Lost Curse

Curse Of Cane

David Edgerton | Literary Review | 9th August 2023

Glowing review of a new history of sugar. The author captures the contradictions of a commodity that both helps and harms. "He shows that we could always have done without sugar and today could have all the sweetness we want without it. Yet many of the poorest people in the world depend on it to make a meagre living and to make more bearable the sour realities of everyday life" (1,210 words)

Lost Water

Ursula Lindsey | Places Journal | 15th August 2023

Amman, the capital of Jordan, is running out of water. The supply is intermittent, with many residents receiving a week's provision in 24 hours to be stored in roof cisterns until needed. The country is largely desert and its neighbours — Syria and Israel — have used dams to siphon off most of the contents of its two rivers. The underground aquifers are depleted. The rainy season is short (9,000 words)