Photographers. Writers. Illustrators.

Want to keep up with what’s happening in the world? Look no further than our annual guide to what to expect from the year ahead. There is plenty to discover in the pages of our new edition of The Forecast and that’s thanks to the efforts of our talented contributors, who have helped to put our predictions to paper. Let’s meet them.

As a keen cyclist, London-based photographer Alice Zoo is used to going the extra mile. But for this issue she went even further, shooting our report on Loose Ends, an organisation that matches volunteer artisans with people whose loved ones have passed away before being able to finish crafting projects; the Loose Ends volunteers then finish the piece. “It was quite an emotional shoot, with some of the participants meeting for the first time on the day,” she says. Zoo also hopes to finish a project of her own in 2025. “I’m really looking forward to publishing a book that I’ve been working on for the past few years,” she says. “But I mainly just want to have a calm year, contrary to what the astrologers are forecasting,” she says jokingly. Here’s hoping that the stars align for her.

Speaking to industry leaders for our report on the Frankfurt Book Fair allowed monocle’s deputy books editor, Amy Van Den Berg, to gain insight into the future of the publishing industry. But it didn’t all go by the book. “The microphone glitched when I was recording an interview with the fair’s ceo,” she says. “I had to run after him to do another take.” As it happens, running is somewhat of a theme in her life. “My mom is a runner and she always tells me to charge for the hills, not to slow down when things get steep,” she says. “I’m looking forward to embracing new challenges in 2025. I think that we will see a lot of resilience over the coming year.”

Elsewhere, Australian journalist, lawyer and legal academic Kieran Pender reported on one of the world’s leading manufacturers of anti-drone technology to learn how the nature of warfare is changing. “Considering that my career has taken me across the world, it’s funny that this assignment was only a 15-minute drive from my home in central Canberra,” he says. “The city is not known as a hi-tech hub but it’s here that the cutting-edge technology is being produced in order to be sent to Ukraine.” When he’s not on the road, Pender enjoys surfing along the beautitful coastline of New South Wales. More outdoor activities, travels and exciting stories are all in the pipeline for Pender over the coming year. “I have already planned a diving trip to the Solomon Islands,” he says. “But I hope that 2025 will be a little less frenetic.”

Lars Brønseth grew up in a small town in southern Norway but has spent the past 15 years abroad, photographing the fashion scenes of Stockholm, London, Milan and, now, Paris. We asked him to train his lens on Philippe Krief, the ceo of automaker Alpine. “To be in a place completely devoted to cars was very new for me,” says Brønseth, who is quick to admit that he usually spends his free time roaming the halls of Paris art galleries rather than automotive showrooms. For the year ahead, he would like to explore the world outside Europe and find inspiration for several of the small book projects that he’s currently working on. “I’d love to go to Bangkok,” he says. “I imagine the city to be really vibrant, with many interesting objects to photograph.” Free green spaces are also vital for everyone’s wellbeing.”

Wine writer and consultant Chandra Kurt put together a list of the 20 best bottles for 2025 and beyond for our shopping guide. “Each wine gives you a taste of the country that it’s from and the chance to explore its rich history,” she says. Kurt was born in Sri Lanka to Italian and Swiss parents working for the Smithsonian Institution but grew up in Switzerland, where she still lives today. She is the author of several books and publisher of Weinseller Journal, a magazine that covers trends and lifestyle stories in the wine industry and acts as a guide for what to purchase for your cellar. Her hopes for 2025? “To get together with loved ones more frequently to enjoy good food and interesting discussions.”

We hope that our in-depth reports, enlightening essays and informative interviews will give you a good idea of what’s to come in the year ahead. Enjoy the issue. — L