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Memoir

Daniel Kahneman standing on a balcony, arms crossed, with New York City skyline and buildings in the background under a clear blue sky.

Thinkers and theories

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Why I’ll never forget the day I met Daniel Kahneman for lunch

He was an octogenarian Nobel-winning psychologist, I was a nervous 20-something film producer. Here’s what struck me most

by Namir Khaliq

A young woman in a contemporary apartment is reflected but partially obscured in the plate glass windows

Place

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The divided self: does where I live make me who I am?

At home in Delhi, I am a more social, interactive person. A quiet balcony in Frankfurt gave me space to be by myself

by Anandi Mishra

Painting depicting pioneers with covered wagons and oxen travelling through a valley, with mountains, a river, and people on horseback in the background.

Identity

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I rebuilt my self-esteem by changing the story of who I am

I once clung to a dubious family legend to help me cope with a difficult childhood. I’ve since found a better story to tell

by Patricia Olsen

A woman in a black veil stands on a street in front of a building with a colourful sign and closed shops.

Human rights and justice

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The day the Taliban banned women like me from working

With my daughters’ education cancelled, I thought the regime had done its worst. Then a new message came from my office

by Nargis

Edge of an asteroid against the blackness of space, with scattered stars and debris visible in the distance.

Memoir

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What I learned about coping and resilience from asteroid Bennu

After hitting an emotional low, I found myself identifying with an asteroid that looks deceptively solid on the outside

by Elizabeth Landau

Freedom and choice

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Why not driving is my own form of resistance

As romantic petrochemical-fuelled narratives slip into the past, I’ve found my own kind of freedom in a life without a car

by Vicky Grut

Photo of two people on a train reading Metro newspapers with headlines about royalty and sports transfers.

Love

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What I’ve learned about relationships as an agony uncle

I am an agony uncle. This is what I’ve learned about men, women and how relationships work in my 10 years of giving advice

by James McConnachie

Black and white photo of a woman typing at a desk with a poster of Mao Zedong and framed art on the wall.

Memoir

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Learn the art of journaling and archive your life

Journaling is an art and a daily practice that allows you to write your life and find your way, one sentence at a time

by Sarah Boon

A painting of a woman floating on her back in a stream, surrounded by flowers and greenery, wearing a dress.

Memoir

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If madness is like drowning, then writing is my raft ashore

I imagine madness as a kind of watery death, like Ophelia’s. The only way I can get to safety is by writing myself ashore

by Azania Imtiaz Khatri-Patel

Painting of a person sitting on a colourful bed in a room with abstract patterns and vibrant colours.

Psychoanalysis and the unconscious

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The power of slow therapy, revealed in two pioneering memoirs

Two therapy memoirs by Lucy Freeman, an overlooked mental health pioneer, remind us of the value of slow, convoluted therapy

by Elliot Jurist

Charcoal drawing of a person writing at a desk with a focused expression and dramatic shading.

Memoir

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In defence of memoirs – a way to grip our story-shaped lives

Even the non-linear memoir creates meaning by shaping the hot mess of life into a narrative arc. What’s wrong with that?

by Helena de Bres

Photo of two men hugging in a sombre moment at night one has a tear running down his face.

Memoir

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The hug from a stranger that helped me overcome my grief

Levinas explains how connecting with strangers helped me move through my grief to imagine new possibilities for the future

by Will Buckingham