Kinfolk has become so familiar that it’s hard to imagine just how radical its minimal, proto-mindfulness, clean lines and clean living aesthetic was when it first appeared back in 2011. This issue is a ‘History Special’ and, while promising to be ‘an issue for the ages’, editor John Burns reminds readers that the search for answers and patterns in history rarely delivers the clarity we seek, rather it acts as ‘simply a record of how people learn to live through their time.’

Commencing with the ‘Starters’ section, a series of short, thought-provoking pieces pose questions and spark curiosity: Rhian Sassen considers what makes a classic work of literature, Celine Nguyen asks whether anything uploaded to the internet is really accessible forever, and revered marriage psychologists John and Julie Gottman reveal what sustains a good marriage.

Elsewhere, renowned architect David Chipperfield invites readers into his Santiago outpost as well as the inner-workings of his design processes, while Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum and steward of some 8-million objects, reflects on his journey to the position and the challenges facing the institution today. Plus, a much more interesting take on the hyped concept of 'nepo babies', turns to the descendants of figures who reshaped the world we experience today—among them Robert Oppenheimer and Edward Bernays—who reflect on what it means to live with a name that carries historical weight (good or bad).

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