Today our Marketing Manager, Catherine, shares a run down of a few of our other favourite indie magazines we suggest you take a peek at! Over to you Catherine!
At 91 Magazine, one of our favourite little indulgences is settling down with a mug of tea (or something stronger!) and a new magazine. There’s something really quite special about stealing a quiet five minutes to see the world through different eyes, to hear new voices and be inspired by creative ideas and images.
Happily, the upsurge in independent magazines and publishing now means you’re never lost for something new and interesting to read (once you’ve finished your copy of 91 Magazine, of course…)
Here’s a small selection of lovely mags currently gracing the coffee table at 91. Inside each you’ll find beautiful visual storytelling, inspiring ideas and brilliant originality.
Happy reading!
Betty: ‘Empowering and unifying women with a youthful state of mind.’
Betty magazine turns five this year and is celebrating in style with a gorgeous floral themed issue. Lovely photography and design aside, it’s clear that Betty has brains as well as beauty – with intelligent articles on subjects as diverse as gardener Gertrude Jekyll, shyness, and beekeeping! There’s also some great craft and food features (the cakes created by likes of Lili Vanili and Frances Quinn are really something to behold…), interviews with up and coming music artists, bloggers, plus fab beauty and fashion.
The team at Betty describe the magazine as ‘your new best friend’ and you can see why –interesting and warm-hearted (with a wardrobe you’d definitely want to borrow) = ideal friendship material!
Lionheart: ‘Editorial that’s smart, funny, friendly and a little irreverent, together with beautiful design, illustrations and photography…’
If you’ve not immediately fallen for the beautiful cover (how could you not?!) then there’s so much more to love inside Lionheart magazine. Each issue is themed; with the current edition focusing on Time. There’s a brilliantly eclectic range of subjects covered by the magazine; from interviews with Design Sponge and Dawn O’Porter to books, cookery, art, plus writers’ personal responses to the subject of Time. It’s a companionable, thought-provoking read, perfect for dipping in and out of and taking time to savour the lovely illustrations, photography and the lyrical, engaging writing.
bedboat: ‘People. Places. Ideas.’
Our favourite article in the current issue of bedboat is a piece on ageing written by the editor’s 80 year-old grandmother. In a way, this tells you all you need to know about the magazine; it’s full of under-represented, interesting and original voices often overlooked by the mainstream press. In bedboat’s own words, the magazine is in part about celebrating the ‘growers, makers and future shapers’. From buskers and tattoo artists to community gardeners and ethical fashion labels – the individuals featured in the magazine are as fascinating as they are diverse.
Foodie Bugle: ‘Interesting artisans, places, food, drink, books and crafts.’
A must-read for foodies. Edited by Silvana de Soissons who runs the Foodie Bugle café and shop in Bath, this issue focuses on those involved on the periphery of the food business – including photographers, ceramicists and bloggers. Love for food radiates from the pages; there’s some stunning food photography and in-depth, considered articles. Every page is a celebration of quality food, its producers and cooks. If you’ve ever wanted to run a food-related business, blog, or just basically love eating (who doesn’t?!) this magazine is for you.
Popshot: ‘An illustrated literary magazine that publishes short stories, flash fiction and poetry from the literary new blood.’
Short stories, poetry and illustration come together in this compelling indie literary magazine. The works of fiction correspond to a theme – this issue, Adventure – and it’s fascinating to read the different responses writers have to the subject. Each piece of writing is accompanied by an illustrator’s response to the story – so each page has a feeling of being its own complete, creative world. If you’re not normally a short story or poetry reader, this is a great place to start.
