culture | Harbingers' Magazine

September 08, 2023

Dying languages: Cultures are being eradicated in silence

Language is often reduced to a tool for basic communication, neglecting its human and cultural significance. Global warming and urbanisation are forcing linguistically diverse communities to migrate, assimilate, and abandon their ancestral tongues

Sophie Yu on the fight to save forgotten languages

August 25, 2023

Why was Secret Invasion such a flop?

The biggest disappointment is that for a show with shape-shifting aliens it has absolutely no mystery, which is so needed here. Secret Invasion does a lot of telling and not a lot of showing, which essentially comes back to its cheapness

17 year-old Sofia Radysh on the wasted potential of the Marvel star-studded series

August 14, 2023

How samurai traditions live on through Kendo - a sport rooted in ancient Japanese culture

“The cultural and ceremonial aspects of Kendo hold great importance. Kendo represents not only a sport or technique but also embodies a martial art rooted in rich history and tradition. It reflects the enduring spirit passed down through generations”

15 year-old Noah Saphier shares valuable lessons from Kato Sensei

August 13, 2023

Contested artefacts from the British Museum: 7 things you need to know

In recent years, many countries where these artefacts originated have become more vocal in calling for their return, arguing that the objects were taken unethically and without consent

16 year-old Justin Sau outlines the appeals for repatriation

August 11, 2023

To solve US alcoholism youth should be drinking sooner. Here’s why

From completely banning alcohol to lowering the legal drinking age to 18, to raising it again to 21, nothing seems to solve US alcoholism. I feel that creating any type of concrete barrier creates desire for youth, it creates a natural incentive to want it more

15 year-old Noah Saphier on the legal age of drinking

August 09, 2023

Oppenheimer review: Three-hour long biopic nothing short of mind-blowing

In unity with cinematography, sound design, and the soundtrack Nolan creates a horrifically immersive experience which controls every atom in the viewer's body

17 year-old Anatolii Mishustin reviews Nolan’s newest blockbuster

July 28, 2023

Barbie review: A must-watch, the allegedly ‘anti-men’ pink extravaganza will make you cry

Barbie is a must-watch for everyone, for young and for old, for women and men. It’s a beautiful story with a powerful message which will leave you thinking about your own experiences and understanding of the patriarchy and how it in fact isn’t about horses

17 year-old Sofia Radysh reviews the record-breaking box office film

July 21, 2023

Days that marked Afghan girls’ lives

There are days in everyone’s lives that they mark the most regardless of being good or bad. Five students of the journalism learning project at Harbingers’ Magazine – Shanhaza (17), Swita (16), Zainab (13), Naziya (13) and Zohra (17) – interviewed each other to find out about the days that impacted them the most

13-17 year-old OXSFJ and LEARN Afghan students share their life experiences

July 21, 2023

Actors joined striking writers to save Hollywood as we know it

With actors’ walk-outs – including at the notable premiere of Oppenheimer in London, where Cillian Murphy, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, and Florence Pugh all left the theatre – and arrested productions, the entertainment industry is suffering colossal stock price losses

17 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko reports on the ongoing strike

July 14, 2023

'Barbenheimer': is this the most important box office battle in a decade

Barbie is winning, and it is hardly surprising. After all, one film is about dealing with mortality, the sense of self purpose, and challenging American elites, and the other one is a historical thriller titled Oppenheimer

17 year-old Anatolii Mishustin on ‘counterprogramming’ movie marketing

July 14, 2023

Rooney’s debut is a must-read for young people. Conversations with Friends review

Sally Rooney did a fantastic job levelling with the reader on many personal, almost gentle levels. This makes this book a must-read for young people – teenagers, those in their 20s or even 30s – who want a light read that also touches you and makes you ask questions you never thought would occur

17 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko reminds of Rooney’s 2017 masterpiece

July 14, 2023

Lewis Capaldi talks mental health after Glastonbury stage Tourette’s

The Someone You Loved artist faced a moment of crisis when performing at Glastonbury Festival in the United Kingdom

14 year-old Sofia Vorobei on the lesson learnt at Glastonbury

June 30, 2023

A story that will keep you webbed to the seat. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse review

The sequel takes everything the audience loved about the first Spider-Verse movie and turns it up a notch – if not more

17 year-old Anatolii Mishustin reviews the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe

June 30, 2023

Auto-tune overload. Aren’t we sacrificing musicality for so-called perfection?

