Stack Magazines

Sophie Barshall is editor of The Toe Rag, the free arts magazine distributed at independent and not-for-profit venues across London and beyond. In this conversation she speaks about the importance of arts coverage, the dire state of arts funding in the UK, and why The Toe Rag is not a passion project.

Melissa Goldstein and Natalia Rachlin are the founders and editors of Mother Tongue magazine, which presents a distinctly grown-up picture of motherhood. Disillusioned by the type of media that was presented to them as mothers, they began, "to poke holes in all the things that exist or have existed historically in this space. Why do they look a certain way and speak a certain way that just doesn't connect to us personally? And surely we can't be the only ones." In this episode they speak about the process of defining a new picture of motherhood, and building a sustainable business out of that initial disillusionment.

Mark Blacklock and Roderick Stanley are the editors of Offal, a self-proclaimed "haggis of literary culture", created from odd and experimental bits of text that don't quite fit anywhere else. It's a brilliantly anarchic print magazine and digital audio title, and in this conversation they speak about their interest in AI tools, explaining how they push them to glitch and break, sifting through the artistic and aesthetic potential of what remains.

Réiltín Ní Aodhagáin and Lilou Angelrath are the editors of Mnemotope, a literary magazine that looks beyond the publishing industry's usual niches in its search for a new type of storytelling. In this episode they speak about their radically open approach, winning design awards without knowing the rules of graphic design, and how beer mats help them to attract submissions from a different sort of writer.

Recorded live at Indiecon 2025, eight independent publishers speak about their magazines and other projects. Featuring Sebastian Wells from Solomiya, Timothy Frazier from Photographic Bandwidth, Sotiris Trechas from Fluffer Everyday, Oliver Gabe from The Paper, Yuto Miyamoto from Troublemakers, Pang Xue Qiang from Meantime, and Anja Charbonneau from Broccoli.

Recorded at the Indie Publisher Summer Forum in Amsterdam, this episode features a panel discussion on the role of branding in independent magazines. Featuring Damian Bradfield from WeTransfer and Fupe, Megan Wray Schertler from In Real Life Media, and Peter Kormanyos from Purgatory Sandwich, it begins with the question of what branding is, and how small, print magazines can use it to punch above their weight.

Erin Mathias, Oliver Gabe, and Owen Davies are the editors of The Paper, the big, funny, dark magazine from Wales. In this conversation they speak about their love of extreme contrasts, and why they don't give readers room to breathe.

Nicola Hamilton, the founder of Issues Magazine Shop in Toronto, shares her journey as an award-winning designer turned magazine entrepreneur. She talks about her passion for print and the importance of creating engaging spaces for communities. Discover how she blends commerce and creativity, supporting independent magazine culture through events and personalized subscriptions. Nicola also reveals exciting details about the upcoming Zine Shine Festival and her role in curating unique content for the magazine 'Serviette', emphasizing collaboration and community engagement.

Penny Martin is editor-in-chief of The Gentlewoman, the magazine celebrating, "modern women of style and purpose". In this conversation she speaks about her enthusiasm for creating 1995, a one-off magazine published to celebrate the 30th anniversary of designer shopping outlet Bicester Village. And she reflects on The Gentlewoman's own 15 years in print, and what it takes to keep the magazine on top after a decade and a half.

Hear five independent magazines live on stage at the Queen of Hoxton in London. Featuring stories, essays and poetry read by The Fence, Real Review, Vittles, Offal and The Paper.