Notebooks

Notebooks are snapshots from our writers, reflecting on current affairs and underappreciated aspects of culture and history.

The Two Are But One (Les deux ne font qu'un),

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Marie Antoinette’s image problem

From vicious rumours to lurid portrayals of her sexual mores, the queen was a victim of 18th-century France's scurrilous press long before she was sent to the guillotine.

Saffron Swire October 16, 2025

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Willa Cather’s prescriptions for modern life

A hundred years on from the publication of her masterpiece, 'The Professor's House', Cather's criticisms of modernity carry a new urgency.

Charlotte Stroud October 15, 2025

M23 rebels patrol the streets of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Wednesday, 29 January, 2025.

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Trump’s Congo deal could be in trouble

Caught amid complex political rivalries and bitter regional disputes, a US-brokered peace between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda is unlikely to challenge China's p..

Mpiti Mosothoane October 15, 2025

A Syrian election official shows a ballot paper during the counting of ballots in Latakia, Syria, on Sunday, 5 October, 2025.

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Syria needs a strong parliament

Despite threats and intimidation, Syria’s parliamentary elections were a successful and vital first step in the country’s transition to democracy.

James Snell October 14, 2025

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László Krasznahorkai’s universe

The fictions of Nobel laureate László Krasznahorkai are the latest in a rich tradition of allegorical speculation that can be traced back to the ruined visions of Franz Kafka and S..

Jared Marcel Pollen October 13, 2025

The iconic Path to Peace mosaic featuring a dove, located on the Israel-Gaza border in Netiv Haasara, symbolises the hope for harmony.

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The perils that remain on Gaza’s path to peace

Donald Trump’s plan to bring peace to Gaza – and the wider Middle East – may ultimately depend on the US president himself.

Jack Dickens October 9, 2025

An illustration of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Emile.

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The madness in Rousseau’s method

The 18th-century philosopher Thomas Day, a fanatical believer in the virtues of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's educational methods, tested his theories to destruction.

Nigel Andrew October 9, 2025