Director's Winter Reading List
Recommendations for your Winter Reading List from Director Professor Henrietta Moore and the Institute for Global Prosperity.
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This
Omar El Akkad
After just three weeks of the bombardment of Gaza, Omar El Akkad put out a tweet: “One day, when it’s safe, when there’s no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it’s too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this.” This tweet was viewed over 10 million times.
One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This chronicles the deep fracture which has occurred for Black, brown, indigenous Americans, as well as the upcoming generation, many of whom had clung to a thread of faith in western ideals, in the idea that their countries, or the countries of their adoption, actually attempted to live up to the values they espouse.
May Ziadé
In 2017, French-Lebanese filmmaker May Ziadé came across a selection of archived photographs of Arab women cross-dressing in the 1920s. Now, these images form the basis for her short film “Neo Nahda,” in which she explores the act of searching the archives for hidden treasures that could reveal things about the psyche of a new generation. She tells writer Dalia Al-Dujaili that by highlighting queer Arab stories of the past, she hopes she can provide queer communities today with a sense of ancestry and grounding, with an understanding of those who came before them.
Left Behind: A New Economics for Neglected Places
Paul Collier
Left behind places can be found in prosperous countries, from South Yorkshire, integral to the industrial revolution and now England’s poorest county, to Barranquilla, once Colombia’s portal to the Caribbean and now struggling. More alarmingly, the poorest countries in the world are diverging further from the rest of humanity than they were at the start of this century. Why have these places fallen behind? And what can we do about it?
Josh Appignanesi
COLOSSAL WRECK takes us on an odyssey inside the COP28 climate conference in Dubai. Are these enormous get-togethers all about false promises that hinder change? Or are they the only hope we've got for world-saving unity? With his innocuous selfie-stick, filmmaker Josh Appignanesi moves unnoticed through Dubai's seductive slickness to reveal the talks, meetings and elite backroom parties behind the strange mixture of global cry for help and political posturing that is a COP.
Leila S. Chudori
In the twilight hours of a day in March, Biru Laut was ambushed by four unknown men. Together with his friends, Daniel, Sunu and Alex, he was taken to an unknown location. For months they were held captive, interrogated, beaten and tortured into answering one sole question: Who stood behind the rebellious student movements at that time? This stirring story of Biru Laut and his friends is the story of the desaparecidos of Indonesia. It is the story of a momentous -and still seldom written about-period of Indonesian history that led to the end of dictatorship in Indonesia.
Thirst: In Search of Freshwater
Wellcome Collection
26 June 2025 – 1 February 2026
Thirst is a universal human experience shared with most living beings. With only 3% of the water on Earth being freshwater, our land thirsts too. 'Thirst: In Search of Freshwater' explores humanity’s vital connection with freshwater as an essential source of life and pillar of good health. From ancient Mesopotamia and Victorian London to modern-day Nepal and Singapore, the exhibition highlights the vital role of freshwater in shaping health and ecosystems; the consequences of mismanagement, like the spread of infectious disease; and community-led solutions to the global water crisis.
Sam Kelly
Red Medicine is a podcast about politics, health, medicine, the body, illness, psychoanalysis, psychiatry, social reproduction, disability, prison, policing, abolition, gender, sexuality, pharmaceuticals, and much more.
Louis Theroux
Louis Theroux spends time with the growing community of Israeli religious-nationalist settlers. Their settlements are illegal under international law, and they have been protected by the army, the police and the Israeli government. Since the Hamas-led attacks in October 2023, there has been an acceleration in the establishment of settlements, with settlers pursuing a campaign of violence against local Palestinian communities. What was once a fringe movement has now won support at the highest levels of government, with their supporters holding key positions in the cabinet and able to influence not only the role the military plays but also the future of this conflict.
Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World
Dani Rodrik
Fighting climate change, saving democracy, and eradicating poverty are urgent global challenges, yet the world’s leaders continue to pursue outdated policies that focus on one while worsening the tradeoffs between each of them. Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World shows how the nations of the world can achieve all three objectives.
Daniel Edelstyn and Hilary Powell
Working to turn a street and local schools solar, Power Station is a scalable in-your-face prototype of community led power. Channelling Withnail and I and Ealing comedy the film charts the financial and emotional trials and tribulations of making change together. From sleeping on rooftops to growing thousands of sunflowers and attempts at Christmas number one, community spirit and resilience are at the heart of this documentary.
Adrienne Buller and Common Wealth
The BREAK—DOWN was founded on the recognition that the climate and ecological crisis are rooted in the design of our economic model. Launched in 2024, we publish new writing, conversations and stories from around the world that explore the urgent questions we face today, what the future might look like, and how we can reimagine it.
The Growth Story of the 21st Century
Nicholas Stern
The world stands at a crossroads. The next decade will determine whether we avoid climate, biodiversity, and economic catastrophe – or unlock a new era of sustainable, resilient, and inclusive growth. The Growth Story of the 21st Century challenges the outdated idea that we must choose between climate action and development. Instead, it presents a compelling case for a transformation that delivers both prosperity and a healthier planet.