf is all set for summer socials in 2025

The Canary Wharf floating restaurant offers terrace spaces at both its bar and restaurant with multiple options for event organisers

One of Hawksmoor Wood Wharf's terraces
One of Hawksmoor Wood Wharf’s terraces

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SUMMER SOCIALS

The early season sunshine has already started making an appearance across Canary Wharf, with pleasant evenings tempting workers, residents and visitors to the area outside.

The time of summer socials is almost upon us, with the smart and the organised already beginning to consult diaries, form plans and make bookings.

With whole businesses, teams and small groups of colleagues all looking to capitalise on the clement weather ahead, it’s best to secure key dates early, especially at the estate’s top spots.

Having arrived in the vanguard of the area’s regeneration Hawksmoor Wood Wharf quickly established itself in the upper echelons of the estate’s hospitality scene.

The venue boasts an extensive restaurant on the top deck of its floating pavilion and a spacious 120-seat bar on its lower level.

Both have terraces for guests to enjoy dining or refreshment in the open air.

Wood Wharf is the brand’s largest venue and, moored at the head of Water Street, acts as a gateway to a part of the estate that’s become well known for drinking and dining in recent years.

Oysters at Hawksmoor
Oysters with bone marrow at Hawksmoor

just ‘a little unexpected’

Hawksmoor says: “Our Wood Wharf venue isn’t about reinventing the wheel.

“It’s about doing things properly: sustainable food, an award-winning cocktail menu and genuine service – all delivered in a space that feels considered, open, and just a little unexpected.”

Those planning seasonal events can look forward to a solid offering menu-wise.

Hawksmoor has long specialised in “dictionary-thick steaks”, chicken dishes and seafood such as lobster, monkfish, hake and Dover sole.

The cooking is big, bold and honed by the team over many years to reflect the quality of the sustainably sourced ingredients.

Crowd-pleasing sides such as Tunworth mash, macaroni cheese and beef dripping fries sit happily on a menu next to starters such as potted beef and bacon, smoked salmon with Guinness bread, roasted scallops and oysters.

>> Hawksmoor Wood Wharf boasts a 20-seat dining room for guests or businesses hosting private gatherings.

Named for Isle Of Dogs publican, singer and actress, Queenie Watts, the space features a large gold and wood table that can easily be filled with the restaurant’s classic dishes, sharing-style.

Hawksmoor offers plenty of options for groups to share, especially in its private dining room
Hawksmoor offers plenty of options for groups to share, especially in its private dining room

the bar at Hawksmoor Wood Wharf

The bar lends itself especially well to events, with a capacity of 250 indoors or 330 when combined with its terrace.

It’s fully equipped for presentations and groups of 34+ can take a semi-private space with a dedicated waiting team and sommelier to ensure guests are effectively refreshed.

To make planning easy, Hawksmoor offers both a canapé menu, with bites inspired by the flavours on its main menu as well as bowl food options for those seeking something more substantial.

Bite-size desserts can also be arranged to send guests away with a sweet taste in their mouths.

The Queenie Watts private dining room at Hawksmoor Wood Wharf
The Queenie Watts private dining room at Hawksmoor Wood Wharf

key details: Hawksmoor Wood Wharf

Hawksmoor Wood Wharf is located on a floating pontoon beside Water Street and is open from 11.45am-11pm, Monday-Thursday, 11.45am-11.30pm Friday and Saturday and 11.30am-8.30pm on Sundays.

At weekends, the venue offers extensive traditional roast options.

Event enquiries can be made online for all of the venue’s spaces or via email to woodwharf@thehawksmoor.com.

Find out more about the venue here

Read more: Sauna Boat arrives on West India Quay, offering hot and cold therapy

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Whale On The Wharf bursts out of dock on Water Street corner

StudioKCA installation made from ocean plastic waste carries an environmental message as it captures the attention of Canary Wharf visitors

Whale On The Wharf by StudioKCA is located on Water Street in Wood Wharf, next to Dishoom and Marceline - image by Jon Massey
Whale On The Wharf by StudioKCA is located on Water Street in Wood Wharf, next to Dishoom and Marceline – image by Jon Massey

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Just ask Jonah, whales are messengers.

The largest creatures on Earth have inspired countless works of art and fiction, often used to draw attention to matters of importance.

In the Hebrew scriptures, Jonah finds redemption in the belly of a great sea creature, having turned back to a righteous path.

There’s Moby Dick and Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan too, but we needn’t get bogged down with revenge, obsession and highfalutin social philosophy.

More recently, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home saw Captain Kirk and crew forced to time travel back to 1986 on the silver screen to pick up a pair of humpback whales, thereby averting ecological disaster after an alien probe comes seeking the ocean giants, only to find them extinct in 2286. 

