Stranger Magazine's Latest Issue

Helen Gilchrist Tells PK How 'Stranger' Is A Different Way Of Doing Things!

Stranger magazine is about difference; about living, thinking and looking at the world in a different way – a way that we think should become normal for everyone, not an ‘alternative lifestyle’.

We mix life, music, surf, skate, and graphics features with articles about the politicisation of climate change, sustainable design, tidal energy, freeganism and alternative fuels. We’ve published interviews with The Zutons and The Magic Numbers, as well as James Lovelock and Tim Smit. We tell people about live music, films and cool events coming up, as well as little changes they can make in their lives that, if everyone did it, would make a huge difference to the planet. We know our readers are intelligent, media-savvy people with a wide range of interests, so we try not to take to the soapbox – rather give them information that will prompt them to make their own decisions. We want to be responsible but not worthy; cool but not vacuous. As a totally independent publication, we can say what we want and are not restricted by a board of directors censoring us for commercial reasons. Reading Stranger will inspire you to live the green way, but it will also make you laugh and feel excited. We hope. That’s what our readers tell us.

Conceived in June 2003 and launched in September 2004 (I published and edited the first issue on my own, so it was a long time coming!), the concept for Stranger came at a time when environmental and ethical living considerations were still on the fringes of mainstream consciousness. A handful of specialist publications covered the burning issues and showed people how to live in a more sustainable way, but I felt that, in a way, they were preaching to the converted. As specialist titles, people who bought and read them had already made a decision to follow the sustainable path.

Issue 10 Stranger Magazine

My idea for Stranger was to penetrate the consciousness of a younger market, many of whom, generally, didn’t give a shit. Originally from Cornwall, I was living in London at the time and working as a freelance journalist. Most youth lifestyle magazines I knew of were aimed at the urban market and focused around fashion, style and consumption – whatever the cost. Green was not a consideration and was most definitely not cool; you know the stereotype of lentil-eating hippies in dungarees and rainbow jumpers. I decided to move back to Cornwall and create a publication with an editorial mix and design that would appeal to and inspire young people (Stranger’s target audience is 18 – 40), while having a sound environmental ethos underpinning the whole magazine (both in content, and the fact that it’s printed using non-depletive resources). I wanted Stranger to make people stop and think – even if they were drawn to the magazine for a completely different reason in the first place.

Why not have a look for yourself?
Click here to purchase the latest issue of Stranger Magazine - Issue 11