Best of British Longform: Birds, bombs and big ideas in science
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Why this British man left behind his family to fight Isil in Iraq
Matt Blake, The Telegraph, 20 May
A small group of Britons have abandoned their family lives to take the fight to Islamic State in the Middle East. Matt Blake recounts an incredible story with unfettered access to those who scramble around in battle against terrorists.
Viola Beach: Famous before their time
Jonathan Dean, The Sunday Times Magazine, 22 May (£)
When Viola Beach died after their car careened off a cliff in Europe earlier this year, their home town mourned. But what happened after the media went away — and is the rock-and-roll lifestyle a dangerous one, not for the drugs and booze, but lack of sleep and cramped cars?
China’s science revolution
Rebecca Morelle, BBC, 23 May
China’s dominating the world in commerce, in finance, and in science. Rebecca Morelle takes five snapshots of the country’s burgeoning science and tech sector and weaves them into this compelling longread, augmented with video and images.
‘There will be birds’: Meet Noah Strycker, the world’s greatest birdwatcher
Tim Walker, The Independent, 27 May
A right-wing anti-government cabal has holed up in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in the United States. While most the media attention has focused on the shots fired between authorities and protesters, Tim Walker zeroes in on its impact on Noah Strycker — a nearby resident, and obsessive birdwatcher.
This Is Why Black British Men Are Afraid Of Speaking About Their Mental Health
Fiona Rutherford, BuzzFeed News, 25 May
Black men in Britain are 17 times more likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness than white men — but most diagnoses are caught in the prison system, rather than in hospitals or the GP’s office. Why? Fiona Rutherford explores how decades of distrust and entrenched racism have caused a ticking timebomb for mental health care.