That’s almost as far-fetched as everyone running around with hand-held communication devices and tablet computers… 

Recently unveiled on Water Street, Whale On The Wharf, then, belongs to that proud tradition of leveraging the largest animal on the planet as a lodestone for attention and it’s exactly what StudioKCA’s intallation does

Leaping from the waters of the dock close to Marceline and Dishoom, the 12-metre high sculpture successfully breaches the consciousness of passers-by.

StudioKCA have also created similar pieces in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and in Bruges, Belgium.

The whale's skin is made from plastic waste reclaimed from the ocean - image by Jon Massey
The whale’s skin is made from plastic waste reclaimed from the ocean – image by Jon Massey

the story Whale On The Wharf tells

“We’re telling the story of how we live, what we use, where it ends up and what we should do about it,” said Jason Klimoski, who along with his wife Lesley Chang run the Brooklyn-based art and design studio that created the piece.

“It’s about the 150million tonnes of plastic in the ocean and the 8million we add to that each year.

“A lot of that is hidden, so bringing some of it here hopefully helps people visualise it.

“The plastic used in Whale On The Wharf comes from the Pacific and the Atlantic. We worked with the Hawaii Wildlife Fund to collect about five tonnes of plastic. 

“We cleaned it, organised it by how long it had been in the water, sorted it by colour and cleaned it piece by piece.

“We chose to make a whale because, pound-for-pound, the plastic in the ocean weighs more than the total of all the whales on the planet. 

“We thought it would be the perfect metaphor to help people understand the scale of the problem.”

The sculpture is supported on a recylced steel frame and concrete foundations made with biochar from spent coffee grounds collected from Canary Wharf - image by Jon Massey
The sculpture is supported on a recylced steel frame and concrete foundations made with biochar from spent coffee grounds collected from Canary Wharf – image by Jon Massey

a sustainable foundation for Whale On The Wharf

While the leaping creature is the public-facing portion of the work, Whale On The Wharf is also a creation of significant depth.

Canary Wharf Group’s commission is about a lot more than adding to its extensive public art collection.

Wharfers sipping coffee on the estate and then discarding their cups in its waste bins have contributed to its construction.

The sculpture sits on a foundation of concrete made with  biochar, a material that replaces sand in the mix and is made from those discarded grounds.

This also prevents CO2 being released when the coffee breaks down and reduces demand for the extraction of traditional raw resources from the Earth.

“We understand the power that art holds,” said Sophie Goddard, director of environment, social and governance at Canary Wharf Group.

“It can provoke emotion and it can create change.

“With this project we’ve really pushed the boundaries of what can be achieved.

“We thought about how we can take the principles of the circular economy and push those forward.

“We’ve locked up spent coffee in the foundation and we’ve been able to do that through the efforts of our in-house waste management team. 

“They hand-sort the rubbish that goes into our bins and their work means we’ve sent no waste to landfill since 2009.”

Whale On The Wharf is free to visit and stands 12 metres tall - image by Jon Massey
Whale On The Wharf is free to visit and stands 12 metres tall – image by Jon Massey

a strong steel core

On top of the concrete, Whale On The Wharf is supported by a braced steel structure made from recovered and reused steel to further reduce its environmental impact.

Jason said: “Inside the sculpture there’s a steel spine that supports the structure and aluminium armature to make the shape of the whale.

“Onto that we attached each of the pieces of plastic using steel ties and screws.

“We really want people to see the things they use every day, to recognise them and then wonder what happens to them. How did the things that make up this sculpture get here? What was their journey?

“There’s a car bumper, a kid’s toilet. It’s really the items that relate to children I find both funny and sad.

“Hopefully there’ll be a conversation at home after, especially with the kids, about how we use plastic and what we do with it afterwards.

“When we were building it, we were focussed on the scale of the issue, not necessarily on the thing itself.

“We have a son and so we have to think about the stuff we buy him and what will happen to it.”

Now Canary Wharf has both a head-turning artwork and also a constant reminder of the consequences of unbridled consumption on our planet.

As well as its role in drawing attention to environmental issues, the installation is a significant addition to the estate’s sculpture collection – the largest publicly accessible collection of outdoor works in the UK.

“The whales is a landmark, it’s visually stunning and it really stops people in their tracks,” said Lowri Harries, associate curator of public art at Canary Wharf Group.

“That’s exactly what we want. Since our initial call with Jason, the installation has involved pretty much every part of our business.

“Construction, development, sustainability, marketing and communications as well as all the external contractors that have worked on the project. 

“It’s taken a village to make this happen and we’re really thankful to everyone involved.”

An Ode To Never Fitting In, 2024, by Ashley Cluer is seen at Refuse in Broadwick Studio - image by Jon Massey
An Ode To Never Fitting In, 2024, by Ashley Cluer is seen at Refuse in Broadwick Studio – image by Jon Massey

opening up Refuse

Coinciding with the launch of Whale On The Wharf, Canary Wharf Group is also hosting Refuse, an exhibition of works by artists Poojan Gupta and Ashley Cluer who both work with reclaimed materials. 

