Han Nightingale
Why does everything feel so undignified?
Dropped your Brit Card, Mate! — From Nepal’s Gen Z revolution to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, unrest and violence is everywhere at the moment. Newsletter columnist Emma Garland searches for why, and explains why we need to wrest back agency from the powerful.
Written by: Emma Garland
Surreal celeb turns and creeping surveillance: Goodbye 2025’s endless bummer
Huck’s August dispatch — Justin Bieber’s stock up, Lana Del Rey’s down? The Sydney Sweeney jeans fiasco? Newsletter columnist Emma Garland rounds up a strange, psychedelic summer in culture.
Written by: Emma Garland
Inside the fight against Japan’s ‘nuisance streamer’ epidemic
The business of brain rot — Taking advantage of a culture of tolerance and unwritten social rules, streamers searching for virality are increasingly targeting the far east country with outlandish stunts and pranks. As outrage builds towards foreign creators, ‘responsible streamers’ are speaking up.
Written by: Sophie Holloway
As Kneecap and Bob Vylan face outcry, who really deserves to see justice?
Street Justice — Standing in for regular newsletter columnist Emma Garland, Huck’s Hard Feelings host Rob Kazandjian reflects on splatters of strange catharsis in sport and culture, while urging that the bigger picture remains at the forefront of people’s minds.
Written by: Robert Kazandjian
Inside the weird world of audio porn
Porn without pictures — Storyline-driven and ethical, imageless erotica exploded during the pandemic. Jess Thomson speaks to the creators behind the microphones.
Written by: Jess Thomson
Yaya Bey: “Capitalism is exploitation, period”
do it afraid — Ahead of the release of her second 18-track odyssey in just over a single year, we caught up with the prolific singer, discussing the pitfalls of the music industry, European ‘voyeurism’ framing her previous album and breaking narratives set upon her by others.
Written by: Isaac Muk
On Alexander Skarsgård’s trousers, The Rehearsal, and the importance of weirdos
Freaks and Finances — In the May edition of our monthly culture newsletter, columnist Emma Garland reflects on the Swedish actor’s Cannes look, Nathan Fielder’s wild ambition, and Jafaican.
Written by: Emma Garland
After Assad’s fall, Syria’s musicians rebuild from the rubble
Spaces Between the Beats — Following decades of dictatorship and 14 years of civil war, the country’s classical and creative scenes have an opportunity to build from scratch. Andrei Popviciu speaks to the people hoping for a flourishing new era of art and sound.
Written by: Andrei Popoviciu
Dalia Al-Dujaili: “When you’re placeless, nature can fill the void”
Babylon, Albion — As her new book publishes, the British-Iraqi author speaks about connecting with the land as a second-generation migrant, plants as symbols of resistance, and being proud of her parents.
Written by: Zahra Onsori
James Massiah: “As much as the social contract is lost, there’s a freedom with that”
Bounty Law — With the release of his latest album, we sat down with the rapper-poet to chat about his new sonic Western, the boom in alternative poetry events, and whether the social contract is broken.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Why Katy Perry’s space flight was one giant flop for mankind
Galactic girlbossing — In a widely-panned, 11-minute trip to the edge of the earth’s atmosphere, the ‘Women’s World’ singer joined an all-female space crew in an expensive vanity advert for Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. Newsletter columnist Emma Garland explains its apocalypse indicating signs.
Written by: Emma Garland
Katie Goh: “I want people to engage with the politics of oranges”
Foreign Fruit — In her new book, the Edinburgh-based writer traces her personal history through the citrus fruit’s global spread, from a village in China to Californian groves. Angela Hui caught up with her to find out more.
Written by: Angela Hui
