The Monocle Minute

Ask anyone what “home” means to them and they’ll have a unique, intriguing answer. For some, it’s an evocative aroma, a particular spot on the sofa or even a seat on a plane at 30,000 feet. For others, in places such as Ukraine, the Middle East or Sudan, defending it is a cause worth dying for.

The question of what makes the notion of home so personal, political and universal is a key theme of Monocle’s design-minded November issue. Our report from Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city, reveals the determination of urban leaders to help revive their hometown’s fortunes. Meanwhile, our story on Finland’s trainee soldiers explores the role of defence and security when it comes to dealing with out-of-line neighbours and we take a deep dive into the Spanish firms with designs on the interiors sector. (Move over Ikea: Zara Home is here to stay.)

I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of home because I recently moved house with a young family and have a tricky renovation ahead. Layers of the old need chipping away; questionable past decorating decisions need to be rethought and more light let in. But it’s about more than ditching the tired avocado bathroom or removing that naff woodchip wallpaper: it’s about the small improvements that we can all aspire to undertake to make our homes (and, yes, streets, cities and nations) more welcoming. The magazine is about creating better places to belong.

Amid the other inspiring reads and global benchmarks (such as a sunny Los Angeles residence and some architects to hire), there’s a series of essays that, well, really hit home for me. We asked 15 notable people, including a war reporter, designers and diplomats, to share their “interior monologues” – musings on what home really means to them.

The breadth of thought and feeling is quite something – from Francis Ford Coppola’s take on ageing and creativity to the UN-Habitat director’s recollections of fleeing home as a child during a flood. Monocle Radio’s Georgina Godwin reflects on being branded an enemy of the state by her birth country of Zimbabwe. And there’s joy jumbled with poignancy from chefs, publishers and gallerists.

So, if you’re seeking some shelter from the negative headlines and clickbait, you’re sure to be well served by the new issue of Monocle. And if you want to belong to a group of people who think that good ideas, fresh reporting and thoughtful journalism can help us to improve our lives, you might feel more at home with a subscription.

Josh Fehnert is Monocle’s editor. Buy our design-themed November issue, which is available online and on all good newsstands now. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe today.

India has announced that it has reached an agreement with China on military disengagement along their disputed border. It marks a significant step in the two countries’ efforts to resolve a dispute that began in 2020 after a clash between Chinese and Indian soldiers in the Galwan Valley that left more than 20 people dead.

The new agreement is expected to help normalise relations between Beijing and New Delhi, whose leaders will meet formally for the first time in four years today on the sidelines of the Brics summit in Russia. As Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi work to restore their nations’ relationship, other Brics leaders will be discussing how to challenge US economic dominance.

The fourth annual Urban Transformation Summit wrapped up yesterday in San Francisco. Organised by the World Economic Forum, the event brought together hundreds of participants from both the public and private sectors. The agenda was solutions-based, with a focus on accelerating urban innovation and building nature-positive infrastructure.

Unsurprisingly, the summit put the host city’s own efforts at urban transformation under the spotlight. In recent years, San Francisco has experienced high levels of homelessness and crime, and is now trying to turn things around with projects such as the revamp of its downtown area and the development of its waterfront. “A lot of companies have moved to the city and tried to bring some dynamism back to it,” says Carlota Rebelo, Monocle’s senior foreign correspondent, who attended the summit. “This is a city that’s pushing itself as a living lab.”

For more on this year’s summit, tune in to ‘The Urbanist’ on Monocle Radio.

This week the British Boat Race Company, the organiser of the annual rowing competition between Oxford and Cambridge universities, announced a partnership with Chanel. Next year’s event will be named the Chanel J12 Boat Race, after the J12 watch designed by Jacques Helleu in 2000. According to Frédéric Grangié, president of Chanel Watches and Fine Jewellery, it will be a long-term collaboration. The move represents uncharted waters for both institutions: it is the French maison’s first sports partnership and the racing company’s first collaboration with a title sponsor (and official timekeeping partner).

“I don’t see this as just a sports partnership,” Grangié told The Briefing on Monocle Radio. “It goes way beyond that. Between these two heritage-led houses, it’s all about the culture and the timeless quality that they have. And when you look at the sport itself, it’s all about synchronicity, performance and perfection in a collective effort. That’s why it’s a match made in heaven.”

For our full interview with Frédéric Grangié, tune in to Wednesday’s edition of ‘The Briefing’ on Monocle Radio.

The Australian Ballet’s ambitious new production, Oscar, tells the story of Oscar Wilde and celebrates love in all of its forms. Here, David Hallberg, the company’s artistic director, reflects on using the author’s life as source material, the power of storytelling and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s special talent.

Why did you and Wheeldon decide to bring this story to life?
The life and writings of Oscar Wilde have been explored before but never really in ballet. I want to tell bold stories that people can relate to.

Do you feel that you have broken new ground with this production?
People have said so but that wasn’t our intention. Wilde wrote beautiful stories and also had a troubled existence. He was tried for gross indecency with young men and sentenced to two years of hard labour. He died a few years after he was released from prison. I hope that the ballet paves a new path for more courageous storytelling.

How did you capture Wilde’s personality?
It takes great choreography to evoke his wit and character through movement. Wheeldon has told Wilde’s story not through the words that he wrote but through the life that he led.

Find our full interview with David Hallberg, as well as other agenda-setting stories on culture and the arts, inMonocle’s November issue, which is out now.

The best hospitality projects delight visitors as much as locals. In this vein, businessman Yuta Oka transformed a series of historic buildings in the small town of Setoda into charming inns, a coffee roaster, a public bathhouse and more. Join us on a jaunt to the Seto Inland Sea.