Art Review's Pandemic Reading List: Historical Parallels and Political Narratives

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, reading habits turned toward historical and wartime narratives that mirrored pandemic experiences. Tim Judah's 2015 book 'In Wartime: Stories from Ukraine' explored personal stories from Europe's largest country. Vincent Bevins's 2020 publication 'The Jakarta Method' detailed CIA-backed operations in Indonesia. Will Grant's new work 'Populista: The Rise of Latin America's 21st Century Strongman' profiles leaders like Brazil's Lula and Ecuador's Rafael Correa. Francesca Wade's 'Square Haunting' examines five female writers in early 20th century London, including Virginia Woolf and Hilda Doolittle. Edmund de Waal's 'Library of Exile' catalog accompanies a British Museum exhibition featuring books by exiled authors. A publication on Brazilian artist Hudinilson Jr surveys his work at São Paulo's Pinacoteca. The Beau Geste Press catalogue raisonné documents the collaborative efforts of Felipe Ehrenberg, Martha Hellion, and David Mayor. Faber reprinted Hope Mirrlees's 1919 modernist poem 'Paris: A Poem,' originally published by Virginia Woolf's Hogarth Press. These readings provided perspective on global events through intimate narratives.