“It’s about what ordinary people do, because what we do… is quite extraordinary.”

Protest matters, and it’s never been more important to raise our voices against injustice. And yet, our rights around marches, demonstrations and activism are being systematically eroded. Noisy Valley explores the importance of protest and what it can achieve, told through the stories of one vibrant community.

In every neighbourhood there are the activists, the ones who raise their voices. Myfanwy Tristram visited the Rhondda Valley in South Wales, inviting local people to recount their memories of the times they’d refused to take things lying down. These stories tell how communities and individuals pushed back on a landfill site that poisoned local streams, a waste processing plant that destroyed an area of natural beauty, sexism in the workplace, the closure of the local hospital and more. Noisy Valley is a testament to protestors who – whatever the political climate – have believed in their power to get things changed.

From SelfMadeHero, Noisy Valley: The Art of Protest by Myfanwy Tristram arrives June 9 in the US and Canada and May 14 in the UK.