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matthew du plessis

@mattduplessis.bsky.social

Everything is epilogue now.

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Chenchen Zhang 🤦🏻‍♀️@chenchenzhang.net · 2w ago

Icymi: I joined the SPRC podcast to talk about my book, digital reactionary discourse, and our own Shicha podcast & the new Chinese diaspora Episode webpage: soundcloud.com/ucl-advanced... Media file: feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/23651...

SPRC In Conversation with Dr Chenchen Zhang

Luke de Noronha is joined by Chenchen Zhang, Associate Professor in International Relations at Durham University. Chenchen’s book Easting the West: Theorizing the Postliberal Conjuncture from China, w

soundcloud.com

The Continent@thecontinent.org · 2w ago

All Protocol Observed Welcome to Issue 246 of The Continent. We’ve been around for a while. But nowhere near as long as the family ruling Togo. Our investigation found what was covered as a constitutional power-grab last year came at a devastating human cost. bit.ly/246_TC

This is the cover of Issue 246 of The Continent. It is designed like an investigator's evidence board pinned over a map of Togo. A warm brown background resembles aged paper, with the long, narrow outline of the country running vertically down the right side. Red string stretches across the map, connecting blue drawing pins and yellow sticky notes, creating the impression of a conspiracy or criminal investigation. The notes mark key moments and locations, including "May 2024", "June 2025", "Jan 2026", "No term limits", "Takes power 2005", "Civil prison", "Main square", "Djidjolé gendarmerie", "Sylvanus Olympio hospital" and the capital, Lomé. The strings suggest these events and places are linked. Pinned over the map is a torn newspaper clipping from *The Continent* about unofficial militias in Togo. In front of it stands an illustration of a masked gendarme in riot gear, holding a baton. His face is completely covered by a black balaclava, making him anonymous and intimidating. He wears body armour labelled "Gendarmerie", reinforcing the theme of state force and secrecy. Partly hidden beneath the newspaper is a faded photograph of a grand colonial-era building, hinting at political power and the state. Running down the map itself is the word "TOGO" in large, faded letters. At the top, the masthead *The Continent* appears in large white type, while a banner above it reads: "African Journalism | 25 July 2026 | Issue 246."A poster with a warm cream background features the words "Reading is resistance." in large, bold black lettering at the top. Below the text is a colourful illustration of a person lying on their stomach reading a newspaper. Their elbows rest on the pages while their head is propped up in their hands. They wear a pink shirt and a cap, with a pair of shoes on their raised feet behind them. The reader is sheltered beneath a roof made from the open pages of a giant book. The book is supported by two oversized upright books on either side, creating the shape of a small house or tent. The books are illustrated in soft blues, purples, greens and yellow, giving the image a warm, inviting feel. At the bottom, the poster invites people to subscribe to The Continent for free by messaging a South African phone number on WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram, or by emailing read@thecontinent.org. The Continent appears in bold black type at the very bottom.
The Continent@thecontinent.org · 3w ago

All Protocol Observed Welcome to Issue 245 of The Continent. What happens when a liberation movement delays succession for too long? Muhoozi Kainerugaba is more than an Uganda's chief internet provocateur and the president’s son. He's the heir apparent, maybe. bit.ly/245_TC

This is the cover of The Continent (Issue 245, dated 18 July 2026) featuring a satirical illustration of Uganda's General Muhoozi Kainerugaba reimagined as the Joker. The headline reads: "The heir apparent, maybe." Muhoozi lounges casually in a large presidential-style chair beneath the Ugandan coat of arms. He wears an exaggerated Joker-inspired outfit: a purple suit, bright green shirt, oversized green bow tie, purple gloves and a light green military helmet instead of the Joker's trademark green hair. His face has been painted with a wide, unsettling red grin and heavy eye makeup, giving him the Joker's manic smile while remaining recognisably Muhoozi. He reclines with one leg draped over the arm of the chair, projecting supreme confidence. In one gloved hand he casually twirls a revolver with a white flag tied to the barrel reading "BANG" in red letters, referencing the Joker's trick weapon. In the other hand he fans a set of playing cards, another Joker motif.A poster with a warm cream background features the words "Reading is resistance." in large, bold black lettering at the top. Below the text is a colourful illustration of a person lying on their stomach reading a newspaper. Their elbows rest on the pages while their head is propped up in their hands. They wear a pink shirt and a cap, with a pair of shoes on their raised feet behind them. The reader is sheltered beneath a roof made from the open pages of a giant book. The book is supported by two oversized upright books on either side, creating the shape of a small house or tent. The books are illustrated in soft blues, purples, greens and yellow, giving the image a warm, inviting feel. At the bottom, the poster invites people to subscribe to The Continent for free by messaging a South African phone number on WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram, or by emailing read@thecontinent.org. The Continent appears in bold black type at the very bottom.
Chenchen Zhang 🤦🏻‍♀️@chenchenzhang.net · 3w ago

many thanks to Clyde Wang for engaging with my book and raising generative questions. I really enjoyed this conversation for @madeinchinajournal.com, and I hope you do as well! madeinchinajournal.com/2026/07/14/e...

