5 culture things to know

A children’s book inspired by stories of Gazan families

For her latest children’s book, Palestinian author Deema Al Alami has collected personal accounts of Palestinian families to highlight their experiences through displacement and exile. “I want the world to know about Palestinian lives, not just their deaths,” said the writer, who chose to publish 48 Stories of Exile from Palestine in English.

Miss France museum to open on French Riviera

The beauty pageant Miss France will get a dedicated museum in a villa in the southern seaside town of Saint-Raphaël, with an opening planned for summer 2025. Visitors will be able to discover the history of the national competition, first launched in 1920, as well as a collection of over 100 unique costumes worn by the candidates and the winners’ crowns.

Australian women’s-only exhibit has to allow male visitors

A court in Australia has ruled that the Ladies Lounge at Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art (Mona), has to allow men to visit the women’s-only exhibit. After he was denied entry, a male visitor had filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the museum, which sought to highlight historic misogyny by banning men from this exhibit containing some of its most-acclaimed works.

Superman’s debut breaks comic record

A rare 1938 copy of Action Comics # 1, which was the first to introduce the character of Superman, has sold for a recordsetting $6 million at auction to an anonymous buyer. This beat a copy of 1939’s Superman #1 that sold for $5.3 million in 2022.

Billie Eilish announces new (sustainable) album

Billie Eilish said her highly anticipated third studio album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” will be released on May 17, with no singles in advance so that fans can hear it “all at once.” The U.S. singer also revealed a sustainability plan for the album, including vinyls and packaging made out of recycled materials, with the aim of minimizing her environmental impact.