Indie Magazines: My Top Five
First of all, it was really hard to choose just 5 because there are so many amazing indie publications I adore and want to share with you… so it might be a case of extending this list in the future! However, for the moment I want to share my top 05 with you.
As with most independent areas of any market, there are lots of indie magazines that are unfortunately struggling to continue in the current climate. Magazines - especially indie publications which are required to sell at a higher price to their institution-owned contemporaries - are struggling to remain in-print with so many people living online; as well as the attractive fact that it’s cheaper to publish an online magazine (an e-zine) than a print version.
It must be said that I am a bit of a magazine snob, far more than I am a book snob. It is one of the hardest things to run a magazine that is not only beautiful but also informative - ranging across basically the same subjects year after year without losing any of its glamour. I love magazines that feel luxurious, that have high quality photography which also feels personal; as well as stories that are about more than a celebrity’s botox story… perhaps that is just me being bitchy. But it is a hard art to master - and I have only found a few who have got it right. All, of course, totally independent.
Faire
Faire is a gorgeous luxury publication, created in Provence, France by Ruth Ribeaucourt - Editor In Chief of the magazine. It focuses on long-form interview content with artisans and creatives as the interviewees; they are mainly European especially French but of course the content is very diverse and full of incredible stories.
I would highly suggest getting an issue to enjoy a vast range of stories about artisans and creatives. Not only are the stories amazing but the pages are filled with gorgeous photography, evoking the feeling that you are sinking into a world which - unfortunately - is slowly being eradicated from our memories and cultures by the onslaught of technology. This is not a magazine that is about adverts and products and top tips for growing courgettes. It is about people and their crafts, their passions and hobbies and their relationship with the world through the work they do.
Some of the crafts which are talked about are incredibly niche and traditional - some have been re-imagined and the techniques have been passed from master to apprentice for centuries to still (somehow) continue in this day and age. Others have been found in less direct paths, some have been stumbled upon, others developed from childhood adoration to mature lifelong love. No two stories are the same, and no two issues are the same.
This is a sublime publication which I hope to see growing in popularity over the years without losing it’s raison d’être.
A Rabbit’s Foot
This magazine is a revelation in terms of what it brings to the selection of publications that existed before it came into the film and celebrity culture markets. I was lucky enough to find a first issue hiding among the back of some copies of ‘Total Film’ when it first came out. And ohmygoodness did I fall in love with it.
Not only the chunkiness of each issue but the glamour of each issue. Every single one focuses on a different country’s contribution to the film industry - from writers to directors to thespians and composers. It’s the world I always imagined the industry to be behind all the vacuous glitz and glamour we’re presented with online. Though that could be because Charles Finch the Founder & Editor In Chief is a producer, writer and filmmaker himself so has not only a huge array of memories of past film festivals and leading lights - but also a massive network of stars both known and less-known to interview and call to the pages.
What you get is a carefully curated taste of what I think we all hope the film industry is - full of talented, hardworking and inspiring individuals who bring their passions to a group project with the hopes that the finished article will transport viewers into the world of their imaginations.
Whether you love movies or not, this is a must-have publication to add to your collection - even just for the way that there is always something new to read within its pages on a variety of subjects. One must go through it slowly over several months, each time with a glass of wine and a quiet few hours to truly enjoy and pay homage to it. This is a four course meal of a magazine, and each dish is somehow even more perfect than the last.
SLOW Journal
I came across SLOW Journal while researching magazines that focused on slow living. It’s a bi-annual publication based in Australia and founded by the lovely Jane Deane who is also the Editor In Chief. I actually ended up writing an article for Issue 12 ‘Glory Days’ and bought the hard copy as an addition to my portfolio.
But the magazine itself is gorgeous, full of inspiring stories of people (mainly based in Australia) living slowly and intentionally and sharing their projects with readers. I love the layout, Jane’s added block text to some of the pages to give a beachy, moodpboard-inspired feel to the end publication and the result is a relaxed and soft aesthetic which makes me feel like I could be on a hammock overlooking Byron Bay as I read it.
Unless you’re based in Australia the only way to get a copy is either through the website or via Amazon where Jane posts a limited number of copies after every issue’s release.
Whether you’re into slow living, surfing, shopping ethically or learning how to live more sustainably without compensating on high quality fashion - get yourself a copy of SLOW Journal and bring the beach and Australian weather to you.
Heiter Magazine
I’ve worked with Katharina twice to bring two articles to the Heiter online blog, I came across the magazine while looking for slow living publications that would potentially take submissions. An annual magazine brought to you by founder and Editor-In-Chief Katharina Geissler-Evans. Heiter is about the Heiterkeit moments in life, (for those of us who are not German, Heiterket is a noun linked to Heiter meaning cheerfulness) and the publication focuses on sustainable fashion, recipes and inspiring artisan stories by women across Europe. Again the focus is on creating an intentional, balanced and sustainable life with slow living values.
Katharina’s background is in fashion so Heiter does focus a bit more on fashion than other indie magazines in the slow living market might. But that is what makes Heiter so lovely and unique to its contemporaries. It’s got a great community behind it and the transparency which Katharina gives on her socials about the stresses and pressures of running a magazine are a breath of fresh air.
If you’re looking for a beautiful magazine created with a lot of hard work, care and love then Heiter is the one for you.
Emergence Magazine
This magazine is a bit different to the others because it wasn’t born from an individual’s personal initiative. Emergence Magazine is owned by the Kalliopeia Foundation - a Native American initiative that supports funding, education and projects that combine spirituality and ethical sustainable practices on the Earth. Specifically within Marin County - Coast Miwok.
Emergence Magazine is an annual publication that is filled with essays, stories, poetry and photography all relating to a single theme centred on the environment and our (failing) connection as a species to it. I came across the copy I have of Volume 03 in Waterstones and instantly fell in love with it. Although that may have been - in part - because there was an essay by Robin Wall Kimmer.
This is not an easy read, it is not there for a lazy flick-through or to be jettisoned after a few months. It is a magazine that should be treasured and re-read over and over, finding new meaning and new depth in each of the contributing pieces. Emergence has quirky and unique editorial additions to each issue such as the one which I got that has a soundtrack to accompany each section within the magazine. It is a publication that is not afraid to say what no one else will say, and that can make reading it uncomfortable - it’s supposed to make you feel that way.
