Spanning books, prints, T-shirts, toys, socks, candles, jewellery, food and everything in between, we’re proud to present our annual list of top gifts to buy from independent creatives and businesses, to suit all your gift-giving needs this festive season.

Koestler Arts is a charity that supports those in criminal justice settings, and each year it hosts an exhibition of prisoner-made art. Here, the artists Jeremy Deller and John Costi discuss their relationship with the organisation, the difference the arts can make to lives of those in custody, and just how inventive prisoners can get with everyday objects.

The visual language of death has stagnated, and creatives have a vital role to play in how future generations face its complex subjects. Here, we chat to a design research practice dedicated to death, and delve into some of the topics covered at their recent conference, from symbols of death and branding the end of life, to ‘traumacore’.