Visitors can expect to see a selection of sculptures including a vast chain made from medicine blister packs and vibrant lime green shapes made from cement, newspaper and recycled wood.

Free to access, the exhibition is on display at Broadwick Studio.

Perhaps when prompted by all these signs, we might take more notice of the way we’re living as a species and even avoid alien annihilation in the future. 

PS, at Wharf Life we’re calling the Whale Bruce. You didn’t hear it from us…

key details: Whale On The Wharf

Whale On The Wharf is located on the corner of Water Street and Park Drive in Canary Wharf’s Wood Wharf. The installation is free to visit.

Refuse is in place until April 26, 2025, and is open from 10am-6pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at Broadwick Studio on the corner of Water Street and Charter Street in Wood Wharf.

Find out more about the sculpture here

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London Craft Beer Festival returns at Magazine in Greenwich

Event set to feature 800+ creations from more than 100 breweries with all beer and cider included in the ticket price

The London Craft Beer Festival is set to return in July - image by London Craft Beer Festival
The London Craft Beer Festival is set to return in July – image by London Craft Beer Festival

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what’s all this? 

It’s only the return of the London Craft Beer Festival, back in the capital, but this year in a completely new location

where’s that then? 

For 2025, the event has moved to Magazine on Greenwich Peninsula, just across the Thames from Canary Wharf.

when’s it taking place? 

Visitors to the festival are invited to survey and sample its delights from July 18-19, 2025, with afternoon and evening sessions on both days. 

These last for five hours from 11.30am-4.30pm and 6pm-11pm on both the Friday and Saturday.

so what’s on offer?

Tickets of all types include all beer (and the occasional craft cider), with more than 800 different brews on offer presented by over 100 breweries. 

whet my whistle…

The list is extensive, but the festival will include a strong showing from some of London’s celebrated brewers including DEYA (voted top at last year’s inaugural Top 50 UK Beers awards), Verdant and Tiny Rebel.

There will be international visitors too with beers from the USA, Europe and Australasia including New Zealand’s Garage Project new for this year.

what if I don’t like beer? 

Fear not, cider, sake, spirits and more will also be available for those who prefer alternative refreshments.

There will be lots of food traders at the event alongside breweries - image by London Craft Beer Festival
There will be lots of food traders at the event alongside breweries – image by London Craft Beer Festival

dine at the London Craft Beer Festival

will we starve?

Certainly not.

To help soak up the beer, the festival will be serving up ramen from Bone Daddies, chicken from Chick N’ Sours, BBQ courtesy of From The Ashes, burgers by Meltdown Cheeseburgers and seasonal dishes from 10 Greek Street.

 More food traders will be announced in due course.

and the dancing?

Promising to keep the party pumping, a programme of DJs, live music and other entertainments is planned.

how best to attend? 

There are a number of ticket options for visitors to choose from.

Standard tickets cost £64.50 per person (did we mention every ticket type includes all beer and cider?).

Group tickets for four people cost £59.50 per person.

There are also options for fast-track entry and hospitality packages for larger groups. 

how do I get there? 

Magazine London isn’t a publication, but a purpose-built event venue, clad in black, right beside the river. 

It’s located on Greenwich Peninsula, a short walk from North Greenwich Tube station, which is served by the Jubilee line and numerous bus routes. 

Visitors can also travel to North Greenwich Pier on the Uber Boat By Thames Clippers River Bus service or from Royal Docks to the Peninsula via the Thames Cable Car. 

The event is perfect for summer parties with larger groups - image by London Craft Beer Festival
The event is perfect for summer parties with larger groups – image by London Craft Beer Festival

summer special

>> For groups of eight or more, the festival offers Group Hospitality Tickets

Alongside all beer and cider, these also include fast track entry, a main dish and side per person from the food traders, two vouchers for non-beer drinks (think cocktails and spirits), a guided festival tour with a beer sommelier on arrival and a dedicated meeting point and host for your group.

Tickets cost £105 per person including VAT. Ideal for a summer celebration.

Find out more about group hospitality packages here

Visitors can choose to taste beverages from a selection of more than 800 beers - image by London Craft Beer Festival
Visitors can choose to taste beverages from a selection of more than 800 beers – image by London Craft Beer Festival

key details London Craft Beer Festival

The London Craft Beer Festival runs at Magazine London from July 18-19, 2025.

Individual tickets cost £64.50 per person with other options available for a five-hour session.

