Books

A photo of a book, Eyeliner: A Cultural History

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.

New book taps into the cultural history of eyeliner
tablescape of assorted Nigerian foods

A food writer celebrates the tastes of her hometown: Lagos, Nigeria

A food writer celebrates the tastes of her hometown: Lagos, Nigeria
Cast members perform during a rehearsal of the opera "Monkey: A Kung Fu Puppet Parable" at the Emerson Paramount Center in Boston, Sept. 20, 2023.

A modern take on an ancient Chinese folk tale

A modern take on an ancient Chinese folk tale
Seafood Congee, as presented in the Taiwanese cookbook Made in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories from the Island Nation.

A new book explores Taiwan's culinary identity

A new book explores Taiwan's culinary identity
collections of Moomins things

Finnish Moomins book series finds new audiences in the US

Finnish Moomins book series finds new audiences in the US
man outside

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.

Ukrainian rock band Vopli Vidopliassova and fans rediscover an old hit 
Ilona Kravchenko and Jan Vana perform in “Giselle” with the Ukrainian Classical Ballet in Bucharest, Romania.

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.

The long fight for arts and culture in Ukraine as war rages on
woman at computer

‘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.

‘Out of reach’: Over 40 academic editors leave global publishing company they say overcharged to publish their work
Indian students in uniform clothing arrive at a government-run junior school in Udupi, Karnataka state, India, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. 

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.

Indian govt removes parts of Muslim history from federal textbooks
In this photo provided by The Federation Council of The Federal Assembly of The Russian Federation Press Service, lawmakers of Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation listen to the national anthem at a session in Moscow, Russi

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.

In Russia, a novel about a summer romance between two men sparks outrage
Belongings of Halima Ali Maiyanga and Maryam Ali Maiyanga, two of the young women kidnapped by Boko Haram in a boarding school in Chibok, Nigeria, in April 2014.

'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.

'The Stolen Daughters of Chibok': the impact of the abduction of Nigerian schoolgirls 9 years on
book on surface

'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."

'Can we reject these labels?': A new book questions how patriarchy became the norm.
The cover to "Solito" by Javier Zamora.

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."

New memoir speaks to the trauma of migration and the potential for healing
Heavily armed Tamil Tiger rebels walk down a street in Achchuveli village, north east of Jaffna City, Sri Lanka, on Nov. 4, 1987. 

'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.

'A murder mystery and a ghost story' about Sri Lanka's civil war wins Booker Prize
An image from "Ducks," a graphic novel by Kate Beaton, depicting the "Highway of Death."

'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.

'Wherever the work is, we're all going': Graphic novelist on working in Alberta's tar sands