Lacuna Magazine - Lacuna Magazine

A long stretch of camels walk through the desert with some nomadic people

Last Day on Earth: How the climate crisis is affecting the world’s last nomadic Afar tribe, in Ethiopia

The Afar nomadic indigenous people of East Africa are fighting to preserve their distinct way of life amid climate catastrophe. In this striking photo essay, Afar women, children and elders explain how the climate crisis, infrastructure megaprojects, and conflict are affecting life for nomadic communities in Ethiopia. Aboubakr, 55-year-old Afar chief, stands contemplative against the… Read more »

Soukaina Rabii

February 14, 2024

For Alevi Kurds feature from Dersim, Munzur River, Munzur Valley

Environment Feature

‘No river, no life’: Alevi Kurds in Turkey battle to save Munzur River

Turkey’s Alevi Kurds fear a series of dams and hydroelectric power plants on their sacred Munzur River will exterminate their culture. Following an Erdoğan win in the 2023 general elections, these fears have worsened.

Jaclynn Ashly

February 6, 2024

Art for Bloody Sunday anniversary story, created by Ellie Stocker

Protest Creative

Bloody Sunday – a short story about the 1972 massacre of unarmed civilians

This piece of creative fiction about Bloody Sunday explores a historic event which continues to impact the Catholic community in Northern Ireland. The story was inspired by the words of 17-year-old Jackie Duddy’s sister, Kay: “We didn’t just lose a wee brother, we lost a generation”.

Brontë McErlean

January 29, 2024

Creative

Environment Creative

The Passing: A climate fiction short story

This climate fiction story explores the idea of a body acting as a passport, shaping the spaces that a person is allowed access to. It urges the reader to see just how dystopian things already are.

Semilore Kaji-Hausa

January 12, 2024

An illustration of a dark brown cities up in flames. The sky is dark and the road is empty. The buildings are on fire

From the Editor

Justice From the Editor

Human rights journalism and research from around the world in 2023

With the climate crisis growing more urgent and the number of refugees worldwide rising, 2023 has been a year of pressing human rights issues. Lacuna’s stories have highlighted the joy that is essential to human rights and explored uplifting forms of resistance – including reading, gardening and wedding celebrations. Here’s a collection of inspiring human rights journalism from around the world to conclude 2023.

Bella Segal

December 13, 2023

Human rights storytelling

Illustration shows woman standing in front of a blackboard

Justice From the Editor

6 human rights stories by teachers and students: A look back at 2023

Sarah Bamberger

December 13, 2023

Equality From the Editor

Nine human rights films at the Screening Rights Film Festival

Bella Segal

October 24, 2023

An empty cinema auditorium with red seats and dimmed lights

Justice Creative

How do you curate a human rights film festival?

Misha Zakharov

October 24, 2023

Remembering Benjamin Zephaniah

Professor Benjamin Zephaniah Chair of Creative Writing Brunel University

Equality Creative Interview

Benjamin Zephaniah: “All the books have to change. The way we educate has to change.”

Mary Griffin

March 20, 2018

Equality Creative

Naked – Benjamin Zephaniah

Benjamin Zephaniah

March 21, 2018

Politics Interview

Benjamin Zephaniah: “The last thing to make me cry was an act of war”

Mary Griffin

May 4, 2018

Interview

Equality Interview

How two disabled Christian activists are challenging ableism in churches and other faith spaces

While some see faith spaces –churches, mosques, synagogues or temples – as safe havens, the reality can be starkly different for the most marginalised. Mina Hadi interviews two writers whose book invites 30 disabled people to share their experiences of access and exclusion in UK churches.

