A warm hello and happy Sunday! If you’ve followed our progress about our print journal over the past month you’ll know that there were a few unexpected hold-ups with production. In a move that I can only describe as a Christmas miracle, the bulk delivery arrived days ahead of schedule, meaning that if you order today (or before midday tomorrow) I will be able to send a copy out to you in time for Christmas!
What’s inside?
This year, we’ve extended the page count so the journal has increased from 96 pages to 140 pages. It truly has been a labour of love to bring this all together and I can not thank my wonderful team, Flora and Laura, who have been instrumental in bringing this second issue to life, along with all our photographers and contributors. I felt (and still do feel) hugely proud of Issue 01 - the stories we covered, the design, the beautiful photography from Jaime Molina (and other talents of the Scottish photography scene). I wanted Issue 02 to be a continuation of what we started but to also improve and tweak a few elements of the journal. There are some subtle changes to Issue 02 as a result - we’ve introduced pull-out quotes, longer slow-journalism pieces and have also added a blurb on the back and a new tag-line on the front cover. Aesthetically, it is undoubtedly a continuation from our first issue with photography that evokes feeling and escape and conversations with different kinds of creatives and businesses at all stages of their journeys. Like our first issue, you’ll find a mixture of photography features, slow journalism, personal narratives and profiles of artists.
It has been such a privilege to have conversations with so many of those featured and to visit their homes, shops or businesses, meeting in cafes where we can or chatting over the phone when in-person meets aren’t logistically possible. There are some incredibly raw and heartfelt pieces in this issue - honest conversations about failure, following your instincts and about finding new and creative paths - some in the most unlikely of places. We’ve consciously tried to include pieces about creatives and makers from all stages of their career journeys - some have decades of experience and others are new and are still finding their feet. We’ve also tried hard to spotlight businesses from all around Scotland - from Arran and Iona to Perthshire, Stirling, Fife, Glasgow, Aberdeenshire and Invernessshire.
Although there is no specific theme, Issue 02 has been curated with the aim of championing makers and creatives who have a connection to Scotland’s food and coffee culture. There are recurring motifs that weave their way through this second issue - I touch on this in my Publisher’s note but a visit to see my cousins in South Africa last year provided much of the inspiration behind this second issue. Nature, conversation and connection thread their way through the pages of this journal along with nods to Italy and Italian culture.
In total, we feature 21 pieces - including an In the Garden series where we speak to three market gardeners, based in Trochry, Iona and the East Neuk of Fife. I love how different these three pieces are to one and other, despite them all being part of the market garden community in Scotland and sharing similar values. New this year, we feature places where you can go and stay including a beautifully renovated B&B in Strathtay with the most wonderful host (who features on our front cover) and a Perthshire country escape.
Also in the journal are conversations with a woodworker, ceramist and a letter-writer - all doing incredible things in their fields. There are community focused pieces - a stand-out piece of food-writing about a neighbourhood bakery in Glasgow, a coffee company that brew for good and a social enterprise making a difference through the medium of chocolate. Finally, there are all the pieces that really centre around food - from pasta-makers to bakers to food writers to food photography. Pulling this all together has taken a great deal of time over many months but seeing the content presented as one piece - which has so much emotion and heart, has made it all worth-while.
How to order
We have stock available on our website - we’ve changed the checkout process this year to make it easier so there’s the option to pay either by Stripe or PayPal. We’ve also added the option to collect if you’re an Edinburgh local so you can avoid the shipping fee! Head on over to our website if you fancy placing an order. (We are just doing UK shipping at the moment but are looking to work with a distributor next year so do watch this space!)
We are building up our stockist list for Issue 02 and so far The Portobello Bookshop (Edinburgh) have stock of our second issue. Two eight seven (Glasgow, Southside) will also have stock for the 23rd/24th December weekend. Uncommon Life (Bridge of Allan) will also be taking stock in January. I’ll keep you posted in the new year of more stockists as they come onboard!
A heartfelt thank you
I’ve said this before but the journal really wouldn’t be possible with your incredible support, words of encouragement and kindness. We so appreciate every comment, like, share and direct message cheering us on - it makes such a difference to us and we are so grateful to have such a wonderful community and supportive network. Thank you from the very bottom of my heart.
I hope you love reading the journal as much as we have loved making it.
Joanna x