Making connections between formerly unconnected things is one of the foundations of discovery. We are committed to improving accessibility to research and knowledge, and forging new pathways and platforms through which those discoveries can be made. We continue to seek out the best research from leading experts to expand and open up dialogue around social and environmental issues as well as the commercial and social role that the publishing industry plays in society.
Explore our academic reports below.
2025
‘Second Renaissance: A Time of civilizational crisis and awakening
The Second Renaissance is both a period and a movement: a “time between worlds”, and a growing movement of people working to build shared understanding towards a radically wiser future. From the climate crisis to populism, from rising inequality to AI risk, visible and growing cracks are appearing in planetary civilization. Accurate diagnosis is vital if we are not only to address the symptoms but heal, transform and transcend our interconnected crises. The stakes are high – never before has human civilization risked collapse on a global scale. Here we will suggest that these growing cracks go to the foundations of our societies: to the way we see ourselves, each other and the world.
Read the full report on issue or download the pdf below. Credit to Life Itself.
June 2021
Third Sector Hypocrisy: Are large UK charitable funders really interested in systems change?’
The UK’s third sector is one of the largest in the world, with an array of different organisations that operate on a non-profit basis and share a stated interest in tackling various kinds of disadvantages. Behind these organisations are a group of large funders who collectively distribute a total of around £1.8 billion each year. In the wake of several interactions with large funders, Arkbound investigates those working in the arts and creative sector to reveal how their organisations are run and how funding is distributed.
Read the full report on issue or download the pdf below
April 2020
‘Representation, marginalisation and funding in the literary industry’
The publishing industry, like all facets of modern society, contains systemic prejudice towards certain groups. Increasing public awareness of racism means that dismantling prejudiced structures is more easily within reach. Within all industries, the impetus of education is a duty that falls upon every individual, particularly those benefitting from systems of oppression. We must be active in understanding the multiple barriers that specific groups face, as each marginalised group is presented with their own unique obstacles. In this essay, Lee examines the challenges that marginalised groups are confronted with when striving for exposure in literature.
Read the full report on issue or download the pdf below
