At the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April athletes from countries that were once a part of the British Empire will battle for gold – but is the Commonwealth of Nations more than a legacy of another age?

At a time of geopolitical uncertainty, the Commonwealth is poised to play a major role as a values-based network that represents a third of the world’s population. Whether this group can exercise real power and influence will be determined in 2017. It is clear that the old empires are long gone, but in the wake of Brexit and the rise of China and India, the shape of a new world order remains unclear. Yet there is a shared history and legacy.

Commonwealth Now, co-edited by Julianne Schultz and Jane Camens, features writers from around the world who explore the contemporary experience of Commonwealth citizens – confronting new challenges, reconciling the past, creating a sustainable and equitable future, settling scores and opening new exchanges.

Contributors include: Melissa Lucashenko, Salil Tripathi, Margaret Busby, Shashi Tharoor, Selina Tusitala Marsh, Mark Gevisser, Annie Zaidi, Michael Wesley, Romesh Gunesekara and many more.

Griffith Review 59: Commonwealth Now is published with the support of the State of Queensland acting through the Department of Innovation, Tourism Industry Development and the Commonwealth Games and Australia Council for the Arts.