Category
Stories on the page and screen from every corner of the map.
Stories travel further than almost anything else people make. Our Books & Film stories look at the works and industries that shaped how the world tells stories, from The Tale of Genji, written a thousand years ago in Kyoto, to Nollywood, Nigeria's prolific film business. We explain where great books and films came from, who made them and how they reached audiences far from home. Expect cultural history, industry economics and reading or watching suggestions from every corner of the map, with facts checked and claims sourced, and an eye on debates where scholars and critics disagree.
Written by a lady-in-waiting at the Heian court a thousand years ago, The Tale of Genji still sets the standard for psychological fiction — and the debate over whether it is the world's first novel is part of its legend.
Born from VHS tapes and street markets in the early 1990s, Nigeria's film industry now releases more titles each year than almost anywhere on Earth, and streaming has carried its stories to a global audience.