The Outsider Issue
The podcast connecting people through the power of secrets
How to make it on your own — When Lea Thau’s life fell apart, she decided to open herself up to the world by starting Strangers, a podcast with a simple goal: connecting lives through the art of storytelling.
Written by: Iris Mansour
Life on the road with America's drifters and dreamers
Dirty Kids — Writer Chris Urquhart spent years tramping with nomads across America, straddling the difficult line between participant and observer. But in a world of uprooted misfits, blending in doesn’t come so easily.
Written by: Cian Traynor
Building a career as a self-taught photographer
How to make it on your own — Lola Paprocka moved to London with no idea what she wanted to do with her life. Now she’s an established photographer heading up the capital’s independent photography festival, helping fresh talent rise to the surface.
Written by: Biju Belinky
Young, gay and vulnerable: The African outcasts living in constant danger
Waiting to walk out — Kenya has become a safe haven for those fleeing war and famine in neighbouring states. But in secret hideaways and temporary homes, LGBT refugees are being forced – once again – to hide their true selves instead of walking out into the world with pride.
Written by: Jacob Kushner
Inside the world of film’s most staunchly independent director
Life through a different lens — Portrayed as a struggling dreamer in cult film American Movie, director Mark Borchardt has made a madcap documentary of his own about UFO hunters. But he's determined to not be mistaken for a fantasist.
Written by: Daniel Dylan Wray
The hell bangers of Botswana's underground metal scene
Far beyond driven — Botswana’s heavy metal culture gets hyped for all the wrong reasons: namely the desert-defying style of its leather-clad crews. But beneath the surface is a DIY subculture uncorrupted by the outside world.
Written by: Bongani Madondo
This Syrian rapper risked everything for freedom. Now he wants the world to listen
From activist to outcast — In his homeland of Syria, Mohammad Abu Hajar is considered a fugitive – a political musician who wore out his welcome. But in Berlin, where he lives in exile, the right to exist poses a new set of challenges.
Written by: Lara Atallah
Coming of age in a country that doesn't exist
Welcome to Transnistria — Transnistria is a self-proclaimed nation that broke away from Moldova in 1990. Now that its first generation are becoming adults – with few prospects and an economy in free-fall – they’re finding their way in a world that doesn’t recognise their identity.
Written by: Cian Traynor
Iran’s youth are kickstarting a grassroots revolution
Iranian Aliens — In the shadows of the country’s hardline regime, young liberal Iranians – now the majority of the population – are finding creative new ways to rebel.
Written by: Alex Pierce
Cosey Fanni Tutti: fearless provocateur, ultimate outsider
A life less ordinary — Branded a ‘wrecker of civilisation’ by the establishment, Cosey Fanni Tutti is a creative force who ripped up the rules in the realms of sex, music and performance art. Now the rest of the world is finally catching up to her.
Written by: Cian Traynor
The Israeli soldiers breaking their silence, revealing the reality of occupied Palestine
An illegal occupation — Nadav Weiman dreamed of becoming a sniper in the Israeli military, but making that a reality opened his eyes to an unspoken truth: he’d been duped into committing injustice. Now he’s helping others speak out.
Written by: Michael Segalov
The sports hero who disguised herself from the Taliban
Girl Unbound — Maria Toorpakai Wazir has managed to achieve the impossible: rising to stardom as a pro squash player, dressed as a boy, in a place where sticking out can get you killed. Now a film has been made about her life.
Written by: Marta Bausells