Stories about Arts & Culture
COVID-19 leads to closure of popular bookshops in Bangladesh
"There are so many second-hand books with probably no more copies in the world… many valuable documents of Bengali literary culture will be lost like this."
Uyghur emojis help spread message of cultural resistance over social media
Emojis representing Uyghur characters and culture are now available on the encrypted messenger platform Telegram in an effort by the Uyghur diaspora in Russian-speaking countries to raise visibility.
Milan Kundera's first Czech biography: Another public dressing-down in his homeland?
"An optimist can still hope there will be a time when the debate around Milan Kundera will overcome its long-lasting neurotic phase."
Short film demonstrates what it can be like to be black in Japan
A boy must endure and somehow learn, own his own, how to deal with the racist taunts of his new classmates.
Netflix picks up ‘Resgate,’ the first Mozambican film to appear on the platform
African productions are gaining traction on the platform.
Protest art in the streets of Tripoli: An interview with Lebanese artist Batool Jacob
Batool Jacob paints on topics related to the Lebanese protests through a feminist and libertarian lens.
Taking down statues: France confronts its colonial and slave trade past
Amid global action against racism, France has been divided for several weeks over what to do about statues of historical figures that are connected to slavery and colonialism.
Viktor Tsoi: The undying icon of Soviet dissident rock
Fans of Soviet rock star Viktor Tsoi mark his birthday, June 21, remembering his freedom-loving songs that still resonate three decades after his death in 1990.
Jamaica’s Brian Heap, Caribbean regional winner of the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize, talks storytelling
"Jamaican language [...] is designed to subvert the English language. I love its frequent juxtaposition of archaic English words and African expressions and syntax, [...] used to sometimes devastating effect."
Speaking with Jamaica’s Brian Heap, Caribbean regional winner of the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize
"Jamaica is so rich in stories [...] It’s so important for us to delve into the inner life of Jamaican subjects."
How can Nepal's literary tradition make its mark on the global scene?
Director of Global Literature in Libraries Initiatives shares insights into how Nepali literature can reach wider audiences.
A new game plays with ideas about how disinformation works in East Africa
"Chose Your Own Fake News" is an online game that teaches new internet users how to be more discerning about the information they receive and encounter in digital spaces.
How Kazakhstan's youth are forging their own national identity
A feud between a lesbian activist and a boxer has galvanised a new generation's interest in pushing at the boundaries of Kazakh national identity
The magic of paper and ink: A conversation with Iranian-American artist Hadieh Shafie
Born in Iran and raised in the US, Hadieh Shafie is fascinated with reimagining the book form, drawing textual forms and exploring color and its emotive power.
The mural will not be whitewashed: How dissident poet Joseph Brodsky continues to inspire free-thinking Russians
The 80th anniversary of the birth of Russian poet Joseph Brodsky was marked in Russia by an incident highlighting the special place writers still hold in Russian political culture.
Art as a true act of resistance: A conversation with theatre actor Juan Pablo Mazorra
"I believe that theatre will change the world, or at least one world, that of the individual."
Making Swahili visible: Identity, language and the internet
Swahili is the most widely spoken African language, but its visibility online is dismal. Kenyan language activist Bonface Witaba is working to change this.
Explore beauty and heritage in the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand while staying at home
Southeast Asian countries have lost millions of visitors but none of their branding know-how.
COVID-19 tune educates, empowers Indonesia’s remote Marapu community
"Let’s just stay at home. Let’s wash our hands diligently to protect our health and lives."
A Yorùbá language activist strives for linguistic diversity in digital spaces
Adéṣinà Ọmọ Yoòbá, a Nigerian Yorùbá language and culture advocate, is keen to bridge the cultural and linguistic digital divide.
