When thinking of International affairs, it’s easy to focus on sport, celebrities on tour, war, politics, environment and tourism. With the International issue we are of course looking to explore these topics, but as well the more obscure worlds within our world. We would love to see creative works exploring topics like applications to remain or move, international study, exchange rates, imports and exports, cultural appreciation or appropriation, forms of government, food, borders, peace, queerness in other countries and exploring what it means to be human in a way that transcends any geographic identity. 

 

• Imagine what it’s like to live under a flight path, seeing hundreds of people soar over you to some unknown destination. What would that feel like? 

 

• What’s the most unexpected thing you encountered when travelling to a new country for the first time? 

 

• What would true globalism look like? Would we all begin to look, think and act alike? How would we preserve the beauty of each unique culture? 

 

• All queer people, all across the globe, have moved to a large uninhabited island. You have been appointed to be a leader, or are one of a committee of leaders. What would you call it? How would you ideally govern such a place? 

 

• ‘History is written by the victors’ is a common turn of phrase; how have you personally experienced this, at home, at school/university or in the workplace?

 

• Imagine an alien race visited Earth to learn about us and landed on your roof, in your house or in your garden. How would you describe humans to them, what food, inventions or concepts would you show them? Do you think they would like us?

 

• In all forms of popular entertainment in almost all cultures, the story, plot or narrative often includes conflict, oppression, power and resistance. Think of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the stories of Shakespeare and Homer, the fables of Aesop or The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, why do all these timeless works feature the themes listed above, and why do humans resonate so strongly with experiencing, confronting and overcoming great adversity?

 

• If you woke up tomorrow in a strange bed halfway across the world with no phone, no wallet, no passport or ID, just pyjamas (or in whichever state you typically sleep) in an unfamiliar place in an unfamiliar country. What would you do? 

 

• Imagine a world in which once a day, every day, a single person was randomly selected to appear in the minds of every human on earth at once for 10 seconds. What would you say in your 10 seconds, if you were selected? What could someone say in 10 seconds that would have a profound and lasting impact on you?

 

• Imagine if citizenship wasn’t granted at birth and everyone had to meet the same citizenship requirements as immigrants. How would this reshape society? What would it mean to be a stateless person?

 

• In the novel Exit West doors appear across the globe allowing instantaneous travel across vast distances and state borders. What would you do if you found one of these doors?

 

• What goes through your mind when someone asks “where are you from?”, especially if you or your family are immigrants to your current home country.  Have you ever had someone follow your answer with “but where are you really from?”, because they want to know your heritage/ethnicity or don't believe you were born in this country? How did that feel?

 

• What is your fondest or funniest memory of communicating with someone in a language you are not familiar with? Did you communicate successfully?

 

• Have you ever crossed a border between countries? Was it on foot, by boat, by plane…? How was the experience and did it impact your view of the world?

 

• Do you have family or friends in parts of the world you cannot visit and why? How does that impact your relationship with them?

 

• What's the funniest ‘culture clash’ misunderstanding you've ever experienced?