The Dial publishes two pieces a week, one original to The Dial and one in translation. This week’s articles include:
Iran’s Ultimate Banned Book by Amir Ahmadi Arian
The Blind Owl remains essential reading for understanding the country.
What US Aid Cuts Did to Lesotho by Majirata Latela
Before Trump took office, Lesotho was on its way to overcoming HIV. What will happen now?
Funds from The de Groot Foundation support writers contributing to The Dial.
In 2025, The Dial published 11 pieces of original writing and reporting, spanning three continents, with support from The de Groot Foundation.
“‘Anya, Wake Up! They Started a War!’” by Mirelle Juchau
After Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukrainian academics began documenting the effects of war on the inner lives of ordinary people. Mireille Juchau combs through an archive of dream journals, which include scenes of ruin, death and surreal encounters.
“Blocking the Clinics” by Anita Pouchard Serra & Natalie Alcoba
Photographer Anita Pouchard Serra and journalist Natalie Alcoba document how women’s health advocates and activists are responding to President Javier Milei’s health spending cuts in Argentina, including scaling back on sex education programming and contraceptive and abortion medication distribution. Pouchard Serra’s photographs bring us into the fight by visiting health clinics and walking with protestors.
“Boom and Bust” by Mara Kardas Nelson
The Trump administration’s cuts to USAID in early 2025 have had a significant impact on Sierra Leone: Clinics have shuttered and essential aid, such as HIV testing, has been suspended. These latest cuts fit into a decades- long pattern of foreign aid funding whiplash. Mara Kardas-Nelson explains how Sierra Leone lost faith in foreign aid funding long ago.
“Pretend to Work, Co.” by Lavender Au
Social media posts about people going to “fake offices” to “pretend to work” have been going viral in China. Local news described these offices as ways to keep up appearances and avoid the stigma of being jobless. Lavender Au visited one to see if that was true, and what people did there all day.
“What’s the Point of a Global Climate Target?” by Sophie Yeo
In 2015, the UN set a climate goal to prevent the global temperature rise from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius. Ten years later, Sophie Yeo reports on how this target is becoming obsolete, evolving from a tangible goal to a symbol of failure.
“Coconut Head” by C.I. Atumah
In her short story, Nigerian writer C.I. Atumah tells the story of a teenager who gets involved with, and taken advantage of by, her older nextdoor neighbor. “Working with The Dial to publish my story was more than just getting published; their commitment to maintain standards pushed me to rise to the moment at a time I didn’t feel my strongest,” Atumah said about the editing experience.
“Archives of Atrocity” by Lynzy Billing
Up to 200,000 people were disappeared or went missing under the Assad regime in Syria. After the fall of Damascus in December 2024, Lynzy Billing visited newly opened prisons and government sites to photograph the countless documents and objects left behind, including meticulous records of those arrested, notes on bribes paid, forced confessions, photos of children, cell decorations and more.
“The Bump” by Amir Ahmadi Arian
What will we pass on to our children — whether we like it or not? In his essay, Amir Ahmadi Arian writes about the Iran-Iraq war and wonders if the trauma he experienced as a young boy might affect his own son.
“Putin’s Culture War” by Yegor Mostovishikov
Under Russian control, Mariupol’s cultural institutions have become propaganda machines for Moscow. In what remains of the city’s museums, Ukrainian culture has been stripped from exhibitions, and local history rewritten. Historical artifacts and paintings have been stolen and moved, and new museums are being established that celebrate Russian resistance and history, Yegor Mostovshikov reports.
“What Does Greenland Mean to Denmark?” by Morten Høi Jensen
President Donald Trump’s threats to buy Greenland have inspired new conversations about independence on the island. Morten Høi Jensen considers how the Danish government has both controlled and abandoned the territory for decades, and is being forced to reckon with inequalities it would rather ignore.
“Our AI, Ourselves” by Jessi Jezewska Stevens
How are fiction authors thinking about AI? Jessi Jezewska Stevens read a handful of recent novels that grapple with the anxiety and confusion surrounding this new technology. Rather than predict the future as most science fiction does, these novels extend the present in an utterly recognizable way, she writes.