Culture

Sexual politics
In the second world war, some diplomacy was done between the sheets
Pamela Churchill Harriman, daughter-in-law of the prime minister, ran an effective charm offensive

Who are you calling cute?
Why the world is so animated about anime
Japan’s cartoons have conquered its screens, and more

The invasion of Ukraine
How a second nuclear disaster was avoided at Chernobyl in 2022
The Russian occupation underscored the risks posed by nuclear sites in wartime

The record books
Han Kang wins the Nobel prize in literature for 2024
The South Korean author offers another example of the country’s cultural clout

Song of myself
Why you should read Mohamed Mbougar Sarr
The Senegalese novelist is one of the boldest writers working today

Missives from a neurosurgeon
How complicated is brain surgery actually?
A doctor reveals the myths and realities of his profession

Back Story
Is TV’s next sure-fire hit, “Disclaimer”, a must-watch or a dud?
The glitzy new thriller is both

Johnson on language
Americans are chuffed as chips at British English
Why doesn’t the affection run both ways?

The sports page
Time for LIV, golf’s Saudi-funded rebel tour, to drift into obscurity
As a golfing experiment it has failed

“Unleashed” and mildly unhinged
Boris Johnson shows how not to write a political memoir
His new book is full of revelations, but none of the sort readers actually want

From witchcraft to woke
How humans invented good and evil, and may reinvent both
Over thousands of years humans domesticated themselves

No passing fad
Fashion photography is in vogue
Museums and collectors now want what were once panned as commercial images for their walls