Flesh · David Szalay · United Kingdom / Hungary (2026)
Born in Canada and raised in the UK but living in Budapest, David Szalay describes himself as an insider-outsider, a perspective that defines his latest work. He explores the physical and emotional realities of modern life across different European landscapes.
The book analyzes the way contemporary society experiences intimacy and isolation in an increasingly connected yet fragmented world. (Original language: English.)
Adolescence · United Kingdom (2024)
Many series about young people rely on shock or sentimentality. Adolescence does neither. It looks calmly and uncomfortably at how violence, masculinity and responsibility take shape long before adulthood.
The story follows a teenage boy accused of killing a classmate, but the real focus is wider, encompassing family, school, social pressure, and the silences that allow things to escalate. It is not an easy watch, and it is not meant to be. Its strength lies precisely in its restraint.
Rather than offering answers, the series forces the viewer to sit with the consequences. It feels distinctly European in its refusal to simplify a complex social failure into a single villain.
On Falling · Portugal / United Kingdom (2024)
A quiet and powerful portrait of a Portuguese migrant facing the isolation of the modern gig economy in Scotland.
Privacy Is Power · Carissa Véliz · United Kingdom (2020)
We have chosen this book because it perfectly explains the core theme of this issue: why your personal data is not just yours, but a political tool.
Most of us treat privacy as a boring setting on our phones, but Carissa Véliz argues it is actually our most important collective asset. She explains how our daily digital habits are connected to how power and democracy work. If companies and governments know everything about us, they can predict and control our behavior.
The tone is direct and practical. Véliz shows why we need to protect our data to keep our freedom. It is an essential guide for anyone who wants to understand the hidden costs of the “free” internet.