Culture

June began with the death of two literary giants: Edmund White (died June 3, 2025 at 85) and Frederick Forsyth (died June 9,2025 at 86). Our literary editor, Alex Liberto, had met and corresponded with the former and has written this touching tribute.

In Caravaggio's 'Fruit Basket', a mere wicker basket and its contents emerge as a profound meditation on life, light and the passage of time, showcasing the artist's early genius.

Caravaggio's portrayal, St. Lucy forsakes heavenly glory for a gritty burial scene, which reflects the artist's personal struggles and innovative use of light.

Unveiling the emotional tension in Caravaggio's 'Judith and Holofernes,' a dramatic narrative of good versus evil comes to light through distinctive stylistic elements.

In a world recovering from the devastation of war, how did English literature find its footing? Here are the most pivotal figures and movements that reshaped the post-war literary landscape.

Caravaggio's 1601 Crucifixion of St. Peter showcases mastery of light, human detail and transformative narrative in this iconic Baroque masterpiece.

Michael Torke's 'Being' is a transfixing 43-minute composition that shimmers with infectious energy, despite its lacklustre album cover.

An analysis of Caravaggio's The Conversion of St. Paul and its representation of the powerful transformation of the future apostle.

Exploring social injustice and generation gap in post-war Britain drama through the works of John Osborne and other playwrights of the Angry Young Men movement.

Can AI art really be considered true art? The debate is heating up as many see this new technology as a mere copycat, while others argue that it has the potential to elevate human creativity to new heights.

Dive deeper into the history and symbolism of early Christian art with our analysis of the ancient Nativity Fresco in the Catacombs of Santa Priscilla, Rome

Uncovering the hidden gems of 20th century British drama.

Pamfilo of Magliano (Giovanni Paolo Pietrobattista) was a Franciscan friar who lived a life characterised by intelligence, determination, and resilience, writes Carla, Giovanni’s great niece.

The Age of Self-Discovery was a milestone for the English poetry and novel that opened the doors for the intellectual creativity and innovation of 20th-century writers.

Dante's death 700 years ago marked the end of an era. But his lasting legacy may be his vision for a world government, outlined in his work De Monarchia.

Poems for a better world is collection of poems composed by UN-aligneders for a better better and fairer future.

David Herbert Lawrence has captivated the imagination with his rich and substantial prose, painting a clear picture of reality with spontaneous language.

Each of us is constantly torn between comfortable facade truths, and those deep and real truths that sometimes elude us. For most people, it is relatively easy to keep the uncomfortable aspects of authentic truths hidden.

Gruesome rape and torment in Ukraine, Causing women and children agonising pain. Horrific headlines curdles one to the bone.Russian soldiers have no hearts of their own...

London has always been my dream. Ever since my first English lesson, back in 1974, I have imagined myself wandering along its famous streets, visiting its exquisite monuments, but the city was unlike anything I imagined it to be.

Born in 1663, Petronilla Paolini broke through society's patriarchal cage with the only weapon she had at her disposal, her art... writes Carla Pietrobattista.

Virginia Woolf and her tumultuous psychological hardships should be considered an essential cornerstone of modernist fiction.

Who makes graffiti? Street children who vandalise walls or mysterious artists whose works are worth millions? You may be surprised to know these three historical graffiti.

Located in the gallery of Uffizi, Michelangelo’s Doni Tondo (Tondo Doni) portrays the holy family and represents a unicum in Michelangelo's artistic production.

This article highlights the drawbacks of language, not only in its cursed post-Babel scattered metamorphosis, but also in itself, as a means to communication and thought.

Doris Lessing, a female writer who weighed in on the feminist front and who wrote about persecution, intolerance and injustice.

How Michelangelo created the last judgement.

Edward Morgan Forster: his life and his works.

As the Ukrainian invasion enters its third month, we explore the difference between Russian and Ukrainian language, which are often mistaken as the same.

The divine complexity of Dante's Commedia has not only produced sterile admiration but has been able to generate new art in all the shapes and forms. This piece looks at Dante's impact on the Michelangelo.

This is war my dear! Invasion for pure greed and gratification. What else can this be?

Isaac Rosenberg (1890-1918) did not sing the praises of war; he reflected on its philosophical and poetical impact through symbolism and imagery.

In the 15th century city of Florence, Luca della Robbia goes on to create a recipe for the perfect glazed sculpture, an art form that, at the time, did not fit into the rigid cataloging art.

Born in 1895 L.P Hartley was an English poet and author of many notable works including The Go-Between and The Eustace and Hilda trilogy. Learn more about his life and works.

Where do we start? You haven't a clue. "Well there's nothing that just I can do". But what if your neighbour thought that too? And their neighbour thought they didn't matter. Changes happen when people gather...

