Shelf Life with Jemima Monies: Jaws' opening is 'some of the best prose I’ve ever read'
McCann London's COO shares her book and beauty memories, including "putting a smidgen of lipstick on my 7-year-old to match her Dorothy red shoes."
Welcome to Shelf Life, a series in which I ask people I admire about their book and beauty memories.
Jemima Monies is chief operating officer at creative agency McCann London. She began her career as a business journalist, before crossing over to adland. She joined adam&eveDDB in 2013 as its first new business director, becoming deputy MD in 2018 and chief marketing and operations officer in 2022.
Jemima is also a co-founder of #SheTakesOver, an industry-wide initiative aimed at elevating all women in creative production. Outside the office, Jemima can be found at her husband’s coffee shop in Putney or in Cornwall wrangling two small children.
Books
Where did you get your love of reading?
It all started with Malory Towers, progressing to Jane Austen in my teens, and moving onto William Blake and Harold Pinter at A Level. I fell in love with the writers of the Romantic Period and the discomfort and menace of Harold Pinter - it’s the reason I went on to do an English Degree. I wrote my dissertation on the power of silence across stage (Pinter), screen (Hitchcock), and art (Hopper). It was completely self-indulgent - I wanted something that would give me an excuse to write about three of my favourite creative people.
Tell me about a book you recently read and loved.
Jaws. It might seem like a peculiar choice, but it’s one of my favourite films. You could say the story is a melange of Hitchcock, with its suspense, and Hopper, with its East Coast setting. I’ve seen it at several open-air beach cinemas, including Bondi, which was next level! It’s hugely nostalgic for me - I visited family in California every year as a child and Universal Studios has a Jaws ride which I loved.
The film has got a fascinating back story - it was Stephen Spielberg’s first big feature and was grossly over budget, and the model shark kept malfunctioning. It almost got canned. The opening paragraph of the book describing the lead up to the iconic first scene of the film is some of the best prose I’ve ever read.
The ‘great fish’ is a character in the book, whereas it’s just a shark in the film. The original story is a little different to the film too. It explores in depth minor characters in the film; I discovered a whole new sub-plot which the film doesn’t take on. Usually you read the book before the film; reading it after has given the film a totally new dimension, all these years later.
Do you read books more than once?
Not usually, but I’m counting down the days until I can start reading Harry Potter with my kids. They’re obsessed with the films – there’s a lot of talk of horcruxes and wands in our house. It’s been 20 years since I read the books back-to-back, and couldn’t put them down. I’m excited to relive the intricacies of the later books.
Is there a book you’re most looking forward to reading this year?
I’m not particularly high brow these days. I’m currently making my way through the audio books of Lisa Jewell’s collection of psychological thrillers. They are full of suspense and many of them are set in London, where I live, so it makes the stories even more eerie.
I don’t have much time these days to pick up a book, and they’ve been a great accompaniment to painting various rooms in my house. I got through two whilst doing my bedroom.
Beauty
Which beauty product have you used longest? Why have you stuck with it, and how did you discover it?
Chanel No. 5 is my scent. My dad first bought it for me at the airport when he used to travel for work, and since then, I’ve always had a bottle. When I run out, my back up is Byredo Black Saffron, which is a little more contemporary.
How would you describe your approach to beauty?
The Maybelline filter on Microsoft Teams – thank you, L’Oreal! I’m fairly minimal these days - I don’t love wearing anything heavy, so it’s usually a bit of powder, mascara, and subtle lipstick. And tinted moisturiser and smoky black eyes on important occasions. I’m more focused on having regular medical facials - once a month, I’ll have a peel, HydraFacial, or laser treatment. I’m attempting to reverse the damage of years of tanning without factor 50 on in my teens!
Do you remember the first beauty product you ever bought or saved up for?
CK One was everyone’s entry level perfume in the 90s. There is much more choice these days… Father Christmas gave my 5-year-old son Olaf (from Frozen) perfume and he likes to spray it top to bottom and also use it as hair gel.
How long do you spend on your beauty routines, both in the morning and evening?
Not as much as I’d like. With two littles to dress and feed in the morning, it’s quick-fire. Pre-kids, I would indulge in a Dermalogica cleanse, toner, and moisturiser routine twice a day, but part of the reason I wear minimal make up is so I don’t have the faff of taking it off when I want to fall into bed.
Describe a recent beauty memory you’ll hold onto.
Putting a smidgen of lipstick on my 7-year-old to match her Dorothy red shoes for World Book Day.
Are you a brand/product loyalist, or do you love to chop and change?
I chop and change - one minute I’ll use an overly priced moisturiser from the place I have my facials, and the next it will be E45. I’ve been through every single mascara known to man. That said, I do find I always have Chanel in my make up bag though, and I love NARS’ tinted moisturiser.
What’s the last beauty item you bought?
A cheap face powder from E.L.F on Amazon Prime to quickly replace my wildly expensive Charlotte Tilbury one, which I dropped and shattered… a lucky accident as I am not sure there is much difference on me, and it’s literally a tenth of the price.
Until next time,
Britt