Books
New book taps into the cultural history of eyeliner
For centuries, eyeliner has been seen as a staple, and often the only beauty item some women and men wear. In culture journalist Zahra Hankir's latest book, "Eyeliner: A Cultural History," readers learn how eyeliner isn't just some superficial beauty hack and that in many cultures around the world, it has been revolutionized and popularized by people of color for medicinal purposes, authority and its cultural ties.
A food writer celebrates the tastes of her hometown: Lagos, Nigeria
A modern take on an ancient Chinese folk tale
Finnish Moomins book series finds new audiences in the US
Ukrainian rock band Vopli Vidopliassova and fans rediscover an old hit
In 1989, the Ukrainian punk rock band Vopli Vidopliassova released an album called “Tantsi” or “Dances.” In 2019, the original session tape was rediscovered, and in 2023, Tantsi was finally officially released.
The long fight for arts and culture in Ukraine as war rages on
When Russia's full-scale invasion in Ukraine began on Feb. 24, 2022, the pursuits of many of Ukraine's leading artists and cultural institutions came to a halt. The World takes a look back at the myriad ways in which war impacted artistic and cultural expression in Ukraine, and how advocates continue to work tirelessly to keep making art against all odds.
‘Out of reach’: Over 40 academic editors leave global publishing company they say overcharged to publish their work
University professors and researchers depend on getting published. So it was considered a bold move when the editors of two prestigious brain journals resigned en masse this month after the publisher refused to lower the fees it charges academics to publish their work.
Indian govt removes parts of Muslim history from federal textbooks
The Indian government’s new school textbooks have significant deletions in them related to Muslims in Indian history. Some historians accuse the ruling BJP government of rewriting the country's history to suit its Hindu nationalist ideology.
In Russia, a novel about a summer romance between two men sparks outrage
Novels about queer topics have been pulled from bookstores in Russia under a recent law that bans all mention of LGBTQ life in popular culture. It's part of a regional crackdown against novelists and poets.
'The Stolen Daughters of Chibok': the impact of the abduction of Nigerian schoolgirls 9 years on
Author and human rights activist Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode documented the heartbreaking stories of the Chibok families nine years after the Boko Haram abductions that gripped the world’s attention.
'Can we reject these labels?': A new book questions how patriarchy became the norm.
How did patriarchy become common around the world, and can we change the dominance of men in societies? Science journalist Angela Saini explores these questions in her new book, "The Patriarchs; The Origins of Inequality."
New memoir speaks to the trauma of migration and the potential for healing
Poet and author Javier Zamora recounts nearly every detail of his harrowing journey from El Salvador to the United States when he was 9 years old in a new memoir called "Solito."
'A murder mystery and a ghost story' about Sri Lanka's civil war wins Booker Prize
Shehan Karunatilaka, author of "The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida," is winner of the 2022 Booker Prize. Karunatilaka talked with The World's host Marco Werman about the ways in which Sri Lanka's grim history of civil war — along with a bit of "gallows humor" — shaped the ideas in his award-winning novel.
'Wherever the work is, we're all going': Graphic novelist on working in Alberta's tar sands
"Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands," a graphic novel by Kate Beaton, from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, tells the story of leaving home and joining thousands of others to work in the oil sands of Alberta, Canada. Beaton joined The World's host Marco Werman to talk about her experience.