Six great reads: Louis Theroux’s reluctance to answer questions, Apple’s hits and misses, and boomers v gen Z | Ghislaine Maxwell

1. ‘The cover-up was brazen’: One journalist’s dogged, traumatic struggle to expose Ghislaine Maxwell

Lucia Osborne-Crowley was subjected to threats and sexual harassment while reporting on Jeffrey Epstein’s chief supporter. Melissa told Denes that Maxwell’s conviction was just the beginning of her quest for justice.

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2. ‘Do you want me to cry now?’ Louis Theroux on the manosphere, marriage and misunderstandings

“I’m standing in the rain, confused. Was the interview a little off? Louis Theroux didn’t seem to like my questions, which were typical interview questions about himself and Netflix’s first big glossy movie, Inside the Manosphere. I don’t know, he looked grumpy? A little grumpy? I tend to ruminate, so maybe I’m overthinking. Because Louis Theroux is a good guy, right? He skewers the bad guys. And yet here I am, stunned. The only thing to do is sit in a café and re-record Theroux.” play…”

He is television’s bravest documentary filmmaker, known for asking questions others won’t ask. But as Charlotte Edwardes discovered, Theroux doesn’t seem to like the tables on him.

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3. How did the far right in the US come to believe the myth of persecution of white South Africa?

“There’s a small town in South Africa, nestled in the bush, a full day’s drive from the country’s major cities, that, given its size, has become perhaps the most studied place in the world… Black people are not allowed to live in the town, called Orania. Its name is a nod to the river that flows nearby. Orania’s founders established it in 1991, the year after Nelson Mandela was released after 27 years in prison.”

When Donald Trump granted refugee status to white South Africans, he was repeating a lie that Black people were taking revenge for years of brutality. But no one can thrive in an oppressive police state. In this fascinating long read, Eve Fairbanks explored the truth about life for white South Africans under apartheid and today.

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4. Fifty years of sex tech: Apple’s epic hits and misses

Remember the iPod? How about Pippin? Apple has given us some surprising innovations in the half century since it released its first PC. Chris Stokel-Walker breaks down his biggest triumphs and failures, from the genius of the Apple II to the madness of the Vision Pro headset.

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5. Did the baby boomers eat all the pies? John Lanchester reveals the truth about the generation gap

It’s undoubtedly a terrible time to be in your 20s, but don’t blame it on older people, John Lanchester wrote in this thoughtful essay: Splitting into smaller and smaller rivalries only serves the market.

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6. ‘I feel like I haven’t grown up yet’: Alan Bennett’s diary on his 90th anniversary

“A call from Radio 4 for my views on assisted dying. Answer: I’m too close to the unaided type to be curious about it.”

He got trapped in the bathroom and met the queen. But despite a few wobbles and procedures, the author still couldn’t believe his age in this delightful excerpt from his fourth diary collection.

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