Lacuna Magazine

08/05/2026

Refugees from Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea, Somalia and Ukraine have successfully integrated into local communities across the length and breadth of Scotland. ‘New Scots’, a two-year project by photographer Angela Catlin and the Scottish Refugee Council, shares their stories. At a time of increasingly toxic debate over asylum seekers and refugees in the UK, the ‘New Scots’ photo project shows the positive contribution refugees bring to their new communities.

Refugees from Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Eritrea, Somalia and Ukraine have successfully integrated into local communities across the length and breadth of Scotland. ‘New Scots’, a project by photographer Angie Catlin and the Scottish Refugee Council, shares their stories. At a time of increasingl...

17/04/2026

NEW: When Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) was introduced in 2005, it was expected the indeterminate sentence would be rarely handed out. But despite the highly criticised scheme being abolished in 2012, IPP’s indefinite sentences have taken a devastating toll on the health of prisoners, including Taylor Atkinson, who was originally sentenced to less than four years, but ended his life after being held for more than 13.

https://lacuna.org.uk/justice/ipp-imprisonment

Though the contested IPP scheme was abandoned by the UK government in 2012, hundreds of people remain imprisoned without a release date.

04/04/2026

NEW: When Israeli bombardment and displacements turn normal life upside down, how do autistic and non-verbal children in Palestine cope? In this new piece, Jenin shares the experiences of her autistic brother as the family faces confinement and upheaval, eventually turning to social media to raise funds. ​​

https://lacuna.org.uk/war-and-peace/gazas-autistic-children/

​​​When Israeli bombardment and repeated displacements turn normal life upside down, how do autistic and non-verbal children in Palestine cope? In Gaza, Jenin shares the experiences of her autistic brother as the family faces confinement and upheaval, eventually turning to social media to rais...

14/03/2026

NEW: Hierarchies exist in all universities and classrooms, but in Kenyan law schools they take on a unique and troubling character. This story interviews law students across Kenya to understand how power dynamics affect those on the bottom rungs.

https://lacuna.org.uk/justice/kenyas-law-schools/

Academia and the legal profession are steeped in hierarchy, so law students are no strangers to power dynamics. But Christine Olando argues that the hierarchies faced by law students in Kenya are uniquely complex. Across the country, she interviews law students to understand how power dynamics in hi...

27/02/2026

NEW: 🎙️ What does “hard work” mean without equal footing?

Inspired by “podcast bros” and “bro culture,” this creative piece riffs off podcast dialogue to hold up a mirror to "the manosphere".

https://lacuna.org.uk/equality/game-plan-of-the-podcast-bros/

Inspired by “podcast bros” and “bro culture”, this creative piece riffs off podcast dialogue to hold up a mirror to "the manosphere".

16/02/2026

NEW: In this creative non-fiction story about identity and inclusion, a 16-year-old writer describes how they revived an LGBTQ+ Inclusion group at school. Switching between two different time frames, they relive scenes from five years ago, when they were one of the kids the Inclusion group was trying to reach.

https://lacuna.org.uk/equality/versions-of-me/

In this creative non-fiction story about identity, a 16-year-old writer describes how they revived an LGBTQ+ Inclusion group at school. Switching between two time frames, they relive scenes from five years ago, when they were one of the kids the Inclusion group was trying to reach.

09/02/2026

NEW: In India, marital r**e is a crime that the law refuses to acknowledge. Hearing the voices of victims/survivors across class, caste and geography, this story traces the British colonial roots of the legal system that fails to criminalise r**e within marriage, leaving lasting damage and stripping thousands of women of justice.

lacuna.org.uk/justice/indias-marital-r**e-crisis

The quiet violence of marital r**e in India persists today, a crime that the law still refuses to acknowledge. Through stories of survivors across class, caste, and geography, this story traces how the colonial rule of the British Empire has created lasting damage to India's legal system, stripping....

22/01/2026

Tackling politics, feminism, the climate crisis and police brutality, our staff pick features critically-acclaimed and award-winning human rights films and series from around the world.

🔍 Find the full list in our bio
🎨 Artwork by Aura Bamber.

22/01/2026

NEW: Tackling politics, feminism, the climate and police brutality, our staff pick features critically-acclaimed and award-winning films and series from around the world.

Tackling politics, feminism, the climate and police brutality, our staff pick features critically-acclaimed and award-winning human rights films and series from around the world. From an underdog taking on the UK's banking system, to a refugee horror film and a unique take on the American civil righ...

01/01/2026

Happy new year from our little team! We're looking forward to bringing you more stories in 2026 🥂✨