Notebooks

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

A veiled Iranian woman walks past a mural of Ayatollah Khomeini on a wall of the former US Embassy in Tehran, Iran

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Tehran’s endgame

A year on from 7 October and Iran is displacing Palestine as the focus of regional war. The regime in Tehran may set the conditions for its own endgame.

John Raine October 7, 2024

Ayatollah Khamenei during the Friday prayer ceremony in Tehran, October 2024.

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Iran misfires, again

Iran's missile strikes against Israel on 1 October compound a recent history of strategic missteps motivated by deep insecurity.

Ali Ansari October 4, 2024

A performance of La Boheme in Beijing, 2008.

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Puccini’s battle of darkness and light

An exceptional artist is able to handle contrasts of light and shade and few did this better than Giacomo Puccini, a composer who took delight in the artistry of combining shades.

Alexandra Wilson October 4, 2024

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Kate Bush, English lionheart

Kate Bush’s music, with its haunting mysticism and eccentric charm, offers an unexpected gateway to English identity and culture.

Muriel Zagha October 2, 2024

The Death of Socrates by Charles Alphonse Dufresnoy.

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Censorship in the cradle of democracy

Ancient Athens, celebrated as the birthplace of democracy and intellectual freedom, grappled with the paradoxical urge to censor ideas in an early example of the tension between fr..

Armand D'Angour September 30, 2024

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The UN has failed Lebanon

The UN's ineffective peacekeeping force in Lebanon has unwittingly shielded Hizbollah's massive military buildup over nearly two decades, setting the stage for a potentially catast..

Charlie Laderman September 30, 2024

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Irish neutrality is unsustainable

By attempting to stay neutral in international politics, Ireland is being left behind as nations recognise the growing challenges presented by Russia and China.

Elisabeth Braw September 27, 2024

Michael Gambon in Samuel Beckett's 'Eh Joe', 2008.

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The unforgettable Michael Gambon

A mastery of contradiction was perhaps the essence of Michael Gambon's greatness and he played upon it, hiding an evident seriousness and intellect, beneath the persona of one who ..

Oliver Soden September 26, 2024

Italian voice actor Francesco Mandelli at the Italian premier of Inside Out 2.

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Italy’s dubbing delusions

Italy's cherished dubbing industry, a point of national pride, may be the cause of the poor quality of English among Italians.

Tobias Jones September 25, 2024