While we look back on the previous year, a curated list of remarkable long-form pieces emerges. Such accounts delve into multifaceted topics ranging from geopolitical intrigue and scientific discoveries to profoundly personal sagas.
The Enigmatic Writer and the Moral Fabric of a Nation
Victor Pelevin became known in the 1990s with scathing satires on power. Whereas numerous of his writer contemporaries have faced suppression or fled the nation, he still sell millions of copies. It prompts a pertinent question: Has the author evolved into an supporter for the regime?
Survival and Complicity in the Syrian Horrific Conflict
The account of a young man, who at eighteen was informed that his only route out of prison was to join the government military. Following fourteen long years, his past as one of the Syrian leader's fighters might now get him killed.
A Fierce Argument Over Humanity's Earliest Origins
The discovery of fossilised bones in the Chadian sands in 2001 was hailed as completely re-writing the story of our human race. However, not everyone was convinced. The subsequent bitter controversy has taken over the careers of paleoanthropologists ever since.
The British Cult That Operated in the Open
Philippa Barnes was only a young girl when her family joined the a religious community. As an adult, she helped uncover the appalling breadth of abuse it had perpetrated.
A Prime Minister's Curious Record on International Law
Numerous supporters hoped that the former human rights lawyer would renew the Britain's dedication to human rights. Yet, the track record over the past year has been curiously mixed.
Shattering a Nation's Myth
A documentary featuring a repentant master criminal as she records unscrupulous clients with covert recording raises complex queries: Is she truly changed, and is the filmmaker's own intentions?
A Person Who Decontaminates the UK's Most Difficult Stains
From murder scenes to whale blubber, an extreme cleaner has seen – and dealt with – it all. In their most challenging hours, people rely on him to restore normalcy.
Can an Renowned Museum Endure an "Multifaceted Crisis"?
Plagued by colonial controversy, difficult funding and the revelation of an internal thief, Britain's leading cultural institution is in a major crisis. The challenge remains: Can it salvage its reputation?
Beyond "Morning Sickness": A Torture of Severe Condition
Called hyperemesis gravidarum and once labeled 'pernicious vomiting' by the Victorians, this illness has for centuries been without an consistent medical remedy – up until potentially now.
A Legacy of Radicalism in Modern Politics
A violent fanatic and pioneer of hate, Meir Kahane died a political outcast 35 years ago. In the present day, his ideas shape the highest echelons of government.
The English Gentleman With a Fraudulent Secret
With his keen mind and impeccable background, it's little wonder that affluent individuals entrusted him with their wealth. Until they began to become uneasy.
A Tiny Nation That Became the World's Diplomatic Center
An incredibly wealthy Gulf state has become a major actor on the international scene, attempting to mediate some of the most intractable disputes. Which factors are fueling this unprecedented project?
An Close-Up View at a Leader Gearing Up for Global Summitry
Extremely disliked at domestically, the French leader enjoys the world stage, where he projects himself as the leader most equipped to manage a particular sitting American leader. Seven years after their last meeting, a writer accompanied him as he readied himself for the fray.
During the Court Case of a Heartbreaking Case
How did the child of an wealthy family end up at the Old Bailey with her companion, facing charges with the death of their newborn infant?
An End of a Global Aid Organization: Not Widespread Regret
When actions were made to drastically cut a major US development organization, many around the globe were taken aback. But on the ground in Sierra Leone, this most recent letdown was far from unexpected.
A Unethical 1960s Experiment on Indian Women
When details about a medical experiment in the 1960s became public, there was widespread shock. But the exact nature of the procedures remains somewhat unclear.
The "Genius" of the Attention Age
He's spent a full day in a vat of goo, two days buried alive – and given away huge sums of cash to selected contestants. But are these productions simply incredibly clever entertainment – or works of avant garde genius?
Existence in a Nation Threatened by the Rising Ocean
With the ocean increasing, much of this Pacific island nation's people is facing the prospect that their islands may in the near future be submerged. The urgent question is: To where are they supposed to go?
One Tragic Story of Youth Destitution
As I met Craig he was thirteen and without a home. I still believed his situation might change for the better. That hope was devastatingly misplaced.
The Global AI Race and a Pivotal Defection
In the recent past, after spending decades in the US, a leading AI scientist took a permanent move to his home country. Now, he may hold the answers to who wins the global technological rivalry.
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