Intensely personal publishing

Coming Out of the Fog is an unusual magazine in lots of ways. For starters, it’s a student magazine, and this is the first time in 15 years that we’ve delivered a student project as one of our surprise monthly magazines. It’s also unusual because it’s a single-issue magazine: rather than publishing articles about a range of subjects, the whole publication is dedicated to exploring the question of identity for young British women who were adopted from China as part of that country’s one-child policy.

Editor and creative director Zoe Lowdermilk-Oppenheim was herself adopted under the policy, and the magazine begins with her presenting her personal story and reflecting on the complexity of her own identity. She then sets out to meet, interview and photograph other British women who were adopted under the one-child policy, building a richly varied picture of what it means to be a transracial adoptee, and particularly a woman who was adopted from China under these specific circumstances.

I found myself totally absorbed by the magazine when I picked it up at the end of last year, so I was excited to speak with Zoe for our Stack Magazine Club. Take a look at the video below to see her discussing the magazine in detail, and if you find yourself intrigued by the story, you can pick up a copy of Coming Out of the Fog in the Stack shop. And, of course, you should also sign up for our magazine club, and have a surprise magazine delivered to you every month, followed by an invitation to speak with the people who made it.

Stay up to date with Zoe’s latest projects at zoehdlo.com