Having captivated audiences with his breakout performances in Barry Jenkins’ ‘The Underground Railroad’ and M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Old’, British actor Aaron Pierre has had a year to remember. Up next? Only the iconic role of Mufasa in Jenkins’ much-anticipated prequel of ‘The Lion King’. For the third cover of our new book — We Are Here, Here We Are — he speaks with James Coward about working with his heroes and the importance of being “spellbound”.

Young people and the arts have long been neglected, both in the UK and further afield. The ludicrous notion peddled by the British government that creatives should retrain as a way of surviving the economic devastation of Covid-19 was, for many, the straw that broke the camel’s back. In a bleak and unforgiving year, it was the arts after all that provided much-needed respite. In lieu of meaningful financial support, and with Brexit threatening to further upend the creative industries, we find ourselves at a peculiar Catch 22. At a time when creativity is needed most, it is also the most at risk it has ever been. Unfortunately, we are here.

In this book, entitled We Are Here, Here We Are, we try to focus on this duality. On one side, these pages stand as a vehicle for young people to express themselves about the world in its current state: where we are, how we got to this point, and where we might be going. On the other, it is a statement of intent – a demonstration of the ingenuity today’s creative world has to offer. Through music, fashion, film, art, photography, and writing, we hope that the issue will both demonstrate and celebrate how, now more than ever, creative minds are indispensable, the key to a future less bleak. Here we are.

We are delighted to be able to donate 10% of profits from each issue to The Felix Project, a fantastic organisation that helps provide free hot, healthy food to children, families, and homeless and vulnerable people in London. Head to their website if you would like to donate further or help raise awareness.

Books include bespoke hand-made and screen printed bookcloth cases by Crackpot Prints. Small variations may occur from issue to issue. If you would like to purchase the book without the case, please select the ‘No Case’ option at checkout. Wouldn’t recommend it though – cases are buff. Please allow a few weeks for orders to be shipped and delivered.