Find out more about the festival here

Read more: How Orbit Clipper is set to become the first all-electric ferry on the Thames

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EBRD Literature Prize unveils 2025 shortlist of translated fiction

Chair of the judging panel Maya Jaggi talks us through the initiative and details the shortlisted entries for countries the bank invests in

The EBRD Literature Prize judging panel from left, Fergal Keane, Selma Dabbagh, Uilleam Blacker and Maya Jaggi - image by Ale Di Padova/EBRD
The EBRD Literature Prize judging panel from left, Fergal Keane, Selma Dabbagh, Uilleam Blacker and Maya Jaggi – image by Ale Di Padova/EBRD

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Maya Jaggi has spent much of her career  making space for international writers in the UK.

After studying PPE at Oxford and international relations at LSE, she began her journalistic career in current affairs. 

“I was in my 20s and it was a fairly academic journal, but I started a literature section,” she said. “Whenever I was doing anything about international politics, I was always thinking about where the cultural aspects were. 

“They always make everything so much richer – history, memory and imagination are the building blocks of fiction – and that’s something that gets left out.”

It was a niche she explored in greater depth through her extensive work at The Guardian, reviewing novels by overseas authors and interviewing a great many for the publication.

Apt then, that having spent so much of her career championing writing from around the world, that she should be chair of the judging panel for this year’s European Bank For Reconstruction And Development Literature Prize.

First, a bit of background.

what is this bank?

The EBRD is owned by some 77 shareholders – namely countries spread across 5 continents as well as the EU and the European Investment Bank.

Set up in the wake of the fall of the Berlin Wall, it supports primarily private sector enterprise in democratic states, helping foster the transition to open market systems in those territories. 

While initially it was set up to support eastern European countries in the wake of the Soviet Union’s collapse, its work has since broadened and spread to more than 30 nations over three continents, with €210 billion invested in more than 7,400 projects.

In 2022, it moved its headquarters to 5 Bank Street in Canary Wharf.

A shortlist of 10 books has now been unveiled ahead of the announcement of the winner in June - image by Ale Di Padova/EBRD
A shortlist of 10 books has now been unveiled ahead of the announcement of the winner in June – image by Ale Di Padova/EBRD

tell me more about the EBRD Literature Prize

The EBRD Literature Prize was first awarded in 2018 as an initiative aimed at engaging the bank’s staff in cultural activities relevant to its work

Now in its eighth iteration, publishers are invited to submit works of fiction that have been translated into English from countries where the institution invests. 

A panel of judges then goes through these, producing a shortlist before three finalists are revealed.

The overall winning author and translator split a prize of €20,000 equally between them, while the other two finalists split awards of €4,000.

For 2025, the prizes will be awarded on June 24 at EBRD’s Canary Wharf offices.

Maya Jaggi, chair of the judges for the 2025 prize - image by Jon Massey
Maya Jaggi, chair of the judges for the 2025 prize – image by Jon Massey

who decides?

The bank invites a panel of independent judges to pick both the shortlist and the finalists.

This year Maya has been joined by writer and editor Selma Dabbagh, translator and associate professor in Ukrainian and East European culture at UCL, Uilleam Blacker and writer and foreign correspondent for BBC News, Fergal Keane.

“I was invited to be a judge two years ago, so this is my third stint and, as chair, I get to suggest people to be on the panel, which has been a great pleasure,” said Maya.

“What I wanted were good readers, experienced readers and that’s what we have.

“There’s no long list and we don’t disclose how many submissions we’ve had for the prize, although they have been growing year-on-year and 2025 has been a bumper crop. 

“All of the books go to each of the judges and we’ve been in contact with one another since December, discussing them.”

The EBRD Literature Prize judging panel hard at work - image by Ale Di Padova/EBRD
The EBRD Literature Prize judging panel hard at work – image by Ale Di Padova/EBRD

standing apart

“This is not a prize for literary translation, it’s a prize for the book,” said Maya.

“The author and translator are equally rewarded in recognition for their contribution to the work as published in English.

“As judges we’re looking for many things. You want to be surprised by something you haven’t read before and the wonderful thing about this prize is you find that in spades. 

“During the judging, Fergal mentioned vigour, quality, originality and experimentation.

“This year there has been a lot of competition for those 10 shortlist slots.

“I’m always looking for originality and therefore how much you’ve read as a critic and a writer is relevant.

“The other thing is authorial voice – whether direct or indirect. Can you sense the presence of the author?”

a skilled rendering?

“It has to be a good book, but you’re also looking for a good translator,” said Maya.

“There’s the question of all the registers – how formal or informal the language is and how well the translators get that. 

“Then there’s the whole question of slang or how dated the language is. Capturing all of that is a huge skill.

“As judges we have to consider whether a text has been flattened into uniform English. Does it capture the nuances?”

the EBRD Literature Prize, a showcase of innovation

“The nature of the prize and the countries where the Bank is investing means you find a lot of innovation,” said Maya.

“For example, where there’s a war, to capture the reality of things like bombs going off or a sense of being threatened, authors create new styles.