Painted during the 1600s and stolen in 1969, Caravaggio’s Nativity With Saints Lorenzo and Francesco is a master work that celebrates the sacredness of the moment without idealising its origins.

Partho Pratim Chatterjee's submission during UN-aligned 2021 poetry competition

The Artemisia, also known as the mugwort flower, is a symbol of gratitude, the leaves of the plant give energy and certainly have nothing to do with addiction to absinthe, a substance obtained from them, which generates addiction when associated with alcoholic substances. Gratitude is the feeling that each of us should have towards every artist.

After our overview of post-war British drama with a survey of the Theatre of the Absurd, let us now look at another important literary movement that developed after the end of World War II. The end of the war left a sense of discontent and disillusionment, especially with the younger generation. As society developed into a more affluent capitalistic and class-conscious structure, the younger generation became aware that the poorer classes were being exploited and this prompted them to voice their anger.

I don’t think I have yet reached my own style in writing and I don’t even think I want to reach it so as not to end up entangled in webs created by myself. I do not love to rely on chance, but do enjoy spontaneous and sudden thoughts.

Croatia and Serbia, once brothers united, have experienced many conflicts since the collapse of Yugoslavia in 1991. In fact, conflicts existed even prior to the demolition of Yugoslavia and can even be traced back as a cause for its collapse.

In the last issue we saw how Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter developed a new drama that was characterized by features that had nothing in common with the prevailing criteria of the time: the Theatre of the Absurd. In this issue we shall take a closer look at Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter, one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career spanning over more than 50 years.

i Silence is explicit Silence is complicit Complicity is violence So in the violence of our silence Let us take stock of our complicity ii Our complicity silences truth Muffles honour, rapes innocence The same innocence we plead Confronted by shattered delusion “We didn’t know” iii We wished to not know Blinded, deafened, deadened We turned away Bedecked ourselves in laurel Which now turns to rue iv Our silence - yours and mine - is explicit It is complicit It is violent And in its complicit explicit violence We too have bloodied our souls About Ayesha Kajee Ayesha Kajee, a South African human rights activist and political analyst, has written poems and stories since childhood, but rarely publishes them due to ingrained perfectionism. She was runner up for the Babishaiku haiku prize in 2016.

It is with great pleasure to announce the winners of this year’s poetry competition arranged by UN-aligned. This year, we have received 17 poems that creatively portrayed the values that UN-aligned’s Manifesto campaigns for. The first place goes to Dean Gessie from Canada for his poem “Terra Australis Incognita”.

Read Dean Gessie’s winning submission to the 2021 UN-aligned poetry competition.

In the last issue we saw how some 20th century writers envisioned a dystopian future in reaction to the two world wars and to the dwindling human values. Protesting against society and the situation of man, but in a different way, were the giants of the Theatre of the Absurd Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter.

Discover the story of the Veiled Christ, a sculpture by Giuseppe Sanmartino housed in the Sansevero Chapel in Naples.

If talking about what you don’t know well is frightening, trying to convey to others what you have studied for a long time with enthusiasm and passion is disorienting, because you proceed with the constant feeling of not saying everything or at least not saying enough. Years ago, when I was still a university student, I was deeply impressed by Christian archeology not only as a matter of faith, but because when art is placed at the service of any kind of religion or religious thought, it generates artistic phenomena that involve social edification.

The dystopian novel developed during the 20th century when the reality of humanity’s volatile condition became evident after both the first and second world wars. The word, dystopia, refers to Utopia, the fictitious name of an ideal country, coined by Thomas More in his famous book Libellus … de optimo reipublicae statu deque nova Insula Utopia (1516). It was designed as a political, social and religious system which was not supposed to be reflected in reality, but proposed as an ideal model. Utopia was later seen as the panacea for the future Many 19th-century scholars looked at a utopian future as the culmination of the forces of historical evolution.

Last month we asked our readers to tell us about their favourite books, TV shows & music. This is a list of some their suggestions.

The search for perfection, albeit in different ways and forms, has always accompanied man throughout his growth and impacted his socio-historical imprint . Starting from ideas for the improvement and evolution of the most basic aspects of life, such as the perfecting of agricultural or construction techniques, his ambition stretched to the creation of increasingly perfect buildings and works of art.

Have you ever found yourself agreeing with a politician for no apparent reason? Have you ever thought why many people support a certain politician even though they hold a ‘foolish’ standpoint? Have you ever thought of how language influences people’s decisions in a political environment? While it is true that humans are complex creatures and clear linear relationships rarely apply in the real world, language usage and perception undoubtedly plays a significant role in the world of politics, especially today where social factors such as gender and ethnicity are gaining more attention. In this brief article, I will look at the use of language in political discourse. More specifically, we will also look at the phenomenon known as code-switching, how and why it occurs and some of the effects it bears.

