This week, The Cultural Frontline investigates the world of crime in fact and fiction.Michael Connelly is one of the world’s bestselling crime writers. One of the key elements that shaped Michael’s writing is his past career as a crime journalist for the Los Angeles Times. He speaks to Anu Anand about his latest novel, The Dark Hours, and how his work has been shaped by the pandemic and the social unrest following the murder of George Floyd.We meet the podcast makers exploring African true crime. Investigative journalists Halima Gikandi of The Missionary and Paul McNally of Alibi discuss making podcasts that centre African experiences in telling true crime stories.Plus has a book, a film, or a song ever changed the way you see the world? The best selling Danish crime writer Jussi Adler Olsen on the Joni Mitchell song A Case of You, which helped him during one of the most difficult times in his life.(Photo: Michael Connelly. Credit: Mark DeLong)

As world leaders meet at COP26, we speak to writers, artists, and musicians helping us understand climate change. Presented by BBC Environment Correspondent Matt McGrath.Authors Amitav Ghosh and Diana McCaulay discuss turning climate fact into fiction. Ghosh grew up in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, and now lives in America. A leading voice on climate change, his books on the issue include novel Gun Island; the new Jungle Nama; and non-fiction The Great Derangement, and the new Nutmeg’s Curse. McCaulay is a writer and environmental activist from Jamaica, and her latest novel, Daylight Come, is a work of climate fiction, set in 2084. Plus, Sebastiao Salgado’s musical portrait of the Amazon. The acclaimed Brazilian photographer spent seven years documenting the rainforest and its indigenous peoples. Now he and Italian-Brazilian conductor Simone Menezes have set the images to music from composer Heitor Villa-Lobos’s Floresta do Amazonas to create an Amazonia concert. They joined us to describe the work and climate change in the rainforest. An exhibition of Salgado’s Amazonia photos is at the Science Museum in London.And a world underwater – the sculpture park below the waves. Sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor’s unique installations can be seen around the world by divers, snorkellers, and the fish which swim around them, and tell a powerful story of climate change. He spoke to The Cultural Frontline about his latest work - an underwater forest off the coast of Cyprus.Producer: Emma Wallace, Lucy Collingwood(Photo: One of Jason deCaires Taylor’s underwater sculptures. Credit: Jason deCaires Taylor)

Experiences of migration and displacement are finding exciting form in the work of Colombian artists. Their art offers possibilities for new identities, questioning the very idea of home. Presenter Maria Wills Londoño, director of Bogotá’s Banco de la República art museum, meets migrant and displaced Colombian artists to explore art of the spaces ‘in-between’.Turner Prize-winner Oscar Murillo exhibits work around the globe, yet his starting-point is often family history. In the sound-piece My Name is Belisario, Oscar’s father recounts his migration journey, offering a universal message within a personal tale.In the Cauca region, Maria meets Julieth Morales, an indigenous artist from the Misak community. Julieth uses Misak fabric known as chumbe to weave textiles combining indigenous and Western knowledge. The fabric is an expression of resistance: to survive, the Misak must accept the world beyond their community.Colombian artist Carolina Caycedo lives in Los Angeles, but returns to her homeland regularly. She grew up by the Magdalena river, which became a major focus in her work when she learned it was to be dammed. She uses fishing nets as a metaphor for a sustainable mode of environmental engagement.In Popayán, Maria visits performance artist Edinson Quiñones. His extreme, sometimes violent performances heal past trauma. He explains the piece which defines his career: the ritual removal of a tattoo dedicated to his grandmother.Image: A tattoo on the shoulders of Edinson Quiñones (Courtesy of Edinson Quiñones)