“In my experience, that extremis is something that comes out in new forms of writing. 

“One of the books on the shortlist, My Women by Yuliia Iliukha, has been translated from the Ukranian by Hanna Leliv and it’s something the author calls flash fiction.

“It’s formal, it’s honed, but it’s, in some way, unfiltered – more raw, more emotional. It’s about anonymous women in war, and it’s very like poetry.

“Another thing that’s going on in central and eastern Europe is a reckoning with ultra-nationalism, and that’s something we noticed as a thread through some of the books.

Celebration by Damir Karakaŝ, translated from the Croation by Ellen Elias-Bursać, is about the rise of the far right.

“It’s a subtly ironic title about the moment in 1941, when Croatia became independent for the first time in 1,000 years.

“That was the moment when, on the back of an alliance with the Nazis, it became a country – so it’s a very double-edged thing.

“There’s this thinking about history and memory. 

“It’s 30 years since the end of the Yugoslav wars and the book is looking back to the Second World War, but that kind of nationalism rose again.

“It’s another very important thread.

“While judging we talked a lot about fact and fiction.

“What you get through literature rather than through news reports may be mundane human interaction but it’s just as interesting.” 

looking forward

“The prize was set up to recognise the diversity of the cultures and languages in the places the bank operates,” said Maya.

“There’s still a competition for staff to review any book on the shortlist and we’ll be announcing the winner of that at the ceremony too.

“The EBRD isn’t just sponsoring this, it created it and it’s grown to be a prize in its own right.

“It’s important because you don’t want to think about people in mass metric or statistical terms.

“There’s nothing better than fiction for how people see themselves and their own realities – their problems, hopes and dreams.”

Read on for Maya's thoughts on the shortlisted works - image by Ale Di Padova/EBRD
Read on for Maya’s thoughts on the shortlisted works – image by Ale Di Padova/EBRD

the shortlist


The key mission of the EBRD Literature Prize is to bring works from the countries the bank invests in to wider attention.

While the winner won’t be announced until June, we’ve reproduced the full shortlist here so Wharf Life readers can peruse those in line for the prize, get hold of books that take their fancy and make their own minds up.

As Maya says: “All of them are incredibly gripping reads.”

Sons, Daughters by Ivana Bodrožić

translated from the Croatian by Ellen Elias-Bursać, published by Seven Stories Press UK

>> “This book features a character who has locked-in syndrome and her partner who is trans,” said Maya. 

“It brings up questions of sexuality and identity, with parallels between people who are locked in their own bodies in some way. 

“We were completely bowled over by the language and a very unusual subject. One of the lines is: ‘Our body, our worst hell’.”


The Ukraine by Artem Chapeye

translated from the Ukrainian by Zenia Tompkins, published by Seven Stories Press UK

>> “It’s based on a lot of real events – one of the things that’s very strong is a love of country, but it’s not at all nationalistic,” said Maya.

“He’s looking warts and all through stories – some more journalistic than others – there’s a whole range.

“There’s a moment where there’s a family argument about Russian propaganda.

“One of the tactics of propaganda is to cast doubt on everything, so you can believe nothing and therefore also believe everything.

“This kind of book is a counter to that.”


Engagement by Çiler İlhan

translated from the Turkish by Kenneth Dakan, published by Istros Books

>> “This is based on fact, but a fictionalisation of an event,” said Maya.

“It’s set in south-east Turkey and tells of a blood-feud between two villages in 2011.

“It’s a massacre during an engagement party and the author is looking at what happened and why between Kurds and Turks.

“It’s about masculinity and women’s suffering. 

“The whole novel covers just 16 hours, building up to this event.

“You learn about the repression of Kurdish culture and how Turkish is beaten into people in those parts.”


My Women by Yuliia Iliukha

translated from the Ukrainian by Hanna Leliv, published by 128 LIT

>> “This writing is very poetic, very punchy and raw and could apply to anyone,” said Maya.

“That’s something that’s accentuated by the anonymity of the women who go through their stories without being named.

“It’s looking at the experience of women in wartime and it’s very powerful.”


Life After Kafka by Magdaléna Platzová

translated from the Czech by Alex Zucker, published by Bellevue Literary Press

>> “This looks at Kafka’s real letters to ‘F’ but through the eyes of her descendants,” said Maya.

“It’s a sceptical look at the cult of Kafka from the point of view of the family of a woman who appears in his work and it looks at how women are seen in his work.

“It moves between fact and fiction, and there’s an article that tells you what’s real and what’s not.

“We were comfortable with that demarcation.”


Celebration by Damir Karakaš

translated from the Croatian by Ellen Elias-Bursać, published by Selkies House Limited

>> “This is partly about masculinity through the eyes of a man who was in the far-right militia, allied with the Nazis, and then re-emerged in the 1990s” said Maya.

