Annie Ernaux’s investigation into the life of her mysterious older sister, who  died at six, two years before Annie was born. In the summer of 1950, when Annie Ernaus, the French authors was ten, she inadvertently overheard her mother tell an acquaintance that, before Anne’s birth, the family had another daughter who died of diphtheria at the age of six. It was kept a secret from little Anne so as not to upset her. Having believed she was an only child, she learns that she has replaced another daughter- “the little saint,” “the absent one in every conversation,” who lives on … Continue reading Annie’s parents’ wordless grief

Jon Fosse, award winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2023, in Vaim, in western Norway, begins a trilogy of novels set in a remote Norwegian fishing village. Jatgeir travels from the fishing village of Vaim to the city in search of a needle and thread. Cheated twice, he returns to his boat, where he falls asleep as weaves rock the hull. Soon he is awakened by a voice: a woman is calling his name from the quay. There stands Eline, the secret love of his youth – and the namesake of his boat- with a packed suitcase. Eline pleads … Continue reading Out of this world caught in its rhythms

Award winning Hungarian author Krisztina Tóth’s new novel, Eye of the Monkey, is a delicate tale of human in crisis, a dark humor animate, set in an unnamed dystopian country amid a devastating civil war that led to the formation of the United Regency, an autocry . The ravages of war are sweeping, and the populace has been divided into segregated zones, where the well-off are under mass surveillance and the poor are phantom presences, confined and ghettoize. .  In 1970 an experiment which resulted in the first successful simian head transplant. “The monkey seemed to sense its surroundings, its gaze … Continue reading Negotiating the network of power and poverty

London Packaging Week  15 & 16 October 2025, Halls S2 & S3, Excel, London E16 1XL. London Packaging Week connects world’s top luxury, beauty, drinks and FMCG groups with the packaging suppliers, materials and innovative inspiration that will define the future of their brands. Explore the @museumofbrands and see the transformation of iconic packaging history of brands over the years. From @lyonscoffee, Typhoo Tea, Ovaltine, Bournvita, Weetabix, Nesquik, Scott’s Oats, Heinz, Brook Bond, Barber’s Tea, Sailor Boy Custard, Batchelor Soup, Ready Brek, Persil, Robinsons,to Tate & Lyle Golden Syrup, evolution of design, branding and innovation record  at this museum. Continue reading London Packaging Week

Dr Arathy Ram, a scientist with middle-class upbringing, from Kollam village in Kerala, south India, won a £26k , United Kingdom Research and innovation (UKRI) fellowship in UK. Her new 4-year project will use simple body movements to – heal broken bones, power medical implant like pacemakers, eliminate the need for batteries, wires or drugs.  Dr Arathy Ram had already won the Marie Curie Fellowship worth £27k and worked with ISRO. Now she is pioneering a new field- piezoelectroceutics- blending physics and medicine.  Dr Arathy Ram said “Never limit yourself. Step out of your comfort zone – wonders will happen”. Two … Continue reading “Never limit yourself. Step out of your comfort zone – wonders will happen” Apathy

Scientists at the University of Bristol and the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) have developed world’s first nuclear-powered diamond battery which offers a safe, sustainable way to provide continuous microwatt levels of power, that could change the future of energy storage forever. Diamond battery is aimed at applications where a low discharge rate over a long period of time is required, such as space exploration, medical devices, seabed communication. This carbon-14 battery, powered by radioactive decay, can generate electricity for up to 5, 700 years. By utilizing nuclear waste, it offers an eco-friendly solution to energy generation, transforming hazardous by-products … Continue reading Compact maintenance free energy power source: Batteries lasting over 5,700 years