Content Warning: In this episode, self-harm and torture are mentioned at approximately the 29:00 mark.
“We in journalism say that whatever happens, you have to stay alive.”
In this episode, we speak with the extraordinary Hanna Liubakova, an exiled journalist and political analyst from Belarus. Widely regarded as a leading voice in the free press, Hanna is a non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and has written about developments in Belarus for international outlets including The Washington Post, The Economist, and others. Liubakova began her career at Belsat TV, the only independent Belarusian television channel, banned by the regime in Minsk. She is now living in Paris where she is a journalist in residence at Reid Hall.
In this powerful and candid interview, Hanna discusses homelessness, the period after she was tried in absentia and sentenced to ten years in prison, and finding joy in the little things. She gives us a glimpse into her book-in-progress, Exiled Voice: Preserving Belarus’ Story under contract with Bloomsbury. And she gives us our next Creativity Challenge!
You can follow Hanna on X: @HannaLiubakova
Tamzin Merivale is a visual artist and writer, on a mission to explore diverse stories and to guide people to process their life experiences through art. Tamzin’s visual art facilitates people in their quest to unearth their true, powerful selves — work which is unique and transformational. Tamzin’s writing was recently published in the New York Times best-selling memoir The Book of Alchemy (2025) by Suleika Jaouad, alongside Gloria Steinem, Elizabeth Gilbert, Salman Rushdie and more. Subscribe to Tamzin’s Newsletter here or follow her on Instagram @tamzinmerivale.
Finola Merivale is a composer of acoustic and electro-acoustic music, based between France and Ireland. She is currently a 2025–26 Fellow at Columbia University’s Institute for Ideas and Imagination in Paris. Her music has been described as “edgy and discomforting, yet exciting and distinctive,” and \"a wild ride.\" Finola completed her DMA in Composition at Columbia University. Recent accolades include fellowships from MacDowell (2025) and the Civitella Ranieri Foundation (2024), a 2025 Music Bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland and an award from the New York Council on the Arts. Her music has been performed internationally. Follow Finola on Instagram @finolamerivale.
Audio editing and production by Finola Merivale
Music by Finola Merivale
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