Ciaran Thapar, a London based youth worker, writer and activist began volunteering at a community centre in Brixton in 2015, an experience that served as a gateway to his career, in which he's covered topics including austerity, multiculturalism and drill music for GQ and The Guardian.

He has also spoken in parliament, on TV and in court, highlighting issues around youth violence and knife crime. This year, Thapar released his debut book, Cut Short: Youth Violence, Loss and Hope in the City, described by George The Poet as a ‘sensitive and respectful look at the truths less often told’.