While we look back on the previous year, a assortment of outstanding long-form stories emerges. Such narratives delve into complex subjects from political machinations and historical discoveries to profoundly human stories.
The Puzzling Writer and the Conscience of a Country
Victor Pelevin rose to fame in the nineties with scathing satires on power. While many of his writer peers have encountered censorship or fled the country, he continues to move vast numbers of copies. This prompts a pressing query: Has the author become an supporter for the Kremlin?
Survival and Complicity in Syria's Devastating Civil War
The account of Mustafa, who at 18 was told that his sole path out of prison was to enlist in the government forces. After 14 long years, his history as one of Assad's fighters could now get him killed.
The Fierce Dispute Over Humanity's Earliest Origins
The discovery of fossilised remains in the Chadian desert in the early 2000s was hailed as radically changing the narrative of our species. However, a faction was convinced. The resulting intense controversy has taken over the careers of researchers ever since.
A British Sect That Hid in the Open
One woman was just a young girl when her household joined the Jesus Fellowship. As an grown woman, she played a key role in reveal the disturbing extent of mistreatment it had carried out.
A Statesman's Puzzling Record on Human Rights
A great many supporters hoped that the former human rights lawyer would renew the UK's commitment to international law. But, the record over the past year has been strikingly mixed.
Shattering a Nation's Identity
A film tracking a remorseful master criminal as she records unscrupulous individuals with hidden cameras raises difficult queries: Is she really a new person, and what are the filmmaker's own motives?
The Man Who Remediates the UK's Most Traumatic Stains
From homicide sites to whale blubber, an extreme cleaner has encountered – and dealt with – it all. In their darkest hours, individuals turn to him to restore peace.
Can an Iconic Museum Weather an "Multifaceted Crisis"?
Burdened by restitution claims, difficult funding and the discovery of an insider theft, the UK's premier cultural institution is in serious difficulty. The question remains: Can it restore its legacy?
More Than "Pregnancy Nausea": A Suffering of Extreme Condition
Called hyperemesis gravidarum and once termed 'dangerous sickness' by the Victorians, this condition has for centuries been without an reliable medical end – up until possibly now.
The Ghost of Extremism in Contemporary Politics
A violent fanatic and early advocate of hate, Meir Kahane died a political outcast thirty-five years ago. Now, his teachings influence the highest levels of government.
The British Gentleman With a Dishonest Secret
With his brilliant intellect and impeccable background, it's understandable that wealthy clients entrusted him with their fortunes. Until they started to get wary.
The Tiny Nation That Emerged as the World's Mediation Hub
An extremely wealthy Gulf state has become a key actor on the world stage, attempting to broker peace in some of the most intractable disputes. Which factors are behind this unprecedented project?
A Inside Look at a President Preparing for International Summitry
Extremely disliked at home, President Macron enjoys the international stage, where he positions himself as the statesman best placed to manage a particular former American leader. 7 years after their previous meeting, a writer joined him as he readied himself for the fray.
During the Trial of a Heartbreaking Case
How did the daughter of an aristocrat end up at the Old Bailey with her companion, charged with killing their newborn infant?
An End of a Major Development Organization: Not Widespread Mourning
When efforts were made to wind down a prominent development organization, many around the globe were shocked. But on the ground in a West African nation, this most recent letdown was far from unexpected.
A Unethical Mid-Century Experiment on South Asian Women
When details about a medical experiment in the 1960s became public, there was immense outrage. But the full truth of what happened is still somewhat contested.
The "Mozart" of the Attention Age
He's endured 24 hours in a vat of goo, 48 hours underground – and given away huge sums of cash to selected participants. But are these videos simply very savvy clickbait – or works of artistic genius?
Existence in a Country Endangered by the Rising Seas
With the ocean rising, much of Tuvalu's people is grappling with the possibility that their homeland may in the near future cease to exist. The critical question is: To where are they supposed to go?
One Heartbreaking Story of Childhood Homelessness
When I encountered a young boy he was 13 and homeless. I still thought his life might turn around. That hope was sadly wrong.
The Global Artificial Intelligence Race and a Key Move
In 2020, after spending half his life in the US, Song-Chun Zhu took a permanent move to his home country. Now, he may possess the key to who wins the global technological rivalry.
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