Poet Sophie McKeand describes what prompted her to sell her possessions and head to the continent in a van. She discusses with fellow left-wing libertarian Plaid Cymru Police Commissioner Arfon Jones what this philosophy could mean in the context of drug law reform, detailing the practicalities of decriminalisation and regulation of illegal substances, and how this could reduce the suffering caused by the 'war on drugs'.

A poem by Steve Griffiths

Our new series of creative responses to Wales' rail network, Reading Between the Lines, plugs into widespread discontent with Wales’s transport infrastructure. Desolation Radio’s Dan Evans offers an evocative description of how the commute from Porthcawl (formerly ‘Valleys Valhalla’) to Cardiff (known for its pioneering travel network a century ago) demonstrates how the dismantling of the rail infrastructure has weakened both national identity and social equality.

Charlotte Williams gives an in-depth study of myriad forms of Black writing in Wales, arguing that recognising Black Welsh writing is an expression of cultural democracy that expands the boundaries of the national imagination, in ways which can benefit everyone.

Our Welsh Keywords series offers contemporary perspectives on the meaning of words in Welsh, inspired by Raymond Williams’ Keywords. In this issue, Jane Aaron traces the history of the concept of teulu (‘family’), and how long after the English word came to denote blood ties, teulu evoked bonds far beyond class and national borders, from communal dancing under the rafters of the gentry’s Great Halls to contemporary political consciousness…