A rising star of British photography, Kemka Ajoku talks about how his English and Nigerian roots have shaped his outlook. He tells us why he focuses on telling Black British stories and how he handles racist responses to his work.Linton Kwesi Johnson’s unflinching political poems about police brutality, social injustice and protest have made him an inspiration for a generation of poets. But whose words inspired him as a young writer? Linton shares with us how the work of Martin Carter fired his imagination and his passion for poetry. Xiran Jay Zhao’s New York Times best-selling debut novel Iron Widow has been described as Pacific Rim meets The Handmaid’s Tale. It tells the story of 18-year-old Zetian, the pilot of a giant robot, who is battling both an insidious patriarchy and menacing alien beings that lurk beyond the Great Wall of China. Xiran reveals how their experiences as a first generation Chinese immigrant and as a non-binary writer have influenced their work. Presented by Megha Mohan.(Photo: 'Gestural Greetings' by Kemka Ajoku. Credit: Kemka Ajoku)

This week on The Cultural Frontline, Tumi Morake looks at writing from her country, South Africa – focussing on fiction, poetry, and language reflecting the country’s history, politics, social make-up, and identity. Multi-award-winning author Damon Galgut’s latest novel, The Promise, is his third to be nominated for the Booker Prize, and is in the final running. Set during South Africa’s transition from apartheid, it explores its legacy through the decline of a white farming family, whose promise to their black maid - to give her the house she lives in - remains unfulfilled, as we follow them from the height of apartheid to the present day.Lebo Mashile is an acclaimed poet, actress and writer. It’s been a tough year in South Africa – with the pandemic, political scandal, and violent civil unrest – but Lebo uses her poetry to try to make sense of what’s happening in the world. She’s been performing at the recent Poetry Africa international festival at the University of KwaZulu Natal, and spoke to reporter Mpho Lakaje about tackling big issues in her work.Plus, how a new dictionary - with the help of hip hop - can overcome inequality. The South African Kaaps language is commonly used by working class people, however speakers can be negatively stereotyped and suffer discrimination. Now a new Dictionary of Kaaps - in Kaaps, English, and Afrikaans - is being launched by the University of the Western Cape and a hip hop charity, Heal The Hood. Shaquile Southgate of the charity explains the difference he hopes the dictionary will make.And South African actor, activist, and playwright Dr John Kani. In spring 2020 he was in London performing in his new play, Kunene And The King, when the pandemic sadly brought it to a close. He speaks about the art that lifted his spirits in lockdown, and his love for the jazz of Hugh Masekela.Presented by Tumi Morake Produced by Emma Wallace, Mpho Lakaje, Mugabi Turya and Jack Thomason(Photo: Damon Galgut)

This week, we focus on the booming cultural landscape of Nigeria and hear from some of the country’s most exciting creatives.One of Nollywood’s biggest stars, Richard Mofe-Damijo, talks about his screen career and how the Nigerian film industry is bouncing back from the coronavirus pandemic.Lisa Folawiyo is one of Nigeria’s leading fashion designers. Her work, which combines traditional Nigerian fabrics with contemporary tailoring, has been featured in Vogue and worn by celebrities, including Lupita Nyong’o, Lucy Liu and Thandiwe Newton. Lisa shares her secrets of how she created a global brand using traditional Nigerian materials. Etinosa Yvonne is a documentary photographer who photographed the End SARS protests against police brutality. Victor Ehikhamenor is a contemporary multimedia artist, photographer, and writer, who responded to the government ban on Twitter with an illustration of the blue bird logo, silenced behind bars. They discuss their work and the power of visual art to send political messages.Onyeka Nwelue is an award winning author, filmmaker and publisher whose latest novel, The Strangers of Braamfontein, tells the story of a young Nigerian artist, who moves to South Africa to seek new opportunities. Onyeka wrote the novel in Pidgin, he and discusses why it was important to him to bring Nigerian dialects and languages to an international audience.Presented by Chi Chi IzunduProduced by Candace Wilson, Emma Wallace and Jack Thomason(Photo: Richard Mofe-Damijo. Credit: Spotlight Photos & Imagery)