Easting the West: A Conversation with Chenchen Zhang | Made in China Journal

At a time when right-wing populism appears to be rampaging through global politics, studies about its discourses and strategies remain thin and even marginal in the field of international relations. T...

madeinchinajournal.com

Mark Chadbourn@chadbourn.bsky.social · last mo.

One of the great sources of humour is listening to things like the NYT’s The Daily podcast describing US democratic socialists as “extreme” when they’d barely make it to centre-left in Europe.

The Continent@thecontinent.org · 2mo ago

All Protocol Observed Welcome to Issue 244 of The Continent Goons, les miliciens, baltagiya: different names, same job. Across Africa, muscle-for-hire helps politicians wield power through intimidation and violence – all while maintaining plausible deniability. bit.ly/244_TC

This is the cover of The Continent illustrated by Gado. The headline reads: “Africa’s shadow enforcers” and features a series of figures representing political goons and online propagandists from across the continent. Against a plain purplish-grey background, seven men are spaced out across the page, each drawn as a different archetype of political intimidation. On the top row, one man dressed in white traditional clothing grips a club and a bloodstained machete. Next to him is a masked figure in a yellow T-shirt with a skull-and-crossbones emblem, carrying electrical cables and a heavy tool. Beside him stands a stocky man in military-style clothing with a stick resting on his shoulder. At the far right is a masked man in a green jacket holding a bloodied machete and a pair of handcuffs. On the bottom row, an older man in a blue coat stands among scattered rocks, holding a small axe. In the centre is a heavily muscled strongman with folded arms, wearing a sleeveless orange shirt and a pistol tucked into his waistband. On the right is a young man in a blue hoodie, looking down at a mobile phone – a nod to online propagandists or “keyboard warriors”. BildA stylised illustration on a beige background with the large headline: “Reading is resistance.” Below the text is a stack of colourful books arranged like a small structure. Inside the “frame” of the books, a person with short pink hair reclines comfortably while reading a newspaper, one leg stretched upward against the books. The figure is drawn in a simple, graphic style with bold outlines and muted colours. At the bottom, there’s text inviting people to subscribe to The Continent for free via WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, or email, followed by the publication’s name.
Chenchen Zhang 🤦🏻‍♀️@chenchenzhang.net · 2mo ago

📚Introduction free to download📚 It's the official release day of my book and OUP has made the Introduction chapter free to read. academic.oup.com/book/62722/c... Take a look if you're interested in... why do I want to study ideas of 'the west' from without, why do I want to theorize the postliberal

Introduction: Constructing the West from the East

Abstract. This book is positioned at the intersection of two lines of inquiry: the co-production of hierarchical difference in world politics and reading t

academic.oup.com

The Continent@thecontinent.org · 2mo ago

All Protocol Observed Welcome to Issue 241 of The Continent Africa loses $90bn a year to illicit financial flows. Cameroon officially exported just one suitcase worth of gold in 2023 — but records abroad showed more than 15 tonnes, mostly heading to the UAE. bit.ly/241_TC

This is the cover of Issue 241 of The Continent newspaper. It has a black background with an illustration centred on the flow of African gold wealth. At the top, the masthead “The Continent” appears in large white letters, with the date “30 May 2026” and “Issue 241” above it. The illustration by Gado shows a gold bar stamped “Made in Cameroon” being tilted by a hand wearing a white sleeve with a UAE flag patch. Small gold nuggets spill from the bar like coins or grains. As the gold falls, it passes through several outstretched hands reaching up from different directions, suggesting middlemen or intermediaries taking their share. At the bottom, only a few tiny pieces reach a final pair of thin arms holding an empty bowl, symbolising ordinary people receiving very little from the country’s mineral wealth. On the lower left, the headline reads: “Cameroon’s $300-million gold drain.” A stylised illustration on a beige background with the large headline: “Reading is resistance.” Below the text is a stack of colourful books arranged like a small structure. Inside the “frame” of the books, a person with short pink hair reclines comfortably while reading a newspaper, one leg stretched upward against the books. The figure is drawn in a simple, graphic style with bold outlines and muted colours. At the bottom, there’s text inviting people to subscribe to The Continent for free via WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, or email, followed by the publication’s name.Bild