The Nations We’re Not Allowed to Imagine: The Political Apprehension Behind Self-Declared States
Written by Lia Moskov Why do governments fear self-declared states? A state is only real because enough people agree to pretend it is. In the late 1960s, the global stage witnessed the emergence of Rose Island, a 400-square-meter man-made platform built off the coast of Rimini, Italy, in international waters. It declared itself an independent state and sovereign nation in 1968, under the name: the "Republic of Rose Island,” and Italy quite literally blew it up. This case stud
Nov 214 min read
How ‘enemies of mankind’ shaped International Law
Written by Lia Moskov Did pirates “found” international law, or did states simply invent international law against them? Before the International Criminal Court, before the Hague, before the very idea of human rights tribunals, there were pirates swinging from the gallows. Branded ‘enemies of all mankind,’ they were the first case study for what it meant to have laws that belonged not to any single nation, but to the world. Their very existence brought the question, “What hap
Nov 213 min read
Shakespeare, the Supernatural, & Sexuality in Macbeth
Written by Aphra Jikiemi-Pearson Across Macbeth, it is clear that the supernatural - seen predominantly through the three ‘weird sisters’, who as frightening female figures represent a dangerous challenge to Jacobean patriarchal norms - play a hugely influential role in the tragic events of the play. However, whilst it can be argued that the supernatural provokes and catalyses the violent tragedy of the CMV play, Shakespeare ultimately warns us against human beings’ desire fo
Nov 214 min read
Milan Kundera & Chance; The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Written by Aphra Jikiemi-Pearson If you went looking for a diamond, with the intention of finding one, and you succeed, is that diamond somehow worth less than one found by chance? Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being forced me to question whether circumstances alter worth. In a previous essay, I argued that they did: routine versus randomness created relationships that differed in quality and emotional investment. Kundera’s ability to explore this theme through
Nov 212 min read
London: A literary inspiration through the ages
Written by Aphra Jikiemi-Pearson London: the fast paced, inspiring, enchanting city. It’s changed a lot, it’s most likely changing as this is being written, but it’s part of the charm. To keep up, one has to work. Inevitably, people will long for past versions, fondly holding creased black and white pictures or mudlarking in the Thames. It’s a beautiful city, and I feel like I’m constantly discovering new parts, new art within daily life. Many writers, old and new, have share
Nov 213 min read
How does distance complicate and intensify romantic feelings in ‘The Great Gatsby’?
Written by Aphra Jikiemi-Pearson A green light, flashing dutifully at the end of a pier. Seen, maybe, but not recognised for what it is: a symbol of love, of dedication from afar. Get too close to the light, and all your ugly truths may be seen. The facade that the distance provides, the purple mist that covers the summit of a mountain, is burnt away. All your imperfect idiosyncrasies are revealed. You cannot hide anymore. F. Scott Fitzgerald captured the complexities of roma
Nov 215 min read
Hollywood verses History
Written by Lia Moskov Does the media shape our memory? Let’s talk about history. More specifically, the way that we remember it. You would think history is just a series of facts, right? Things either happened or they didn’t; but then you watch a movie like Oppenheimer, and suddenly, history feels more like a story being retold rather than a collection of cold, hard truths. So, the question is: do movies (and media in general) actually shape the way we remember history, or do
Nov 212 min read