The situation that plagued the world after World War One was one of callous apathy and emotional aridity. My last article on T.

The following article is taken from a speech given by Carla Pietrobattista on Dante Day, March 25, which is traditionally held as the day the “divine poet” started his masterpiece, the Divine Comedy. 2021 also marks the 700th anniversary of Dante’s death.

The perfect balance and harmony that govern the elements present in the church of Santa Maria in the Porclaneta in Rosciolo, Abruzzo, Italy, tends to arouse one’s curiosity with regards to its origins and history. Although much has already been said by historians and art experts, I firmly believe there are still many secrets hidden in the iconography the church is steeped in.

T.S Eliot is perhaps the best example of the modern metaphysical poet. Like the 17th century poet, John Donne, Eliot veered from the ethereal world of romance and idealisation, to head directly towards a concrete reality through conceits and extended metaphors.

In today’s world besieged by isolationism, America First, Britain First, white supremacy, cyber bullying, homophobia, racism, vaccine tug-of-war, colonialist withdrawal symptoms (… shall I go on?) and the like, never before have the words of John Donne been more relevant; “No man is an island…”. In the age of Brexit, the very notion that every man is part of a greater humanity is a powerful assertion. However, the profound conviction that ‘every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main’ has a far more universal metaphorical significance; a spiritual and existential significance.

Ultimate goal and Foregrounding The aim of this reflection is to create favourable conditions for progress by mobilizing the intellectual, spiritual and material forces with a sense of belonging to one and the same human community. This requires finding new ways of living in society and of facing the future together.

In Chinese, foreigners are often referred to as ’laowai’, a term that carries different meanings depending on context and perception. In this article, we shed light on the social and cultural aspects of language use.

Family background John Donne was born in London in 1572 to a relatively wealthy family. His father, who died when Donne was only four, was a successful tradesman and his mother, Elizabeth, was the daughter of the writer John Heywood. Both parents were Roman Catholics and were in obvious difficulty to come to terms with the newly established Church of England. Donne’s family, especially on his mother’s side, were persecuted for being Roman Catholics and for refusing to swear the Oath of Supremacy which acknowledged the English monarch as the Head of the Church of England. This is the general atmosphere in which John Donne was brought up. As a child he was educated privately by Catholic tutors and at the age of twelve he was sent to Oxford University. The reason for attending Oxford at such a young age was due to the fact that all students had to pledge allegiance to the Queen and therefore to the Church of England by the age of sixteen. Donne’s mother was naturally hoping that her son would obtain a degree before that age. However this did not happen and the young student was eventually compelled to leave Oxford without a degree.

Guarded by some 25 000 troops, Joe Biden successfully took the oath of office. Earlier Mr Ex-President had taken off for Mar-a-Lago.

We cannot speak of a literary career for Samuel Pepys (1633 -1703), since he wrote predominantly for his own private reading. He is known for his diary which was written in a special code (Shelton’s system of tachygraphy) and was not meant to have been deciphered and read by others. This naturally makes his account of life during the Restoration period free from prejudice and all the more authentic.

This article does not intend to offend or devalue anyone with a non-binary gender identity. It only tries to explain why fixing misgendering is a larger problem than most people think, and why there is no immediate solution to misgendering.

Today I’d like to start a short cycle on love with a work about the “love that dare not speak its name”; the love between two men. Maurice was written by E.

Coleridge, like Wordsworth, loved nature and together they enjoyed walking in the Lake District, in the heart of the natural surroundings. However, Coleridge also loved the supernatural.

Wimoweh / The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Memoirs of a Geisha, Karlie Kloss wearing a Native American inspired headdress at the Victoria’s Secret fashion show. Miley Cyrus twerking.

Popular leaders nowadays seem to owe their success to noise, aggression and self-aggrandisement. I call this the Cassius Clay syndrome.

From its early foundations, American music had a European character stamped on it by the American academic musical establishment, which itself was a product of the late 19th century. Before the 1870s, there was virtually no such thing as a music course at the universities; higher educational institutions were reserved for classes in science, history, and languages.

The history of western classical music has traditionally been the province of male composers making music for the aristocracy. Rather than due to nonexistence, the absence of women in the standard music histories has been the result of the common practices of musicologists of the past.

These words are taken from the classic 1951 film directed by Robert Wise: The Day the Earth Stood Still. The film, based on a short story by Harry Bates, is about an alien, Klaatu, who comes to earth in order to warn humanity of its pending obliteration by an interplanetary police force, unless it mends its destructive ways.