The best of the long read in 2024

Nicholas Saunders was a pioneer of the counterculture, with an endless stream of imaginative schemes and a yearning to spread knowledge – but his real legacy is a complete reshaping of the way Britain eats food.

Doctors are pushing the boundaries of science and human biology to save more extremely premature babies than ever before. But when so few survive, are we subjecting them to unnecessary suffering?

As a Spanish correspondent, Pablo Gonzalez worked his way into Russian opposition circles and covered Putin’s wars. Then, in 2022, he was arrested on suspicion of espionage. Many of his former comrades now believe he betrayed them

The cases heard at the Old Bailey provide a vivid, and often bleak, picture of England and Wales today. What happens when there is no one left to tell these stories?

By the time my wife was diagnosed, her long and horrific decline had already begun. In the end, I was in awe of her

For 40 years, Amit Shah has been at Narendra Modi’s side, serving as his confidant, advisor and enforcer. Today he is the second most powerful man in India, working to reshape the country in radical ways

In a moment of crisis for the industry, Heather Wildman tours the country to help farmers confront their toughest questions—not just about the future of their businesses, but also about their families, their identity, and even their deaths.

After his wife and two children were killed in Gaza, Al Jazeera journalist Wael Al Dahdouh became famous around the world for his decision to continue reporting. But this was just the beginning of his heartbreaking journey

In 2024, libraries will become informal nurseries, homeless shelters, language schools, and asylum support providers – filling the gaps left by a state that has abdicated its responsibilities

The French cement giant began operating in Syria before the outbreak of the civil war. When ISIS took control of the area, Lafarge paid them protection money so it could continue trading. The consequences are still there

In avatar therapy, the doctor gives voice to his patients’ inner demons. For some participants in a new trial, the results were surprising

A year and a half ago, clashes broke out between Hindus and Muslims in the streets of one of Britain’s most diverse cities. What lies behind the violence?

It started as a routine investigation at a group called ENRC. It has become a decade-long saga that has rocked the UK’s Financial Crimes Agency. New documents now highlight a case that has rewritten UK law and is set to end with a huge bill being handed to the taxpayer.

Stuart Potts is an unlikely philanthropist – a former crack addict who has hit rock bottom more than once. But since 2020, he has given hundreds of homeless people a bed in his tiny apartment – and it has changed the lives of many of them.

Canonization has long been a way for the Catholic Church to shape its image. The Vatican is preparing to consecrate its first millennial saint, but how does it decide who is worthy?

Once upon a time, only hardcore bodybuilders pumped themselves with testosterone. Today it is no longer a niche. But how dangerous is it?

This summer, one of my lectures was protested by far-right students. Their rhetoric brought to mind some of the darkest moments in twentieth-century history – and overlapped with mainstream Israeli views to a shocking degree.

When Putin invaded the country, one Kiev historian saw Ukraine’s cultural heritage in danger. So he set out to save as much of it as possible

From football clubs to water companies, from music catalogs to care homes, private equity has permeated almost every aspect of modern life in its endless search for maximum profits.

John Burton was just 27 years old when he was commissioned to create Thorpe Park’s largest ever project. After being too afraid to ride a horse himself, how did he become the dream engineer of so many daredevils?

And finally: If you’re curious, these were our 10 most-read articles of 2024 and these were the 10 most-read articles from our archive. Here are our best ones for 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015.