“I believe this writer was a fighter himself. He has taken a look at how people were persuaded by nationalism.

“It’s also a beautifully written novel about the land, about farming, about the countryside.

“It’s an expression of love of country that is not nationalistic.”


Herscht 07769 by László Krasznahorkai

translated from the Hungarian by Ottilie Mulzet, published by New Directions Publishing

>> “This is really immersive storytelling about a character similar to Lennie in Of Mice And Men,” said Maya.

“He’s a gentle giant who becomes used by the far-right in Germany.

“He’s obsessed by quantum physics and is convinced the world is ending.

The author is incredibly stylistic in what he does with language and people will be interested in how he depicts the far-right.”

László Krasznahorkai won the Man Booker Prize in 2015


The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk

translated from the Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones published by Fitzcarraldo Editions

>> “This book is set in a sanatorium or health resort in Poland,” said Maya. “It’s funny and grim, like a horror story. It’s also gothic and full of misogyny.

“There’s an afterword about where these ideas came from – a who’s who of western culture.”

Olga Tokarczuk is the winner of the Nobel Prize In Literature


Too Great A Sky by Liliana Corobca

translated from the Romanian by Monica Cure, published by Seven Stories Press UK

>> “This is fiction based on fact too, looking at something not very well known globally or even within Romania  itself,” said Maya. 

“It’s about the carving up of the country from the end of the First World War and the Sovietisation, and the deportation of many people, including women and children after the Second World War to Kazakhstan on trains, with terrible gruelling journeys.

“It’s also about syncretism between Catholicism and paganism.”


Forgottenness by Tanja Maljartschuk

translated from the Ukrainian by Zenia Tompkins, published by Bullaun Press (Ireland) / Liveright (USA) 

>> “Maljartschuk looks at two characters separated by 100 years– now and  and a century ago in Ukraine,” said Maya.

“It’s about memory and history, and the effort to obliterate history in that country.

“She writes in Ukrainian, talks about the Soviet era, the killing of history and the ban on memory.

“It’s a wonderful reactivation of the past, which becomes an act of resistance.”


key details: the EBRD Literature Prize

The winners of the EBRD Literature Prize are set to be announced at its Canary Wharf headquarters on June 24, 2025, with authors and translators in attendance.

Members of the public will be able to register to attend the reception and ceremony closer to the time.

Find out more about the prize here

Read more: How Orbit Clipper is set to become the first all-electric ferry on the Thames

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Toni&Guy Canary Wharf celebrates 25 years with full refurbishment

Managing director Carl McCafferty launched the east London hairdressing salon in 2000 and says the brand continues to move with the times


The salon has gone for a spa-like feel, complete with reclining seats for hair washing - image by Goddard Marsili / goddardmarsili.com
The salon has gone for a spa-like feel, complete with reclining seats for hair washing – image by Goddard Marsili / goddardmarsili.com

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While he might well be too modest to admit it, sitting across from Carl McCafferty, there’s little doubt he can pick a winner.

It’s fair to say the managing director of Toni&Guy’s Canary Wharf salon in Cabot Place took a risk in opening on the estate in the year 2000.

But it’s a move that has paid off, the start of a business that recently celebrated trading for a quarter of a century.

“I’m the son of a pig farmer from Northern Ireland and grew up in a small town called Enniskillen,” said Carl.

“I moved to Belfast when I was about 18, saw an advert for Toni&Guy and joined them in London in 1998. I was 19.

“The world of hairdressing really appealed to me – salons are a nice environment to be in.

“First I worked in Sloane Square and then Covent Garden. 

“With the business, there are really two directions to go – you can either work to become an art director or you can have your own business and that’s what I wanted.

“At that time, Canary Wharf was set to become the new financial district, which was very attractive to me.

“I was advised to grab it as a franchise,so I did. 

“As the Jubilee line extension opened, we launched in Canada Place in March 2000.

“Opening was a bit overwhelming, but the salon quickly became number one in the group.”

Toni&Guy Canary Wharf managing director Carl McCafferty - image by Goddard Marsili / goddardmarsili.com
Toni&Guy Canary Wharf managing director Carl McCafferty – image by Goddard Marsili / goddardmarsili.com

growing Toni&Guy in Canary Wharf

While the Wharf had yet to see many of the towers that dominate its skyline today appear, the area was nevertheless feeling the benefit of the new transport link’s arrival, which saw workers and organisations arrive in ever greater numbers.

“Waitrose hadn’t opened yet, the only shop at the time was Tesco – but there were 76,000 people working on the estate,” said Carl.

“It was mainly bankers and most would come in every three or four weeks for haircuts.

“The Jubilee line changed everything.

“When Waitrose did open it quickly became very popular and the whole Canary Wharf area has now become very residential with lots of apartments.

“When I first moved to London, I did east and west.

