Stories about Arts & Culture from January, 2017
Goodbye to Buchi Emecheta, Celebrated Nigerian Novelist Who Broke Gender Barriers
"Perhaps Emecheta’s grandest legacy was making us realise that feminism isn’t alien to Africa. She clearly defined African feminism as one that is different from that of the West."
The Struggle to End Female Genital Mutilation in Africa
"If I had previously known what I know today, I would never have circumcised a single woman. We have caused much suffering to many daughters and wives."
Meet the Young Ecuadorians Behind the First Kichwa-Language Radio Show in the US
“The show is about expressing oneself and not being afraid to do it.”
The First Non-US Animated Short to Win an Oscar Was Made by a Director From Croatia
With Academy Award nominations around the corner, learn about the director from Croatia who won the Oscar in 1961 for Best Animated Short Film.
India's Education Minister Says Cow Is the Only Animal to Inhale and Exhale Oxygen
"When will this nonsense end? Or will it end at all? Each claim appears more ludicrous than the previous one."
Bhutan's Authorities Ban Film for ‘Misusing’ Religious Masks on Screen
"This narrowed minded decision is not just a ban against the film but a decision against the freedom of expression and creativity in Bhutan."
Mapping the Smells of Kyiv
A small motley crew “with notepads taken from conferences and scraps of paper” recorded the scents of Kyiv this winter. The results, it turns out, are glorious.
Discarded Plastic Bottles Become Blooming Plant Barricades at an Indian Railway Station
"The most critical impact of this simple intervention blew me away..."
All-Woman Brewery Brings Craft Beer to Kyrgyzstan
“They come to us and say, 'We want to see your beer in our restaurant.' We tell them: join the queue.”
A Nepali Transgender Model Is Set to Break Boundaries on the Catwalk at Lakme Fashion Week
"The path surely must not have been easy but I'm sure that this path will lead you to a bright and beautiful future that you truly deserve."
UK Horror Writer Graham Masterton Organizes Short Story Contest for the Inmates of Poland's Prisons
“The prisoners can write about anything they like. Even though they’re locked up, I want to see them setting their imagination free.”
Do You Know Kilishi? Feast Your Eyes on this Sahelian Culinary Delight from Niger!
Discover an underrated but extremely tasty traditional dish from Niger.
Reviving Beirut: How an Artist Collective Is Coloring Lebanon's Capital
With so much paint and goodwill, it's safe to say these artists have made their mark on Lebanon.
Is Insecurity Threatening Cultural Growth in Mali?
The Yaraal and Degal ceremonies mark the annual rituals of Peuls people in Mali, as they celebrate their cattle's crossing the Niger River.
Remembering David Bowie's Birthday and His ‘Mythical Walk’ Through Warsaw
Culture.pl, an online magazine devoted to promoting Polish culture, marked David Bowie's birthday by recalling his visit to Warsaw.
Introducing ‘Vovinam’, a Vietnamese Martial Art Steeped in Political History
Vovinam, a response to French occupation of Vietnam, is an explosive hybrid of older practices found across the southeast Asian country.
Spicy, Delicious, and Not So Cheap: Bhutan’s Chili Ban Raises Cost of National Dish
In Bhutan, chilies are considered something transcendent — they're a way of life. Recently, however, a controversial import ban has skyrocketed prices on this staple food.
Turkey Discovers Syrian Artists
After centuries of common history and decades of separation, Syrian artists are permeating the Turkish art scene, creating important institutions and networks for both themselves and the host community.
