The results are in. Our favourite mags (and yours) of 2024...
Chosen by publisher, David
There aren’t many magazines that make you feel smarter, better travelled, and well-groomed just by picking it up, but Monocle does. Billed as a briefing on global affairs, business, culture design and more, it was one of the first proper independent magazines and now has iconic status. What I love most is the feel it gives you for those smart places you would like to visit, whether that’s London, Zurich, Milan or Tokoyo, darling…Much more than just a magazine, you can follow Monocle radio (I particularly like The Stack, their podcast all about independent magazines) and buy their rather smart spin off book, Fifty Essays for a Brighter Future. A thought provoking gift this Christmas, or buy it for yourself and never run out of conversation starters over the festive period…
Chosen by Simple Things deputy editor, Frances
It’s my favourite read of 2023, but I’d likely say that every year since the first Gentlewoman came out in 2010. What keeps me reading is the magazine’s unsurpassed knack of finding interesting women to interview – there’s this year’s coverstars Greta Gerwig and Chaka Khan, but each issue also features people I’d perhaps not come across before such as French uber-facialist Sophie Carbonari or Erchen Chang, the woman behind the Bao restaurants. Couple that with some serious fashion (that knows how to have a bit of fun) and dissection of ‘modern manners’ in each issue, and it’s a combo I find hard to resist. Especially at £10 – seriously good value when I can get half a year’s reading from each one (in fact more, I’ve got a shelf filled with old issues).
Chosen by Simple Things editor, Lisa
‘Stories of modern sport’
Much like when you’re watching a match, game or other sporting competition, you never know what’s coming next in Pitch. And that kind of storytelling; full of surprises, twists and turns, heroes and villains and winners and losers, makes for compelling reading. You may think you’re not a sports fan but if you love a good tale, Pitch tells some of the best, accompanied by glorious action photographs and witty illustrations that show every sinew stretched and triumph screamed. Who can fail to be moved by this?
Chosen by Commercial Director, Rob
When it comes to travel magazines I would have always said it was a fairly crowded market, so launching a new one 3 years ago must have felt like a daunting task. But I feel JRNY does that rare thing of realising you need something that had never occurred to you. To start with the obvious, visually its just stunning. So are others I know, but the visuals feel more well thought out here. They seem to get you under the skin of a place. This is coupled with excellent writing and issue 6 in particular has a wonderful array of destinations- from Taiwan to Wales to Boston and lots in-between. There is truly something for everyone. It sounds silly but the contents are spread over a map of the world, which feels like such an obvious thing for a travel title to do, yet I don’t remember seeing this before. Simple but so effective.
Chosen by Pics & Ink manager, Fiona
This year has been all about Scottish mags for me. We’ve had Hidden Scotland, the lovely travel mag (and great website) helping you discover its walks, sights, sounds and hidden places. Then there’s the joyful, Counterpoint. Riso-printed and hand-numbered, it’s a lovely object in itself AND it’s not just a pretty face. The writing inside is great and you never know where it will take you. In the latest issue LONG, you’ll learn about sitting through a ten-hour play as well as worms, motorways and undersea cables. However, my favourite Scottish read this year has to be Extra Teeth. It’s a literary magazine championing new writing from Scotland and beyond. We got issue 7 in the shop earlier this year and like it so much, we sent issue 8 out to our Free Range Mags subscribers in November. The makers are interested in 'words with bite.' This means writers who are taking chances and experimenting and stories that will stay with you long after you finish reading. The illustrations are killer too ;)
And don't forget yours! These were our best selling mags of 2024.
If you haven't tried these yet, why not give one or two a go? Remember it's only £2 UK postage, no matter how many mags you buy.
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