“First I lived in Leyton and then moved to Richmond before I found a flat near East India Dock in a beautiful old building.

“I’ve always preferred walking to public transport, so I wanted to be close to work.

“Now around me in that area alone there are thousands of apartments at London City Island and Goodluck Hope.

“In the salon, when we started, weekdays were key, while weekends were really dead. Now Monday to Friday is busy, but the weekends are even stronger. “

Having weathered the pandemic with solid support from the parent brand, Toni&Guy Canary Wharf set its sights on the future and has just reopened following a full refurbishment.

The scheme features foliage and plants amid the mirrors - image by Goddard Marsili / goddardmarsili.com
The scheme features foliage and plants amid the mirrors – image by Goddard Marsili / goddardmarsili.com

a new look for Toni&Guy

“It definitely feels like the start of a new chapter,” said Carl.

“Sometimes you don’t realise you needed a refit until you’ve done it.

“My first shop here was beautiful and lasted for nearly 13 years and moving to our current location in Cabot Place was a great opportunity for a new fit-out.

“Getting another new look has been a really exciting process.

“We’re the flagship of the brand, the benchmark and the design we’ve got now is going to be the blueprint for other locations.

“One brand we looked at for inspiration was Louis Vuitton – we were just blown away by their retail offering.

“The design we have is great with glass and perspex – everything in the main areas is bright and airy.

“We’ve also changed the colours for a more spacious feel.

“Before everything was white but now we have more organic tones, with browns and greys along with a change in lighting to make the main part of the salon feel brighter.

“We’ve also used low lighting, similar to a spa, to help people switch off from work along with hair therapy treatments and massages.”

Toni&Guy's new look has been inspired by Louis Vuitton - image by Goddard Marsili / goddardmarsili.com
Toni&Guy’s new look has been inspired by Louis Vuitton – image by Goddard Marsili / goddardmarsili.com

a welcoming environment

 Visitors to Toni&Guy today will find a welcome desk in shades of brown, with gold accents and a display of brightly lit products.

The salon floor itself features branded mirrors, columns of foliage and vibrant orchids, while the sinks for washing customers’ hair are located off to the side and come with hi-tech chairs and muted lighting.

Striking lightboxes, complete with House Of Toni&Guy branding complete the look, a reminder of the brand’s strong links to fashion and the staff’s extensive training.

“Those who want to work with us apply for an apprenticeship and we train them at the Toni&Guy Academy for two years,” said Carl.

“Then after 18 months on the floor, you get a very good job with status.

“The academy is really the pulse of the brand – where it all happens.

“Recruiting can be a challenge, we don’t take on just anyone, but this area has been good for attracting staff.

“I’m proud of the team and what we’ve achieved here.

“We’ve won more than 35 awards, which is a big thing for me because they are really competitive. 

“Running a franchise has been great. Toni&Guy has always moved with the times – we’ve been the official partner of London Fashion Week for 20 years – so we have lots of fingers in pies.

“Canary Wharf is the same, it’s really continued to develop over the time I’ve been here.”

The salon's new look is bright and airy with brown and gold touches - image by Goddard Marsili / goddardmarsili.com
The salon’s new look is bright and airy with brown and gold touches – image by Goddard Marsili / goddardmarsili.com

key details: Toni&Guy Canary Wharf

Toni&Guy in Canary Wharf is located directly under One Canada Square.

The salon is open on weekdays 8am-8pm, on Saturdays 8am-6pm and on Sundays 9am-6pm, offering a comprehensive range of cuts, colour treatments and styling for men and women.

Those interested in careers with Toni&Guy can find a wealth of information or apply to become an apprentice via the brand’s website.

Find out more about the Canary Wharf salon here

Toni&Guy celebrated its 25th birthday and the refurbishment in style in March - image by Goddard Marsili / goddardmarsili.com
Toni&Guy celebrated its 25th birthday and the refurbishment in style in March – image by Goddard Marsili / goddardmarsili.com

Read more: How Orbit Clipper is set to become the first all-electric ferry on the Thames

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Orbit Clipper set to become the first all-electric ferry on the Thames

Operating on Uber Boat By Thames Clippers cross-river route, she will serve Canary Wharf and Rotherhithe when operating

Orbit Clipper is currently moored at Trinity Buoy Wharf - image by Jon Massey
Orbit Clipper is currently moored at Trinity Buoy Wharf – image by Jon Massey

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Orbit Clipper isn’t quite ready yet.

But it won’t be so very long before she’s carrying passengers and cyclists from Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf and back.

When that happens, it’s not an overstatement to say London’s public transport will have entered a new era – one where vessels on the river are powered by electricity.

“She’s the first of her kind, not just for us, but in the country and, when considering the way she operates, possibly in Europe and perhaps even the world,” said Sean Collins, CEO and co-founder of Uber Boat By Thames Clippers.