This week on The Cultural Frontline, Anu Anand looks at how migration and the journeys we take have inspired writers and theatre makers. French author Faïza Guène made a global impact with her first novel Kiffe Kiffe Demain, which was translated into English as Just Like Tomorrow. It shook up the literary scene in France with its humorous portrayal of the lives of immigrants in the deprived suburbs of Paris. Faïza Guène talks about her novel Men Don’t Cry and how the French establishment reacted to her ground-breaking debut. Writer Nina Mingya Powles grew up in New Zealand, in a Malaysian-Chinese family, and she now lives in London. Her essay collection, Small Bodies of Water, takes the reader on a personal journey to the places across the globe which have given Nina a sense of belonging and home. In a piece written especially for The Cultural Frontline, Nina reflects on migration and the impact of the journeys we take.After the 2010 earthquake that devastated large parts of Haiti, many Haitians migrated to Chile to build a new life. But Haitians in Chile have faced racism and discrimination, and many have struggled to find work. LETTM, a theatre project in Cartagena, is working with Chilean locals and Haitian migrants. Assistant Director Ramona Suarez explains how they are finding common ground between the communities.Award winning author and journalist Omar El Akkad’s new novel tells a harrowing tale of enforced migration. What Strange Paradise focuses on the journey a nine year old Syrian refugee. Omar El Akkad tells The Cultural Frontline how the classic children’s story, Peter Pan by JM Barrie, influenced and inspired his writing.Photo: Faïza Guène. Credit: Faïza Guène)

This week on The Cultural Frontline, Anu Anand hears from the young poets expressing the hopes and fears of their generation. American film director Carlos López Estrada explains how a spoken word showcase affected him so deeply that he wanted to share his new love of poetry with the world. It inspired him to work with young poets in Los Angeles to create his latest film, Summertime. Carlos Lopez Estrada and one of the poets in Summertime, Raul Herrera, discuss how they collaborated to make a film entirely in verse. Young poets from Lebanon and the UK have come together to write new work, inspired by their home cities of Beirut and Coventry. The finished pieces will be performed as part of the BBC’s Contains Strong Language Festival. Two of the writers, Kelvin Ampong and Nour Annan explain what they learned from each other and how they found common ground. Zambian writer Musenga L Katonga has been working with a British illustrator to create an animated online poem, exploring the theme of beauty and chaos. He explains how he wrote about escaping the noise of social media to find solace in the written word and discusses performing a TED Talk about Zambian identity, in spoken word. (Photo: Carlos López Estrada. Credit: Good Deed Entertainment, LLC)

Meet the global designers and architects changing the cities that surround us. First up, British Nigerian designer Yinka Ilori explains how turning a city crossing into a colourful work of art sparks joy and brings people together during difficult times.Mexican architect Luciana Renner talks about why she always works with local communities to design public spaces, and how involving marginalised people can make our cities more inclusive. The Tersane, a historic shipyard in Istanbul’s Golden Horn district, is being transformed into a cultural quarter. Architect Murat Tabanlioglu is aiming to preserve the area’s unique history and heritage while creating new spaces. Finally, Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, who designed the Tokyo Olympic stadium, explains why he thinks about buildings and cities from a cat’s perspective.Presenter: Chi Chi Izundu Producer: Olivia Skinner (Photo: Yinka Ilori)

As Fashion weeks launch around the world, The Cultural Frontline is looking at the glamour and spectacle of the world of fashion. Photographer and artist Ali Mahdavi has photographed countless celebrities, capturing some of the world’s best known faces. He explains why he’s obsessed with unconventional beauty and old fashioned Hollywood glamour. The Fashion industry has a huge environmental impact but high-end designers are starting to address the glaring issues of overproduction and waste. Australian designer Kym Ellery explains why she teamed up with upcycling expert Duran Lantink to dig out and recirculate the growing pile of unsold stock in her warehouse and turn it into a whole new collection. Designer Abi Sheng sees the future of fashion as being less about traditional garments and more about designing alternative bodies. Her latest work, a gender transformative suit, aims to change the appearance of the person wearing it, creating a fluid gender identity. Abi Sheng discusses how she designed and printed the suit and her vision for the future of what we wear. Writer and campaigner Sinéad Burke made fashion industry insiders sit up and take notice with her fashion blog about the lack of inclusivity in fashion and design. She explains why she decided to take on the industry and how fashion can put people with disabilities at the heart of the design process.