This month we chat to Sam and Bethany, the creatives behind Counterpoint magazine, a new and independent quarterly publication based in Edinburgh. Counterpoint offers original writing and beautiful illustration from various contributors. Each issue has a unique theme so readers are always in for an unexpected treat! Although they are both originally from Manchester, Sam and Bethany have called Edinburgh home for some time now. Here they talk to us about the magazine and offer their suggestions on where to go in the city.
Can you tell us a bit about yourselves and your backgrounds?
Sam: We’re both originally from Manchester. I moved to Edinburgh some years ago for university and fell in love with the place; now I’m a freelance journalist, publishing student and PR worker.
Bethany: I’m an illustrator and printmaker – I’ve been here for two years now and I can’t really imagine living anywhere else!
What inspired you to create such a unique magazine?
Counterpoint actually began as an online publishing project in 2013. We didn’t really set out to create a ‘proper’ magazine – we were just looking for a sandbox that we could use to experiment with writing, illustration and design in a way that’s hard to do if you’re a freelancer. In 2015 we made the transition to a print magazine, and that’s when things started to get exciting. We’re now thrilled to have stockists in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Nottingham, London and Amsterdam.
We began printing the magazine in 2015 after realising that most of our readers prefer reading on paper than on a PDF, and it’s been gathering momentum ever since. The aesthetic and the design of the magazine is very much driven by the type of printing we use. Risograph printing means we’re only able to use 2-3 colours – it’s limiting, but limitations can aid creativity.
What sort of writing and stories do you look for? How can freelance writers get involved?
Well, each issue of the magazine takes a different theme, so the brief changes with each edition. The stories we commission tend to be a little odd, a little eclectic. We like features about new ideas, interviews with interesting artists and makers, stories of hidden communities. We’re always interested in hearing from new writers – email (counterpointmag@gmail.com) is the best way to get in touch.
Counterpoint isn’t just about writing. Can you tell us a bit about the illustrators you feature?
Illustration is a huge part of what we do – we absolutely consider it just as important as written content. We pride ourselves on featuring brilliant illustrators, and were recently shortlisted for Stack’s Best Use of Illustration award.
Can you tell us about the creation and printing process? How is each copy of the magazine unique?
We print Counterpoint using a Risograph printing. Invented in Japan in the 1980s as a cheap duplicator, Riso looks like a photocopier but is essentially a mechanical screenprinter. It’s eco friendly and uses soy-based inks, which are layered one colour at a time. The machine is inherently unpredictable – with each new layer of ink the design is subject to ‘misregistration’
If you had 24 hours to do whatever you want in Edinburgh, what would you do? Where would you go?
Sam: I’d start with breakfast at Gardener’s Cottage, then spend the morning at the National Museum of Scotland. Lunch would probably be soup from Union of Genius or maybe a po’boy from Checkpoint. I’d kill the afternoon inside the Cameo and have a big curry feast from Tuk Tuk before bar-hopping my way back home to Leith.
Bethany: I’d visit the Royal Botanic Gardens and hang out with the plants, then brave the 287 steps to the top of the Scott Monument for the beautiful view of the skyline. I’d take a trip to Mary’s Milk Bar and order the weirdest gelato on the menu (last time it was Tarragon)
To discover more about Sam and Bethany at Counterpoint Magazine or to order you own copy, visit their website here.
