diff --git a/src/components/LatestDispatchBanner.astro b/src/components/LatestDispatchBanner.astro
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed74b37
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/LatestDispatchBanner.astro
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+---
+import Avatar from './Avatar.astro';
+import { getLatestPublishedDispatches } from '../lib/db';
+import {
+  dispatchSlug, dispatchExcerptParas, relativeTime,
+} from '../lib/format';
+
+const [latest] = getLatestPublishedDispatches(1);
+const excerpt = latest ? dispatchExcerptParas(latest).lead : '';
+---
+{latest && (
+  <a href={`/dispatches/${dispatchSlug(latest)}`} class="banner">
+    <div class="b-left">
+      <Avatar id={latest.author_id} name={latest.author_name} size={30} />
+      <div class="b-byline">
+        <span class="b-eyebrow">Latest dispatch · {relativeTime(latest.published_at ?? latest.created_at)}</span>
+        <span class="b-author">
+          {latest.author_name.split(' ')[0]} · {latest.author_title ?? 'team'}
+        </span>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+
+    <div class="b-mid">
+      <span class="b-title">{latest.title}</span>
+      <span class="b-excerpt">{excerpt}</span>
+    </div>
+
+    <div class="b-right">
+      <span class="b-read">Read dispatch</span>
+      <span class="b-all">All dispatches →</span>
+    </div>
+  </a>
+)}
+
+<style>
+  .banner {
+    display: grid;
+    grid-template-columns: auto 1fr auto;
+    gap: 20px;
+    align-items: center;
+    padding: 22px 26px;
+    background: var(--surface-card);
+    border: 0.5px solid var(--surface-card-border);
+    border-radius: 12px;
+    color: inherit;
+    text-decoration: none;
+    border-bottom: none;
+    transition: background var(--duration-fast) var(--ease-standard),
+                transform var(--duration-fast) var(--ease-standard);
+  }
+  .banner:hover {
+    border-bottom: none;
+    transform: translateY(-1px);
+    background: color-mix(in oklab, var(--surface-card) 92%, var(--background));
+  }
+
+  .b-left { display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 12px; min-width: 0; }
+  .b-byline { display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 2px; min-width: 0; }
+  .b-eyebrow {
+    font-family: var(--font-sans);
+    font-size: 9px;
+    letter-spacing: var(--tracking-wider);
+    text-transform: uppercase;
+    color: var(--on-surface-muted);
+    white-space: nowrap;
+  }
+  .b-author {
+    font-size: 11px;
+    color: var(--on-surface);
+    white-space: nowrap;
+  }
+
+  .b-mid { display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 4px; min-width: 0; }
+  .b-title {
+    font-family: var(--font-serif);
+    font-size: 19px;
+    line-height: 1.3;
+    color: var(--on-surface);
+  }
+  .b-excerpt {
+    font-size: 12px;
+    color: var(--on-surface-variant);
+    white-space: nowrap;
+    overflow: hidden;
+    text-overflow: ellipsis;
+  }
+
+  .b-right {
+    display: flex;
+    flex-direction: column;
+    align-items: flex-end;
+    gap: 4px;
+    white-space: nowrap;
+  }
+  .b-read {
+    font-family: var(--font-sans);
+    font-size: 11px;
+    letter-spacing: var(--tracking-wider);
+    text-transform: uppercase;
+    color: var(--pigment-terracotta);
+    border-bottom: 1px solid var(--pigment-terracotta);
+    padding-bottom: 1px;
+  }
+  .b-all {
+    font-family: var(--font-sans);
+    font-size: 10px;
+    letter-spacing: var(--tracking-wider);
+    text-transform: uppercase;
+    color: var(--on-surface-muted);
+  }
+
+  @media (max-width: 767px) {
+    .banner {
+      grid-template-columns: 1fr;
+      gap: 12px;
+      padding: 18px 20px;
+    }
+    .b-excerpt { white-space: normal; }
+    .b-right { align-items: flex-start; }
+  }
+</style>