Prescriptions for the modern malaise

Featuring Syria’s free artists and a previously lonely sunfish

One of my most cherished possessions is a book called The Poetry Pharmacy, an anthology by William Sieghart that "prescribes" a poem for any mood that may be taking you. I reached for it again this week in a moment of anxiety, reading The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry.

Entering a world of someone else's literary creation can serve as a distraction, bringer of joy, or healing. So this week I have decided to play doctor, prescribing you a smorgasbord of stories for various ailments. Read on and I hope you feel better by the end.

Have a fantastic weekend,

Taylor

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Prescription for writers' block - Syrian artists regain freedom

Struggling with harnessing your creativity? Perhaps this story will inspire.

After liberation from decades of Assad regime rule in December, Syria's art scene is beginning to blossom once more, like a bulb that lay dormant under its soil seeking the sun.

The capital Damascus is packed with galleries and exhibitions, which before Bashar Al Assad's fall showcased only work without any political content. But now, those forced to curtail their creativity or exiled by the regime are starting new projects, like the Damascus Film Salon, which is screening previously prohibited films. Director Ossama Mohammed, exiled for 10 years, returned to the capital and gave a talk about his 1988 film Stars in Broad Daylight, which was banned by the country's former leadership.

The future is uncertain with Hayat Tahrir Al Sham at the helm of Syria, but for now artistic freedom reigns.

“We should remain optimistic but careful, and remain confident that we are smart enough to keep it this way,” George Achkar, one of the organisers of the Damascus Film Salon, told Nada Maucourant Atallah.

Quoted

The market is now filled with goods, which wasn’t the case during the war when supplies were scarce. The influx of trucks into northern Gaza has really helped replenish the market

- A prescription for hopelessness: that in the darkest of times, Gaza's ceasefire has brought aid flooding in. Mohsen Badr, a resident of Gaza city, marvels at the changes

Prescription for medical anxiety: lowering dementia risk

It has been five years since the first cases of Covid-19 were detected and later the disease raged (and continues to rage) around the globe. It is natural for those who lived through a pandemic to feel worried about their health in future, but there are reasons for hope.

Researchers at the universities of Cambridge and Exeter this week announced they have found that antibiotics, antivirals and vaccines are associated with a lower risk of developing dementia, which could support the theory of a link between infections and the disease.

There is more work to be done to show a causal link between the two, or whether it is a correlation of lifestyle choices and these types of medications. Read more on what impact this discovery will have on future research here.

SNAPSHOT

In November 2023, the World Health Organisation declared loneliness a global public health concern, saying it could be as bad for our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

Humans aren't the only ones susceptible to the scourge of feeling outside of the lives others are living. A Japanese aquarium noticed its sunfish was exhibiting signs of stress after it closed for renovations.

Staff guessed he was saddened by the lack of a human audience, so placed human-shaped cutouts with photos of smiling faces outside the tank.

It worked, and that just goes to show we can all do our bit to alleviate someone's struggle, so why not pick up the phone and call someone who may need someone to talk to?

See the Beshara photos of the week here

Impact on Instagram

Highlights

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🎻 Hans Zimmer to reimagine Saudi Arabia's national anthem

🦪 Sustainable pearl farming in Abu Dhabi revives traditions with modern innovation