Relatively recently proclaimed an independent state, East Timor has undergone various periods of colonisation which have influenced the culture of the country; these colonising influences have including Portuguese, Indonesian and Australian. Despite its troubled political and economic situation, the country has managed to maintain a melange of cultures, dominated mainly by Portuguese tradition.

If You Leave Us Here, We Will Die: How Genocide Was Stopped in East Timor is a heart-rending narrative of the violence and humanitarian disasters which have beset the country. The Circle of Silence, by Shirley Shackleton tells us of the author’s difficulties as a human rights activist and journalist in the troubled region of East Timor. Peace of Wall: Street Art from East Timor, a photo-book that represents the artistic side of the distressed country.

Robert Connolly wrote and directed the acclaimed film Balibo, which tells the story of two correspondents and their visit to East Timor to investigate the incidents of journalist killings in the country.