Granta 167 delves into the worldwide push to uncover fresh materials for the Green transition: lithium and nickel for car batteries, cobalt and other metals for chips.

This issue showcases new writing from the Central African Republic to Indonesia – Bathsheba Demuth investigates the untold history of the fur trade along the Yukon River; Anjan Sundaram reports on the cartels who are now in open conflict with local villages over the control of mining concession in Mexico; and Will Atkins visits the men and women freemining for coal in the Forest of Dean.

We have new stories by Camilla Grudova, Carlos Fonseca, Benjamin Kunkel, James Pogue, Laleh Khalili, Rachel Kushner, Christian Lorentzen and Eka Kurniawan.

Plus, interviews with Thea Riofrancos and Nuar Alsadir.

And photography by Atossa Araxia Abrahamian, on Danny Franzreb, Salvatore Vitale, and Tereza Červenova. 

Cover artwork © Salvatore Vitale