Martin and Sue Cook are the bemused parents of 15-year-old Julian, who prefers discussing Bertolt Brecht and Brutalist architecture over typical teenage antics. While other teens are experimenting with cider and bus stop misadventures, Julian's idea of rebellion involves blasting Shostakovich or critiquing colonial power structures.

Sue laments, "We expected the usual teenage pitfalls, like vaping, not a black turtleneck phase accompanied by lectures on literature. Instead of worrying about the wrong crowd, we're dealing with seminar enthusiasts from the Barbican. It's partly our fault for naming him Julian."

Julian's disdain for football, which he dismisses as "bread and circuses", and his preference for double espressos set him apart from his peers. He's more likely to critique a neighbor's hedge than get lost in one after a night out.

His mother shares her shock at discovering a copy of Susan Sontag’s Against Interpretation under his mattress, complete with annotations and color-coded tabs. "You hear about this as a parent," she says, "but you never think it’ll happen to you."

Julian, or rather "Jules" as he insists on being called, hints at his next adventure—a Bauhaus walking tour in Berlin, rather than a typical lads' holiday. It seems the Cooks' hopes for a cider-vomiting, bus-stop-occupying son remain unfulfilled.