Here was a plague
A sobering, finely wrought and hugely powerful narrative of the Aids epidemic in the 1980s.
How Will Police Solve Murders on Mars?
As a deep dive into the policing of Mars colonies, this piece is by definition somewhat speculative, but it is no less interesting for it.
Framed
The story of how a parent teacher association head was allegedly framed for possession of hard drugs by parents with a grudge. The story seems at times to be straight out of a legal procedural TV show – one of the accused writes self-published crime novels in which she imagines ingeniously executed crimes, a firefighter lover arrives at the accused’s house for a tryst at the same time as the police and has to make a hasty exit – and yet it is not.
Who Really Stands to Win from Universal Basic Income?
This piece kicks off with an insight – “Economics is at heart a narrative art, a frame across which data points are woven into stories about how the world should work.” It then proceeds to examine universal basic income as an economic narrative, its roots in English history, and the lessons learned from its application in countries around the world.
An Ad Hoc Affair
A profile of Jane Jacobs, a writer and urban planning activist, that lauds her “clear-eyed vision of humanity”.
China’s Selfie Obsession
A piece examining the phenomenal success of MeituÕs social apps, installed on over a billion devices, and changing self-image across their user base.
Dry, the Beloved Country
A piece that examines the response to a severe drought in Cape Town. Whilst undoubtedly a crisis, it has also become “a kind of vast, unplanned, crazy—and fabulous—social experiment”.
The Man Who Solved His Own Murder
An account of the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian spy killed in London ten years ago – a story of incompetence, intrigue, criminality and authoritarianism. It’s worth listening to the audio too.
The Real Scandal Behind the Panama Papers
A Nobel prize winning economist describes his experience serving on a commission convened after the release of the Panama Papers.
The Prisoner
The story of Edwin Debrow, a 37 year old man who has been incarcerated since he was convicted of murder at the age of 12.