Can art (and artists) be neutral?
Editor’s note: Our sister site, Souk, has the best shopping guides and recommendations for every moment and occasion. This list of books is for when you can no longer separate the art from the artist.
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"At a certain level of exposure, 'Free Palestine' becomes too much of a risk. If I kept doing the shows, saying 'Free Palestine' with Ed implicitly supporting it, the crowd getting loud and showing undeniable support for Palestinian liberation, what artist might speak out next? The stage becomes resistance." / @macklemore
Can art be neutral? What is the actual responsibility of artists or creators with massive public platforms?
These timeless questions have resurfaced yet again, in light of recent developments during Ed Sheeran’s tour—beginning with rapper Macklemore’s dismissal, and culminating in Sheeran addressing these issues on stage from—ahem—the heart (via a very visible teleprompter).
And when in doubt, we read.
From an analysis of the soundtrack of global protests, to a playbook for creative resistance, here are 3 books we're adding to cart (and our TBR piles) this week:
As self-professed art and music nerds, we believe that culture—design, aesthetic, taste, fashion, film, music—is heavily shaped by historical and political factors. So when a culture journalist like Dorian Lynskey takes up the task of analysing the origin and impact of the most prominent protest songs across seven decades, we want to sit up and listen.
We absolutely love the clever wordplay in the title: 'revolutions per minute' alludes to standard vinyl record rotation speeds, while simultaneously nodding to literal political revolution and resistance. Plus, the number 33 isn't random—it's both the number of chapters in the book and the exact RPM speed of a classic LP.
The book acts as a brilliant breakdown of pop music that echoes defiance, offering an immersive way into a specific subject, an artist, or an era.
A curated line-up that spans from Billie Holiday's haunting 'Strange Fruit' (1939) all the way to Green Day's explosive 'American Idiot' (2004)? Yes, please.
Price: Rs. 2,744
Originally delivered as a lecture at the University of Uppsala on December 14th, 1957—just days after receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature —'Create Dangerously' is Albert Camus's call-to-arms for creators.
In it, Albert Camus completely demolishes the idea that an artist can just sit on the sidelines or create art purely for entertainment. He argues that the moment you choose to create something authentic, you are stepping onto a battlefield. For Camus, creating "dangerously" means having the spine to speak truth to power, stand up for the silent, and refuse to look away from society’s cracks—even when it costs you your security, your pay cheque, or your peace of mind.
Price: Rs. 865
This one's a follow-up to the bestselling 'Beautiful Trouble: A Toolbox for Revolution' that details real-world artistic activist strategies—like Lebanon's 'Honk at Parliament' campaign that targeted politicians clinging to power past their terms.
Written in collaboration with dozens of actual grassroots organizers, 'Beautiful Rising' is the ultimate global playbook for creative jugaad resistance. It focuses entirely on five continents across the Global South and is packed with real-life examples of how everyday creators operating under extreme censorship, corporate pressure, and autocracy use art, humor, and digital tools to outmaneuver massive power structures.
Price: Rs. 1,760
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Head over to the Souk website for more exciting lists and recommendations!
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