Amitav Ghosh: Writing and Imagining History: Narrating the Indian Ocean World

I have to admit that I wasn't familiar with Ghosh until today, and it was only in a fit of post social momentum that I ended up attending tonight's fully booked talk by the author. I didn't know what to expect - well apart from what I gathered via osmosis while tagging along with some intelligent friends.

There's a special quality in some people - most of the time authors - in how they're able to communicate complex ideas in both an accessible and deeply nuanced way. That Ghosh is also concise only serves to enhance this ability of his, and it was astonishing (and enjoyable) witnessing him weaving in 30-40 minutes the topics of the environment, colonialism, military elitism and (I'm sure) a few more that I missed. It was kind of like watching a magician spin a trick.

That said, Ghosh suffered from the same strange contradiction good speakers demonstrate in that his Q&A session was even better than his prepared talk - not just because of some of the answers he gave but especially because of how he handled some of the more awful questions (did the contributors in the audience even realise this?)

All in all it was a bonus of a talk (since I had no previous intention of attending) and I look forward to reading some of his more popular work.

Film: Wicked: Part 1

Wicked was possibly the last show that I really really liked and so it was with some trepidation that I approached this movie - of course it would never be as good as the musical it was based on, so why even bother?

Well I'm very happy to admit that I was wrong. I wouldn't say it was better, but it most certainly did not mess it up. It was just as colourful, lush and joyous as the show, while adding just enough movie magic to make it its own thing.

And it wasn't just a cash in either, with both leads as well as the supplemental cast doing a great job - I have to especially note at how surprised I was at what Grande brought to the movie.

Some criticisms include the run time (2h 40m and this is only part one?) and some of the rearrangements of the music - although perhaps my memory was playing tricks on me?

Overall though Wicked was fabulous and definitely recommended.

Book: The Sins of Our Fathers, James S. A. Corey

Okay so now this is actually finally it - my reading of The Expanse is finally over with the final short story released. As before all the short stories (with the exception of the RPG) were read from Memory's Legion, a compendium that all series like this should have available (I'm looking at you Cosmere).

The novella itself was not what I was expecting. Rather than an epilogue of sorts, it was another side story, albeit one set after the events of Leviathan Falls. This shouldn't have come as a surprise given how tangential the other short stories were, and I can only blame myself for expecting it to offer any kind of closure.

That said, it was actually one of the better short stories available, paced just right as well as adding flavour to the small amount of the post-ring world we were given. In that sense it is actually a decent way to exit the books, again with its non-essential nature proving to be where its value lies.

The Long Human Tragedy of the Nakba and Israel's Settler Colonial Genocide

There are few worthy champions to the Palestinian cause than Francesca Albanese. It's clear that she didn't become such a force off the back of a UN mandate, but there's little doubt that we (I?) probably wouldn't have heard of her if she wasn't the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. So it was a simple enough decision to jump on the chance to see her speak in person at Greenwich University even if it was only with a few hours' notice.

Most viral content on Albanese have her shooting down yet another errant journalist or questioner, an impressive skill but also telling in that we don't really tend to see much of her pre-canned stuff. And so it was tonight, with the actual presentation lacking slightly - possibly because it wasn't telling an informed audience anything new. That said there were still insightful gems like how the original colonialists happen to be the main beneficiaries of post war peace.

A timely fire alarm went off as the main presentation finished, ringing as loud as the paranoia in the audience. Luckily (?) it turned out to be a genuine false alarm (you know, as opposed to Zionist sabotage), so was as amusing as it was annoying, not least because of the awful scenes of idol worship, selfies and sycophancy on display during the interval by many attending. Ironically Albanese shot it down in her razor sharp yet non-patronising way, making the point that some were missing her point.

Of course the Q&A more than made up for the wait. Albanese was more human than she appears in her tiktoks, and as impossible as it might sound, far more wise. Of course at this point of the more recent developments we're not going to hear any truly novel points, but it was enthralling to see how she was able to connect the war in Gaza (as well as the occupation as a whole) to more wider debates like socialism and capitalism.

I was lucky enough to ask a question about whether domestic policy in Western countries were in the scope of her work (and generally the definition of genocide) and although it wasn't answered directly (probably because it's a no), it did lead to further points about our own respective responsibilities with respect to Palestine and elsewhere. A particularity pertinent point was how boycotts were more essential than protests, and wider financial leveraging was more important than boycotts.

Overall the evening was exactly what I was expecting and in no way disappointing. I am pleased to say the internet hype is real and Francesca Albanese is the real deal.

Film: Heretic

Oooh now this is a film that's probably going to be more controversial in some circles than others. Religious commentary is always tricky unless done with expertise and although Heretic presents some of the better philosophical debates, it might still be uncomfortable viewing for those who consider themselves of a faith.

Trigger warnings aside, Heretic was still a great film. I've never hated Hugh Grant, but in this he was quite amazing (as were the rest of the cast). The film itself was well paced (where even the slow bits felt great), engaging and well produced - the finale may have been a bit blunt compared to the sharpness of the rest of the movie but that also gave the religious discourse a bit of escape too so I managed to forgive that.

Interesting, fun and creepy enough, Heretic definitely gets a recommendation from me.

Book: Leviathan Falls, James S. A. Corey

Aaaaah, it's always difficult to review the last volume of an epic such that was The Expanse. Is it even possible to pay off so many books, chapters and words? Maybe, but such a beast would be a rare thing indeed. Unfortunately although Leviathan Falls does its best... It just about falls short.

But this isn't a symptom of this, the ninth book in the series, but a reflection of the series as a whole. The flaws - no, weaknesses - were glaring, the labouring as visible as the labour, and the magic kind of muted.

Maybe it could have been trimmed down a bit? Maybe some of the harder science fiction could have been polished off a bit? The truth is that The Expanse will not be a classic, and that's a tough pill to swallow considering how on paper it's far better and complete than most of what passes as sci-fi media these days.

I suppose The Expanse was always doomed to fail, having set up an ambition that was out of the reach for anyone but the masters. That said, the fact that it's even being compared to the best of examples says enough to recommend it.

Oh and yes, I know I'm writing as if there's nothing more to say. Well no, because there is one last short story to read before I'm completely done with The Expanse.