
In Between Places: Ahead of the Women's Prize announcement, Afghan writer Aria Aber talks about her Berlin-set, shortlisted novel Good Girl
Power, desire and violence
In the novel, Nila meets Marlowe Woods, a charismatic 36-year-old American writer, in one of Berlin's bunkers. While their relationship begins flirtatiously, it veers into more complicated terrain. The age gap sets up the classic 'older man, young woman' dynamic, but Aber resists that binary. 'Nila is not just a victim. She has agency. She's being victimised, but she's also self-destructive and is actively seeking out extreme experiences.' Aber wanted readers to understand why Nila would fall into that kind of relationship. 'This isn't a cautionary tale — it serves a different literary purpose.'
Violence, especially the kind masked as discipline or care, runs quietly through the novel. Nila often revisits memories of her mother. She recalls times when she willingly offered her cheek in anticipation of a slap, or when a woman reminded her mother not to hit her in public — because they were in Germany now.
Aber explores how different forms of violence — domestic, erotic, state-sanctioned, — intersect and echo in characters' lives. 'There's an electric current of violence running from one system to another. It doesn't come from nowhere — it's triggered by something external that lives inside the perpetrator,' she says.
She asks: 'Why is domestic violence excused in some communities and not others? Often it comes from powerlessness, a way for those pushed to society's edges to assert control in the only space they can—their homes.' This is why she sets the family in Berlin's prefab housing blocks. 'These places are rife with crime, disenfranchisement, and a lack of opportunity. In those environments, interpersonal violence runs rampant — not because it's justified, but because the people living there are themselves being violated by the state, capitalism, and structural neglect,' says Aber.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


News18
an hour ago
- News18
Materialists Premiere: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans Kiss Pedro Pascal's Cut-out
Last Updated: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal will be seen playing leads in Materialists. Actress Dakota Johnson, best known for her performances in the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, is currently busy promoting Materialists. Directed by Celine Song, the romance drama stars Johnson opposite Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal in lead roles. Recently, at the premiere event of her upcoming movie, the actress and Evans had a cute moment, which gained attention on social media. At the premiere in New York, on June 7, Dakota Johnson came hand-in-hand with co-star Chris Evans. The duo also shared a playful moment on the red carpet while being captured by the media there. In a few videos and pictures that surfaced on social media, Johnson is seen holding a cut-out of Pedro Pascal's face. Evans first leaned forward and kissed it. Then Johnson kissed it before tossing it in the air, leaving everyone stunned. Dakota Johnson saying to Chris Evans to kiss Pedro Pascal's picture and after she did the same, the cutest — ju 🕸 (@dakotasrare) June 7, 2025 For the event, Johnson looked gorgeous as ever in a flowy black gown with a one-side halter neck tie detailing. She completed her look with glam makeup alongside pin-straight hair adorned with bangs at the front. On the other hand, Evans looked dapper in a navy suit with a crisp white shirt. dakota johnson finally made pedro pascal and chris evans kiss 😙😂 — dakota johnson look (@dakotajlook) June 8, 2025 This is not the first moment when Dakota almost made her co-stars kiss one another. In yet another video shared by Pascal, the actress can be seen pulling the heads of her two co-stars in order to make them kiss, but right on time, the two actors pulled back their heads and broke in laughter. The Chilean-American actor captioned the video, 'Our challenger is here @evanscontent." Our challengers is here @evanscontent 😉 — Pedro Pascal Daily (@pascalarchive) June 5, 2025 The premiere event was hosted just a day after Chris Martin gave her a surprise shoutout and shut down their breakup rumours. It was during a Coldplay concert in Las Vegas, which also marked one of Johnson's first public appearances since the rumours about her reported split from the singer cropped up on social media. The duo has been together for nearly eight years. While addressing the audience, Martin unexpectedly mentioned her name and said, 'Be kind to yourself. Be kind to each other," before adding, 'Don't forget to see Materialists! We love you!" Chris Martin just shut down breakup rumors—publicly shouting out Dakota Johnson at a Coldplay show! #chrismartin #DakotaJohnson #ColdplayLasVegas #Materialists #BreakupRumors #CelebrityNews #ViralMoments #ColdplayLive #popculturenews #TrendingNow — The_TunesClub (@the_tunesclub) June 9, 2025 Materialists will hit the theatres on June 13. First Published:


Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
'What a magical thing that is': Carl Sagan's wise words on reading books are the fresh breeze we need amid digital brain rot
A resurfaced 1977 Carl Sagan clip warns against intellectual decline, a vital message today as "brain rot" proliferates. Sagan championed reading as a magical connection to past minds and stressed nurturing childhood curiosity. (Images: X/@carlsagandotcom , iStock) A resurfaced video of legendary astronomer Carl Sagan from a 1977 appearance on The Tonight Show is sparking crucial conversations, offering profound insights amidst widespread concerns about dwindling attention spans and the pervasive "brain rot" of the digital era. As screens dominate and algorithms dictate our daily lives, Sagan's wise words on the sheer power of reading books and nurturing curious minds feel less like a relic of the past and more like an urgent plea for our intellectual the captivating 1977 clip, Sagan, a master communicator of science, articulated the almost unbelievable power held within a book. "The whole idea of what happens when you read a book I find absolutely stunning," he told Johnny Carson. He marveled at how "some product of a tree with little black squiggles on it" could open up, revealing "the voice of someone speaking who may have been dead 3,000 years, and yet there he is talking directly to you. What a magical thing that is." This timeless connection through the written word, a direct link to minds across centuries, stands in stark contrast to the fleeting nature of digital content. Sagan didn't stop at the magic of books; he delved into the inherent curiosity of children, a vital "natural resource" he believed we are tragically wasting. He observed that children "start out eager, intellectually wide-eyed, asking extremely clever questions." Yet, he lamented, "something happens, by and large, to discourage them."He highlighted how dismissive responses to profound questions, like "Mommy, why is the grass green?", teach children "there's something bad about using the mind." Sagan warned that in perilous times, facing "complex and subtle problems" requires individuals capable of "complex and subtle solutions"—a capacity nurtured through intellectual engagement and curiosity. Sagan's 1977 observations are eerily prescient today. The Oxford 2024 Word of the Year, "brain rot," encapsulates widespread anxiety about declining attention spans. Data from Gallup and the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a steady decline in American reading habits. In a conversation on NPR, author Elaine Castillo noted that "massive corporations have essentially captured the capacities in us for reading," offering "momentary dopamine hits" that replace reading's restorative aspects. Abdullah Shihipar of Brown University added that reading a book requires a higher "mental load" than casual scrolling, and studies suggest reading physical media is "superior" to screen reading, which often encourages skimming. The education sector sounds a loud alarm. A former English and digital arts teacher, Hannah, recently resigned with a viral video, lamenting that "a lot of kids don't know how to read," and that AI tools are eroding critical thinking. She witnessed students unable to write basic sentences, and essays produced entirely by ChatGPT, with students showing little concern over plagiarism. Hannah's drastic suggestion: "We need to cut it off. Let them learn how to think again."Abdullah Shihipar, in an NPR conversation, cited a Duke study showing a 12% decline in reading comprehension when AI tools were used. Elaine Castillo articulated a deeper fear: that we might "abdicate our own humanity and our capacity to read, to contemplate, to wrestle with difficult concepts." She emphasized reading's role in building empathy and fostering a "capacity for defiance." The statistics are stark: roughly half of American adults read below a sixth-grade level. Beyond cognitive benefits, reading boasts tangible health advantages; Shihipar mentioned a study indicating a 20% decrease in mortality for book readers, independent of wealth or age. Carl Sagan's powerful message from decades ago offers a vital path forward. His emphasis on the magic of books and the nurturing of intellectual curiosity is not just nostalgic; it's a strategic blueprint for preserving our minds, our empathy, and our ability to navigate the complexities of our world. It's time to heed his timeless wisdom.


Pink Villa
2 hours ago
- Pink Villa
Will Jeremy Allen White Move Past ‘Disastrous' Meeting and Join MCU? Check Latest Scoop
American actor Jeremy Allen White, who is best known for his lead role in the TV series, The Bear, is one of the talented artists in Hollywood cinema. Years after Jeremy had a 'disastrous' meeting for a 'Marvel-y movie', speculation is rife that the actor is expected to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Don't miss the latest scoop about this. Jeremy Allen White To Be A Part Of Marvel Movie? According to a latest update by Screen Time/Dexerto, Jeremy Allen White is being 'eyed' for a role in a Marvel movie. Quoting an X influencer and writer, Daniel RPK, the portal suggested that Jeremy is rumoured to have a superhero future in the MCU. The details regarding his alleged Marvel role is currently under the wraps. If the latest rumor is anything to go by, it will put an end to the speculation about his last meeting with the Marvel Studios that didn't go well. When Jeremy Allen White Was Skeptical About Superhero Flicks Back in 2023, in an interview with GQ magazine, Jeremy Allen White opened up about his meeting for a Marvel-y movie. He had been skeptical about working in superhero flicks and expressed it in front of the executives of the studio. In the interview, the Bear star recalled that he had an "attitude" and later realized that he "played it all wrong". Jeremy Allen's Work Front On the work front, Jeremy Allen White is gearing up for two upcoming movies namely, Deliver Me from Nowhere and The Mandalorian and Grogu. While the former will arrive in cinemas this year, the latter is scheduled for a 2026 release. The actor was last seen in The Iron Claw, the biological sports drama film which hit the screens in 2023. As far as television is concerned, Jeremy will be next seen in The Bear Season 4, which will premiere on June 25, 2025. He will return to the psychological comedy drama series after a year. Meanwhile, Marvel Studios will release The Fantastic Four: First Steps this year. Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars are other upcoming Marvel movies which are scheduled be released in 2026 and 2027 respectively.