Excessive use of auto-tune technology, especially when employed to distort the voice during a live performance, sparks debates about authenticity and emotional connection with the audience

14 year-old Sofia Vorobei takes the side of human imperfection

June 30, 2023

Rare glimpse into 21st century politics of sex and desire. The Right to Sex review

Amia Srinivasan’s collection of six nonfiction essays is an impressive debut. Writing about rape culture, student-professor relationships, prostitution, and pornography, Srinivasan is unafraid to linger near the precipice of taboo

17 year-old Sophie Elliott reviews the 2022 Orwell Prize shortlisted book

June 23, 2023

Animal testing made its way onto the big screen. It may be a sign of change

Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 is more than a great movie - it also offers insight into cruelty disguised as animal testing

17 year-old Sofia Radysh on animal testing

June 23, 2023

The art of ‘bad’ art: on Tracey Emin’s My Bed

In Tracey Emin’s My Bed, we realize that art is about expression, meaning, and the authenticity of human emotion. In using such an evocative installation, Emin not only illustrates the active and almost rebellious voice she takes on as an artist but emphasizes the beauty in chaos

17 year-old Megan Lee explores the art of confession

June 09, 2023

Should English Literature be replaced by Global Literature in schools?

In our increasingly diverse and globalized society, the Western canon seems not only restrictive but also exclusionary, calling into question whether the subject of English Literature should be replaced by Global Literature to best reflect the status quo at hand

Megan Lee considers the value behind teaching literature

May 19, 2023

‘Quantity of good Ukrainian music has risen on an aspirational scale’

“We need to win the war and start rebuilding. Not only buildings and infrastructure but also our culture. Because there will come a moment of exhaustion after such a long fight, but we still need not forget that there is a future”

16 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko interviews 19-year-old musician and producer Bogdan “SadSvit” Rozvadovskyi

April 14, 2023

Ukrainian music is much more than ‘sharovarshcyna’. Meet four ‘hidden gems’ bands and artists

The world is now starting to realise how unique and vast the Ukrainian culture is. With music being a major part of it, we, the Ukrainians hope that soon we will no longer be prisoners of the ‘traditional folk’ paradigm - that Ukrainian music ceases to be.

16 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko shares four up-and-coming Ukrainian artists

April 07, 2023

Navalny should not have been a winner of an Oscar award

This movie being recognised and celebrated is unacceptable, no matter how good the quality of it might be. Such distinguished organisations with influential platforms like the Academy should consider the context of the movie before representing it

16 year-old Sofiya Tkachenko on the political messages of award-winning films

March 24, 2023

Babylon’s storytelling of early Hollywood failed to hit the mark - it instead made me gag

While I am not a particular fan of graphic and aggressive movies, I was excited for Babylon. So obviously, my expectations were high, and I decided to throw away my initial biases against Babylon and its gruesomeness. So what did this three-hour long extravaganza provide me with? Nothing but disappointment.

Sofia Radysh's take on the all-star Hollywood film Babylon

March 17, 2023

How political art is used to influence people

Art, as a reflection of an artist’s view of the world, is influenced by the events happening around, including politics and wars. And just like art, propaganda is also influenced by them. Propaganda, as it is known, is the dissemination of information to influence public opinion

16 year-old Kateryna Kalyniuk outlines the history of propaganda

March 09, 2023

Are the Peranakans a part of Singapore’s past or a heritage shaping my life choices?

As I deepened my research into Peranakans, I began to realise that my ancestors far exceed their reputation as creators of imaginative cuisine and eclectic architecture. In fact, the culture not only shapes the Singapore we see today but has largely influenced the choices I have made in life

16 year-old Jinn Ong inquires whether and how it is possible to be Peranakan in the 21st century

December 26, 2022

Regardless of the production, beauty overrules iniquity. On religion and ethics in Tosca

“The arch of the whole opera questions what religion, spirituality and Catholic hypocrisy are,” said Michael Gieleta when on the opening night, I spoke to him about his production’s interpretation of Tosca’s religious themes. “This concerns Tosca herself, who drew moral superiority from murdering Scarpia and took her own life - two cardinal sins according to the Catholic Church teachings.”

Sophie Elliott investigates the famous opera

December 07, 2022

(Un)Open art. Why is modern art so intimidating?

The feeling of misunderstanding art usually evolves from a lack of curated education. But if art is supposed to be free, should education truly play a crucial role in enjoying it?

