7 Independent, Print Magazines You Need To Cosy Up With This Winter

By Kyra Hanson Last edited 64 months ago
7 Independent, Print Magazines You Need To Cosy Up With This Winter
Several London magazines were commended or won awards at this year's Stack Awards.

In need of some reading material to liven up all those duvet days you have planned now the cold has crept in? Thankfully, London's independent print scene is thriving. From a video game magazine to a student-run art zine, here are seven indie publications launched right here in the Capital.

A Profound Waste of Time

© A Profound Waste of Time

If you're excited by Nintendo 64s, Final Fantasy XV and Yacht Club Games, then you'll love A Profound Waste of Time, which celebrates the intricate world of gaming. As well as featuring wonderfully illustrated personal stories, there are plenty of interviews with the creative minds behind your fave video games. Anyone craving the glow of a screen can rest easy, the special edition comes with a beautiful glow in the dark cover. Now all you have to do is put your console down for long enough to read it.

Londonist: If your magazine was a London landmark, what would it be and why?

APWOT: "Not sure if these count as landmarks, but probably Draughts in Hackney or one of the Loading Bars. Comfortable spaces with games everywhere. I’m tempted to say Novelty Automation near Holborn as well but nothing about APWOT is as bizarre as some of the games you can find in there."

L: Who would you most like to see reading your magazine on the tube?

APWOT: "I’d love for someone like Charlie Brooker to read APWOT, but I think it’d be more of an achievement to get someone who probably has no interest at all in video games to read the mag so... erm... Andrew Marr I guess?" - Caspian Whistler, creative director

Aether

© Aether

Clashing colours, eccentric styling and a diverse roster of digital-savvy models make up the bulk of Aether. By giving space to women of colour and plus size models, it blows apart society's narrow definitions of beauty, something the big fashion glossies could learn a thing or two from. Goldsmiths student and editor Mia Sakai says the latest issue was her favourite to work on: "It was described by Ruth Jamieson as a 'riot of colour', 'like watching someone much younger than you go wild on the dance floor to a song you don't understand." If that sounds like your kind of reading experience, then welcome to the party.

L: If your magazine was a London landmark, what would it be and why?

Aether: "If you could call it a landmark, I think Aether would be Piccadilly Circus. It's vibrant, noisy, colourful."

L: Who would you most like to see reading your magazine on the tube?

Aether: "I would love to see literally ANYONE reading Aether on the tube, honestly. That's never happened, so it would just be amazing to see someone I don't know really enjoying it." - Mia Sakai, editor

Justified

© Justified

Scanning the photo-led pages of Justified feels a bit like scrolling through an expertly curated Instagram Feed. That's because the concept was born on the social media channel. This slick magazine lets international photographers "takeover" its feed and the results are aesthetically pleasing to say the least — they have to be because words are kept to a minimum here. The delightful thing about the IRL mag is you can absorb yourself in its American landscapes and seaside scenes without being interrupted by ads or WhatsApp group notifications. Peace at last.

Hole & Corner

© Hole & Corner

Now in its fifth year, hole&corner has mastered the art of highlighting beautifully crafted objects, particularly the ones designed by impeccably dressed people. It's full of close-ups of soil ingrained fingernails and wholesome AF content about what artisans get up to in their workshops. If you're the kind of person who aspires to wear £620 cashmere sweaters and do pottery in your spare time but will settle for a night on the sofa, in your dressing gown, watching The Great Pottery Throw Down, then this mag is for you.

L: If your magazine was a London landmark, what would it be and why?

H&C: "The London Library in St James’s Square. It's a little oasis of calm in the middle of the city and the definition of a ‘hole-and-corner’ - a secret place, somewhere you go to escape the world, to be inspired and to contemplate and create."

L: Who would you most like to see reading your magazine on the tube?

H&C: "We don’t really go in for celebrities but maybe Sadiq Khan would enjoy our emphasis on sustainability and taking time to do things the right way." - Eddie Howell, marketing and events assistant

Naatal

© Nataal

London is a wonderfully diverse city, so it's great to see new magazine Nataal proudly champion artists "who are building diverse narratives in and about the spirit of Africa". The inaugural issue stretches from London, where we meet young poet laureate Caleb Femi to Lagos, where we see how fashion shape's the city's identity. This hugely necessary addition to London's print scene is also full of stunning and unapologetically defiant looks (see above).

L: If your magazine was a London landmark, what would it be and why?

Nataal: "Brixton. It's diverse, full of life and brimming with culture."

L: Who would you most like to see reading your magazine on the tube?

Nataal: "Dev Hynes — I'm a huge fan of his music and he'd make a perfect Nataal cover star." - Helen Jennings, editorial director

Suspira

© Suspira

With its leathery, jet black cover and barely-there title, handling the recently launched Suspira feels like picking up a spell book for modern times, which is fitting, as the title shares a publisher with witchcraft mag Sabat. The feminist/horror mash-up is full of stories which "dissect sinister subjects through a feminine lens". Its monochrome pages are interspersed with intriguing contorted body parts, which play tricks on the eye if you look long enough. Look out for the fetish issue which unpacks the fear surrounding female sexuality and explores the link between horror and sex.

L: If your magazine was a London landmark, what would it be and why?

Suspira: "It's hard to pick a place that is able to encompass the unique vibe of our magazine but I think The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities and its cocktail bar The Last Tuesday Society comes the closest. It's one of my favourite places in London, not only because of their delicious concoctions but also because of its eccentric decor and macabre museum of curiosities. Similar to what we do with Suspira, Viktor Wynd sees beauty and value in the things most wouldn't appreciate or love and gives them a place to be treasured."

L: Who would you most like to see reading your magazine on the tube?

Suspira: "Unsure if I'd ever run into any of them on the London tube but seeing Susie Bick and Nick Cave or filmmaker Anna Biller reading Suspira would be pretty amazing." - Valentina Egoavil Medina, editor

Printed Pages

© Printed Pages

See the world through a design-focused lens? So does Printed Pages, which neatly collates latest (and most interesting) design news to grace the online pages of It's Nice That. Art as a force for good is the thread that binds this issue together. Look out for an interview with London-based photographer Eliza Hatch, creator of Cheer Up Luv, a photo project highlighting the prevalence of street harassment. Other notable Londoners featured include Eddie Peak and artist duo Gilbert and George.

Love print? Swing by Mag Culture in Clerkenwell or check out online subscription service Stack Magazines.  

Last Updated 27 November 2018