Mina Hadi

December 4, 2023

Everyday sexism

Equality Insider

Everyday Sexism: The Microaggressions and Subtleties of Rape Culture

Anonymous

October 23, 2023

A woman in a pink dress walks down a dark alleyway with text message bubbles appearing above her reading "Home x" and "G,night"

Equality Creative

Walking Home Alone: Why women feel unsafe in public places

Mary Collingridge

October 12, 2022

Migration Creative Feature

‘Coconut woman’: Resolving my ethno-cultural identity crisis

Anonymous

September 30, 2021

Feature

Justice Feature

Redacted Fantasy: China’s Dystopian Censorship of Online Fiction

China’s crackdown on fantasy literature and video games poses a critical obstacle to readers, authors, and those who seek to make these works accessible. Why restrict these apparently innocuous stories? Eric R Stone interviews censored writers who describe how censorship and outright banning of certain concepts, words, and allusions render works of fiction unintelligible. In… Read more »

Eric R Stone

November 28, 2023

China censorship of online fantasy fiction image 3 Isabelle Broad

Mexico

Environment Feature

Mexico: Maya beekeepers declare an environmental emergency after finding scores of dead bees

Jennifer Kennedy and Richard Arghiris 

October 11, 2023

A group of activists stands with a poster on one of the construction sites of the Maya Train project

Environment Witness

The Maya Train and other megaprojects threatening southern Mexico’s Indigenous communities

Jennifer Kennedy

August 30, 2023

Justice Feature

Mexico’s disappeared: Families seek truth, justice and memory in Michoacán

Jennifer Kennedy

August 27, 2020

From the Editor

Justice From the Editor

Seven of the best fiction and non-fiction books to explore social justice

This collection includes a letter from father to son, a translated story of a night in police custody, and a graphic novel about growing up under oppression. Many are award-winning and our choosers explain what each story means to them.

Mary Griffin

September 26, 2023

black and white picture featuring a man with a beanie holding a book in his hands in a train

The power of writing

art showing a woman sitting behind bars, reading a book

Justice Insider

Banned books behind bars

Adina Leschinsky Levine

June 13, 2023

A woman with long dark hair faces the right of the screen, her face covered with a blue scarf, billowing in the wind

Equality Review

Hijab Butch Blues: Book review

Deenah al-Aqsa

June 7, 2023

black and white picture, black students of the Reclaim Collective laughing, looking happily into the camera

Equality Feature Insider

“If you can see it, you can be it”: The impact of Black role models and Black creative spaces

Xaymaca Awoyungbo

April 25, 2023

From the Editor

Justice From the Editor

Building a human rights career: How to be a human rights lawyer, journalist or humanitarian

Many people dream of a human rights career, helping others and creating change, but how do you take the first steps? We asked human rights lawyers, humanitarians and journalists to tell us about essential qualifications and experience, and offer valuable advice to students just starting out.

Ruby Turok-Squire

April 28, 2023

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Last Day on Earth: How the climate crisis is affecting the world’s last nomadic Afar tribe, in Ethiopia

‘No river, no life’: Alevi Kurds in Turkey battle to save Munzur River

Bloody Sunday – a short story about the 1972 massacre of unarmed civilians

Creative

The Passing: A climate fiction short story

From the Editor

Human rights storytelling

6 human rights stories by teachers and students: A look back at 2023

Nine human rights films at the Screening Rights Film Festival

How do you curate a human rights film festival?

Remembering Benjamin Zephaniah

Benjamin Zephaniah: “All the books have to change. The way we educate has to change.”

Naked – Benjamin Zephaniah

Benjamin Zephaniah: “The last thing to make me cry was an act of war”

Interview

How two disabled Christian activists are challenging ableism in churches and other faith spaces

Everyday sexism

Everyday Sexism: The Microaggressions and Subtleties of Rape Culture

Walking Home Alone: Why women feel unsafe in public places

‘Coconut woman’: Resolving my ethno-cultural identity crisis

Feature

Redacted Fantasy: China’s Dystopian Censorship of Online Fiction

Mexico

Mexico: Maya beekeepers declare an environmental emergency after finding scores of dead bees

The Maya Train and other megaprojects threatening southern Mexico’s Indigenous communities

Mexico’s disappeared: Families seek truth, justice and memory in Michoacán

From the Editor

The power of writing

Banned books behind bars

Hijab Butch Blues: Book review

“If you can see it, you can be it”: The impact of Black role models and Black creative spaces

From the Editor

Building a human rights career: How to be a human rights lawyer, journalist or humanitarian