1. The astonishing story of the aristocrat who hid her Jewish lover in a sofa bed – and other German rebels who defied the Nazis
In the autumn of 1943, the Gestapo responded to a tipoff that Maria von Maltzan, a German aristocrat and member of the resistance, had a Jew living in her home. Photograph: Ullstein Bild/Getty Images
From a diplomat who embraced the exiled Albert Einstein to a schoolteacher who helped “non-Aryan” students flee, these remarkable individuals refused to bend the knee to Hitler – only to be dramatically betrayed. What, asked Jonathan Freedland, in this extract from his new book, The Traitors Circle, made them risk it all?
Read more
2. The unconscious process that leads to creativity: how ‘incubation’ works
Brainwaves … your unconscious mind ploughs on while you are thinking of other things. Composite: Rita Liu/The Guardian/Getty Images
“One of the most marvellous properties of the brain,” wrote Dutch psychologist Ap Dijksterhuis in this fascinating piece from Well Actually, is its ability to continue working unconsciously when the conscious mind has moved on to something else.
Read more
3. Disgruntled NYT journalist to ‘anti-woke’ power grab: how far can Bari Weiss go?
‘She doesn’t just speak to the 1%. She speaks to the one-hundredth of 1%. And they’ll listen’ … Fred Luntz. Illustration: Guardian Design/Getty Images
After leaving the New York Times, Weiss turned her Substack into an unshakable pro-Israel voice. Now as Paramount eyes acquisition of her company, David Klion profiled a writer who is poised to become Trump’s ally among media elites.
Read more
4. Israel is forcing us to leave Gaza City. We know they may never let us return
Palestinians evacuate Gaza City towards southern areas of the coastal Gaza Strip on 10 September. Photograph: Eyad Baba/AFP/Getty Images
In this deeply personal piece, Gaza reporter Malak A Tantesh wrote about her family’s decision to leave northern Gaza, the area they call home, for the tents of the south where they had also endured last year’s winter. The family has stayed in 10 locations since they were first forced out of their prewar home in Beit Lahia.
Read more
5. Boom times and total burnout: three days at Europe’s biggest pornography conference
Brittany Andrews, centre, at the Xbiz conference. Photograph: Judith Jockel/The Guardian
In this powerful feature, Amelia Gentleman, alongside photographer Judith Jockel, reported from the biggest pornography conference in Europe, where she spoke to entrepreneurs who were excited about AI and soaring profits, and creators who were battling burnout and chronic illness due to the industry’s gig-economy structure.
Read more
6. ‘I wasn’t terrified of dying, but I didn’t want to leave my kids’: Davina McCall on addiction, reality TV and the brain tumour that nearly killed her
‘I looked at my life and thought: have I done everything I want to do? And I thought: yeah, I have.’ Styling: Jodie Nellist. Set design: Victoria Twyman. Hair: Michael Douglas. Makeup: Victoria Reynolds using Mac Cosmetics. Styling assistant: Katie Callaghan. Dress: Millia London. Earrings: Dinosaur Designs. Bangle: Davina’s own. Photograph: Felicity McCabe/The Guardian
When the TV presenter was offered a free health screening, she thought it was pointless: she was “the healthiest woman you’ve ever met”. But then came the shocking diagnosis. Now fully recovered, she told Simon Hattenstone, she’s re‑evaluating everything.
Read more
