Trauma, Indian Culture & Monk and the Gun
Issue #102
Happy Tuesday,
And welcome to the Cultural Reads newsletter with book, music, and movie recommendations from around the world.
In this newsletter: Egyptian Books, South African Pop, Indian Culture, Bhutan Movie, Mali Legend & Dutch Trauma Book.
📙 Egyptian Books
Egypt is one of the most ancient civilizations on earth.
But it’s not just about pyramids and pharaohs—modern Egypt is a cultural powerhouse, home to a vibrant book, movie, and music industry.
If you're curious to explore its literary side, start with these 10 best Egyptian books.
🎧 Adelle Nqeto (South Africa)
Curious about fresh talent from South Africa?
Adelle Nqeto is a South African singer-songwriter now based in Berlin, known for her introspective lyrics and soulful indie-pop sound. I love that she sometimes sings in Afrikaans, which feels extra relatable as a Dutch speaker.
🌍 Insight Into Indian Culture
I love seeing the real layers of a culture—like what The Continent does for Africa.
For India, the world’s most populous country, it’s Homegrown (also on Instagram). This digital magazine dives into underrepresented creators, taboo topics, and the subcultures redefining modern India.
🎞️ Monk and the Gun (Bhutan)
Bhutan doesn’t export many films—but The Monk and the Gun (from the director of Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom) is worth watching.
Pawo’s work often explores Bhutanese culture, and here he sets the story against Bhutan’s first-ever election in 2008, seen through a young monk and a gun-obsessed American.
The American is exaggerated, but it made me realize this kind of caricature probably happens more than we think in Hollywood (one cringy example for me is the fake Dutch in The Serpent).
📻 Boubacar Traoré (Mali)
One of my best friends took me to a Boubacar Traoré concert for my birthday. And man, what a show. My hairs stood up the moment he started singing — his voice is raw, pure, and full of soul.
Boubacar was once a household name in Mali, but disappeared from the spotlight after a political shift. Decades later, he was rediscovered in Paris and began touring the world again.
He also plays with one of the best harmonica players I’ve ever seen. Bonus tip: check out his documentary — it’s only in French, but worth a watch.
📗 The Body Keeps the Score (Netherlands)
I feel like there’s a big shift happening from not talking about emotions at all to therapy becoming mainstream. The Body Keeps the Score is a good overview of that shift.
It traces how trauma treatment has changed over time, from being completely misunderstood to discovering powerful methods like EMDR, breathwork, and family constellations. Two things that stuck with me were:
Trauma is an unbearable emotional experience that gets stuck in your body and mind — like being frozen in time, reliving it again and again.
People who self-harm often aren’t suicidal. It’s a way to feel something or regain control when disconnection or dissociation is the real issue.
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