Maria Chernova shares her opinion on the openness of art and closedness of art recipients.

November 17, 2022

Art of forgetting and remembering. On Lithuania's path to the commemoration of Holocaust victims

Memory is by no means neutral, and the pain of it demands decision. To what extent should we remember at all? What does it mean to remember rightly? Is the idea of memory even possible?

17 year-old Sophie Abromaviciute on relations between art and history

October 07, 2022

The Witcher - a feminist manifesto or a misogynistic tale?

Sapkowski’s saga is not only a fantasy tale - it is also a social commentary. That’s why the TV adaptation has brought into the limelight various types of discrimination, prejudice, and hate-rooted violence

Aleksandra Lasek inquires into the success of Yennefer of Vengerberg as a feminist role model

October 03, 2022

How jokes on TikTok help Ukrainians

Even during the war, people of different ages can still have a sense of humour and make jokes - which is an essential part of Ukrainian culture

Maria Chernova discusses how jokes on TikTok are helping her and other Ukrainians during the war

September 30, 2022

Herbal Insurgency: Wielding Knowledge to Heal and Harm Under Southern Enslavement

Through their knowledge of healing and harming, enslaved people were able to create small but vital spaces of healing and alternative power within the totalizing structures of Southern enslavement laws

William Derek Pacini examines the history of herbal expertise as a form of resistance and a means to freedom

September 18, 2022

Art of humanity. Why Lithuanian Jews took part in the fight against apartheid in South Africa

Once kindness becomes prevalent, it appears to be spreading. Human relations develop as we experience the inevitability of life - whether it is peace or war, core human values remain the same. A formation of a crystal – I think of an artwork I saw in Kaunas, depicting the bonding of ions and atoms which make the crystal grow - is parallel to how human relations develop.

17 year-old Sophie Abromaviciute on the lesson from an art festival in Kaunas, Lithuania

September 14, 2022

The Cupping Room

With the beans right in front of me, I could almost taste the coffee. The sweet and the tangy, the heavy notes and light texture barraging my nose. Tamie described to us the small yet complicated process of coffee roasting

16 year-old Christian Yeung takes a first step into the world of coffee culture, attending a roasting session at The Cupping Room

September 12, 2022

INO’s Tosca: the aesthetics of agency

Tosca offers a compelling evaluation of the complexities of female agency. She is an immensely complicated character—both pious and charitable, but also jealous, impetuous, passionate, and artistic

16 year-old Sophie Elliott analyses the Irish National Opera’s performance of Tosca with the backdrop of its political roots

August 23, 2022

The voice of fashion stands in solidarity with Ukraine

As we say in Ukraine: “everything will be Ukraine!”. And if so, everything and everyone – including the fashion industry – must admit its political side

Maria Rybak describes how the fashion industry responded to the war in Ukraine

August 16, 2022

Norman Davies: In 1919, Soviet invasion bolstered Polish national identity. Now it happens in Ukraine

“In 1920, nobody, no experts, no generals gave Poland a chance. In February, no experts gave Ukrainians much of a chance. The Ukrainians captured Russian tanks where the men were dressed in parade uniforms”

An interview by 18 year-old Jeremi Kulczyk-Lubomirski and 16 year-old Maciej Cebula

August 15, 2022

Bat girls for life? — Nothing about Batgirl said ‘cancel worthy’

Movies are not viewed as a piece of art anymore, they are investment assets. If something doesn't work out they can simply be dumped

16 year-old Sofia Radysh reports on what Batgirl’s cancellation could mean for the film industry

August 11, 2022

United shock, Jesus to flourish under Arteta

Anticipation for the Premier League has now kicked off, with devoted fans eager to find out how their team will do this season

16 year-old Timur Boranbayev gives his predictions for the upcoming Premiership season

August 10, 2022

Ersatz Austen of cheap laughs and romance. Persuasion review

The greatest failing of Netflix's film is that it neither commits to being a faithful adaptation of Austen’s regency, nor a modern rendering loosely based on original content

16 year-old Sophie Elliott reviews streaming giant's take on Austen’s classic novel

August 08, 2022

Women’s Euro 2022, a success and an inspiration to the female youth

It is very refreshing to see how female sport is gaining more recognition and the respect it deserves. Women's football is the fastest growing sport in the UK, and it will be interesting to see how female athletes and sport will develop over the next decade