“Orbit Clipper is designed as a double-ended ferry, which is nothing new – it’s a well established method for loading and unloading vehicles, passengers and cyclists.

“What’s different is that when she’s in operation, the route will feature automated docking on both sides.”

This innovation is essential.

One of the things limiting the wider adoption of electricity as a power source for boats is the battery capacity.

In order to perform effectively, Orbit needs to top up her reserves each time she reaches a pier, disengaging her engines and effectively plugging in. 

When Thames Clippers’ other vessels visit a pier, the captain holds the craft steady against the currents of the river using its engines which, in combination with ropes, allow gangways to be lowered, passengers to get on and off and then a speedy departure.

Uber Boat By Thames Clippers co-founder and CEO, Sean Collins - image by Jon Massey
Uber Boat By Thames Clippers co-founder and CEO, Sean Collins – image by Jon Massey

automated docking

“To work properly, Orbit has to be fully secured so power can be disengaged,” said Sean.

“There will be an arm that extends and pulls her into the dock, which gives the batteries some downtime and that’s what allows us to operate over a full day before she recharges fully overnight at Canary Wharf.

“While Orbit will depart and arrive from the piers automatically, a captain will be in command of the vessel as she travels across the river.

“At present we still need that although there may be a time in the future when that’s no longer the case.

“It’s a challenge because there are so many other vessels on the water and with the navigational rules we have, the ferry doesn’t have the right of way.”

The plan for Orbit is that she will cross the river every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes at weekends.

This is similar to the service level provided on the route by the previous ferry, but the new boat offers a considerable increase in capacity.

“She caries a lot more people and there’s room for 100 bikes too, so the boarding may take slightly longer,” said Sean.

“I think the demand will be there for this route – you have to build for the future.

“Looking at the way the world has changed – the amount of food deliveries that are now being done by push bike, for example – there’s so many more opportunities around zero-emissions transport.

“As part of this project, we’ve improved access to the pier at Doubletree By Hilton London Docklands Riverside with a bridge over Nelson Dock that connects to Southwark’s cycle network.

“We’ve reduced the gradient of the walkways down to the river and passengers will be able to access the ferry from Rotherhithe Street.”

Finishing touches: While Orbit Clipper was built on the Isle Of Wight, she's completing her fit-out in east London - image by Jon Massey
Finishing touches: While Orbit Clipper was built on the Isle Of Wight, she’s completing her fit-out in east London – image by Jon Massey

reducing emissions on the river with Orbit Clipper

Supported by Innovate UK and built on the Isle Of Wight, Orbit is the latest project for Thames Clippers in its ongoing pursuit of environmentally friendly transport solutions.

Aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050 and a 50% reduction by 2035, the company recently launched its third hybrid boat, Mars Clipper, as part of its river bus fleet.

Currently, Orbit is finalising her fit-out at Trinity Buoy Wharf before a programme of testing between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf can begin. 

As the automated docking system is completely new, Sean and the team need this time to ensure everything is working as it should before their first zero-emissions craft welcomes members of the public.

“The ferry route was an obvious one on our network for us to look at converting to an all-electric craft,” said Sean. 

“Each journey across the river is just over a minute long and electrical power works well for that sort of duration. It’s the right thing to do for the environment.

“At the moment all-electric operation would not work for our longer routes as each vessel would have to fully recharge for an hour for every loop. 

“The amount of batteries we’d need to carry would also make the boat very heavy, which would have repercussions for stability and safety.

“At the moment we turn boats round in 10 or 15 minutes between loops – charging just wouldn’t work commercially.”

scope to expand

“However, I see systems like the one we’ve developed for Orbit as being of national, even global significance, as a way to cross rivers without impacting the free navigation of vessels on them,” said Sean.

“When you look at bridges that lift to allow boats under, they create significant delays for traffic and pedestrians and the boats can’t go on their way unless they’re raised. 

“Tunnels are often difficult to access, especially if elevators have broken down.

“We’ve got to be thinking about getting people out of their cars and onto public transport and boats like Orbit provide a really great alternative for people who need to cross the river on foot or by bike. 

“She has multiple doors at either end so people can walk their bike on, stand next to it and then push it off when they reach the other side. 

“We’re aiming to launch it in the spring or summer, but the system is a completely new design, an engineering first, so it does need testing thoroughly.

“We’re really thankful to Innovate UK, Canary Wharf Group, and the Port Of London Authority as well as Tower Hamlets and Southwark Councils for supporting us to get this project underway.”

key details: Orbit Clipper

Orbit Clipper is expected to start ferrying passengers between Canary Wharf Pier and Doubletree By Hilton London Docklands Riverside in the summer. 

Find out more about Uber Boat By Thames Clippers here

Read more: How Green Pioneer could be the future of decarbonised shipping

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