In this episode, Maura Martens and Sterre Schols, both students of the Research Master “Arts, Literature and Media” at Leiden University, delve into the marginalized stories of Europe through the lens of Critical Heritage Studies. Who is included and who is left out of Europe’s cultural narratives? Through a close-reading of the novel Soul Tourists (2005) by British author Bernardine Evaristo, Maura and Sterre explore the critical role of art in the cultural archive of Europe, especially in relation to issues of race, colonialism and mobility. Evaristo offers a multivoiced alternative narrative by presenting ghostly encounters with black figures from Europe’s past. This episode also discusses Thomas Price’s Moments Contained (2022), a statue of an imaginary, young Black woman in front of Rotterdam's Central Station. Dutch novelist Safae el Khannoussi joins the discussion to speak about her critically acclaimed debut novel Oroppa (2024).

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This episode is hosted by Anna Loi and Ymke van Doorn, both students of the Research Master “Arts, Literature and Media” at Leiden University. The focus is on Jenny Erpenbeck’s Go, Went, Gone (2015), a novel about the encounters of Richard, a retired professor, with a group of refugees in Berlin (Germany). How do literary narratives, such as these, shape our perceptions of migration and of refugees? Can literature evoke empathy and is there a limit to this? Through an analysis of the novel, Anna and Ymke reveal a tension between humanitarian ideals and systemic constraints. In their discussion, they also discuss Ai Weiwei's The Law of the Journey (2017) and Banksy's Inflatable Refugee Boat (2024) and interview Dr Sanne Rotmeijer (Leiden University) about the relationship between empathy and storytelling. 

For references and additional information, please see the full description (available here as PDF)

“When I was 15, I participated in a hunger strike in prison for 16 days. That was my introduction to non-violence, and it was my first time experiencing a potent energy.” –Sulaiman Khatib, 2024.

Breaking the cycle of violence requires profound transformation. For Sulaiman Khatib, this transformation unfolded in an Israeli prison, where he spent a decade after being arrested for resisting oppression. Despite enduring torture, he emerged with a powerful idea: the principle of non-violent resistance. The prison, called “the university” by inmates, became a beacon of learning. They studied Hebrew, explored texts from the Israeli perspective, and learned about successful resistance movements. Upon his release, Sulaiman connected with like-minded individuals from both communities, fostering empathy for the other’s trauma and recognizing the power of non-violence. Together, they established ‘Combatants for Peace’, a pioneering organization transcending borders, language, prejudice, and hate. Find out more about their inspiring work here. 

"I don't always have high hopes about changing the world through photography or journalism, but I wake up in the morning and drive a few hours because I think it's important to be there, to stand with these people, to document it." -Oren Ziv, 2024. 

In this episode, we sit down with Israeli photojournalist Oren Ziv, a pioneer in conflict reporting who has spent nearly two decades capturing the realities of life in Palestine and Israel. As one of the first journalists on the scene of the October 7th attack, Oren brings a firsthand perspective on one of the region’s most harrowing events. A co-founder of Activestills Photography Collective and a writer and photographer for +972 Magazine, Oren has extensively documented resistance, house demolitions and the human cost of the occupation, with a commitment to amplifying voices on all sides of the divide. His work reveals not just the stories behind the headlines, but the deep challenges journalists face in conflict zones, where the risks are constant, and censorship looms large. Join us for an eye-opening conversation about the power of storytelling in the face of adversity, and the role of journalism in holding power to account, showing the world the realities most choose not to see. 

Find out more about Oren’s impactful photography in the West Bank’s village of Zanuta.

"What kind of resistance leads to more loss of land, death, and destruction?” -Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib

Could you imagine a voice from Gaza asking this provocative question? This week, we welcome Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Palestinian-American activist and political analyst daring to propose pragmatic solutions to the Israel/Palestine conflict. In a landscape often defined by entrenched positions, Alkhatib is not afraid to break taboos: he offers a hand to anyone willing to seek peace, while challenging the narrative surrounding activism. 

Alkhatib is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, a writer and analyst who grew up in Gaza City. Through his powerful writing and dynamic social media presence he reaches millions, urging them to reexamine their views about resistance, identity, and the possibility of peace.

This episode explores how Alkhatib manages to create an audience that would hear him out, the challenges he faces within the pro-Palestine movement, his thinking about how to be a positive activist for the Palestinian cause, as well as his hopes and dreams for the future. 

“I was radicalized in the archives” - Prof. Avi Shlaim. 

Have you ever wondered how an Oxford Professor of International Relations, pioneering scholar of Israel/Palestine and member of the Israeli ‘New Historians’, developed his complex political voice? In this episode, we explore the remarkable journey of Avi Shlaim, author of the seminal work The Iron Wall.

We delve into Avi's identity as an Arab-Jew—born to a Jewish family in Iraq and later immigrating to Israel—and his groundbreaking critical analysis of archival documents that challenged long-held narratives about Israel.

This episode unpacks pressing and provocative questions surrounding Israel/Palestine: 

• Can one be both Arab and Jewish in today's political climate?
• What does the abrupt exodus of over 100,000 Iraqi Jews in 1951 reveal about centuries of coexistence?
• Is Zionism inherently a European ideology, and what does this mean for non-European Jews?

In this episode, Shlaim offers a thought-provoking viewpoint informed by his lived experience and decades of scholarship. He also shares a hopeful vision of how a past of Arab-Jewish coexistence might illuminate a path forward for the region.

So dare to listen, and discover the voice of one of the most influential scholars of Israel/Palestine!

Sveltana Alexievich's ' 'The Unwomanly Face of War' documents the experiences of Soviet women who participated in the second world war – both at the front lines and at home. This episode by Milou Makaske, Betty Kincová and Annemijn de Vries considers the book and its themes. 

In this podcast episode, Sorcha Lanigan and Sophie Carr-Brulard discuss Saidia Hartman's book 'Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments' which is an exploration of the intimate lives of young Black women in Philadelphia and New York in early 20th century.  

Njabuko S. Ndebele's 'The Cry of Winnie Mandela', discussed here by Meri Kajaia and Nina Hamann, is fictional narrative centred around the stories of several women, including Winnie Mandela. The novel is a meditation on what it is to be a woman in the struggle – on waiting, longing, catharsis, and redemption. 

In this episode, Joël Kous and Jeroen Kreis review Maaza Mengiste's 'The Shadow King'. The novel is situated in the Second Italian-Ethiopian War, 1935-37 and highlights the role of women in this war.