Timur and Sofiya report on public opinions towards Lionesses’ win in the final

August 04, 2022

Cost of a trendy pup; the flat-faced issue explained

Humanity has been playing god and creating new breeds for a long time now, and the moment to take responsibility has arrived

16 year-old Sofia Radysh investigates the problems of Brachycephalic dogs

July 18, 2022

A mirror to Britain’s homophobia. Joe Lycett: More, More, More! review

While this show’s comedy is structured to identify and poke fun at British conservative society, it is done so in a cheerful and carefree way which prevents the jokes from being destructive in any way

17 year-old Grace Whitehouse reviews Joe Lycett’s touring show

July 17, 2022

Your first lesson in Swahili

My first language is Swahili - and today I will share with you some basic words of this language.

14 year-old Lydia Gaspar introduces her native language

June 23, 2022

Invest in good mathematicians. Weapons of Math Destruction review

Ill-conceived algorithms are strengthening injustice, inequality and prejudice across law enforcement, education, labour, banking and housing.

Natasha Banga reviews Cathy O’Neil’s book

June 22, 2022

A thought-provoking experience. For better or worse. How to Blow Up a Pipeline review

In his 2020 book a leading Swedish climate activist since the 1990s condemns the nonviolent methods mobilised in the climate movement by claiming they only promote passivity—instead, offering us a historical argument, Malm persuasively argues for a more aggressive and confrontational approach.

Sophie Elliott reviews Andreas Malm’s How to Blow Up a Pipeline

March 05, 2022

Entertaining and engaging, yet with a moral dilemma. The Cheese and the Worms review

You may rightfully be thinking, "Cheese? Worms? Millers? Sixteenth-century? Really?” I also have little interest in the Fruili region of Italy, especially in the 1500s - yet this book had me hooked from the very first page.

Marsi Hadijeva revisits Carlo Ginzburg’s 1976 classic

March 04, 2022

Exceptional writing, but stories are hit or miss. On A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth

Two years since the publication of his last book, The Winter Soldier, psychiatrist Daniel Mason returns with his latest collection of human survival stories.

Noemi Elliott reviews a collection of short stories

February 09, 2022

Spot-on image of how Gen Z tends to cope by taking everything as a joke. Don’t look up review

The planet-killing comet is quite obviously today’s global warming climate crisis. The scientific reasoning is there, the facts are there, the evidence is there - and yet, many still refuse to believe in this pressing issue.

Sofiya Suleimenova reviews Adam McKay’s political satire

February 08, 2022

A delightful read for any Austen fan. Jane Austen, Early and Late review

The degree of insight makes a joy solely reserved for Austen fans. Others would likely find the parallels between Northanger Abbey and Persuasion tiresome - although I must confess I never knew that Northanger Abbey contains 24 instances of “persuasion,” only eight fewer than the 32 in Persuasion!

Noemi Elliott reviews Freya Johnston’s book

February 02, 2022

‘Pay me the respect due’. Sidney Poitier as a symbol of perseverance

Barack Obama, who awarded Poiter the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, wrote: “Through his groundbreaking roles and singular talent, Sidney Poitier epitomised dignity and grace, revealing the power of movies to bring us closer together. He also opened doors for a generation of actors.”

Sofiya Suleimenova reflects on ethics lessons from the late American movie giant

January 26, 2022

Darkness, a poem Wisława Szymborska did not write

A pastiche is a work of art that aims to imitate the style of another work or artist. It is a device regularly used in many different mediums, including literature, music, and visual art. For example, Shakespeare’s famous balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet has been a theme for endless pastiches - it was also arguably the inspiration for the happy ending scene in Pretty Woman.

Daria Badger interviews Polish pastiche poetry writer Grzegorz Uzdański - and translates one of his works to English

January 24, 2022

Every bit as real that the reader hopes the story were pure fiction. The Fortune Men review

Nearing the 70th anniversary of the court murder commited in Wales, we realize that not much has changed these past decades.

Noemi Elliott reviews Nadifa Mohamed’s novel

September 19, 2021

Nature and Privation in Three Romani Poets

The generation born after the war was raised amidst the turmoil of social transformation, evolving governmental edicts, and the challenges of dwelling among often unwelcoming ethnic Hungarians. The poetry of these postwar Roma poets reflects these challenges.

Noemi Elliot on Roma poets and their artistic sensibilities