Body positivity and a teenage activist: Sister zine #9 is here
Sister magazine is always a title we look forward to seeing, and this ninth issue is no exception. Focusing on the theme of sound, it takes a sweeping look at the movers and shakers of the Instagram generation, who are taking up space with their confident, unassailable, and extremely important views on the world. From a teenage activist raising awareness of period poverty, to a young South Londoner spreading messages of body positivity, this issue promises pages of fresh feminist reading.
Read on for editor-in-chief Beccy Hill’s definitive guide to Sister magazine’s latest edition, and check out the launch party they’re throwing this Friday…
1. The Sound Issue
This is the ninth print issue of Sister. We always have a theme, as I think it gives everything a focus, but they are always quite fluid and open to interpretation. I love seeing what people come up with. In my mind, this issue was all about making noise, standing up for what you believe in, and not being afraid to make a sound, in whichever medium you choose. Hence why we ended up having three cover stars for the first time, which I am so excited about! They all embody the theme in their own way.
2. Not being scared of not being liked
I spoke to musician Seinabo Sey on the phone from Stockholm. She’d just finished recording her new album and was about to take the train to the south of Sweden for a vacation. I think my favourite quote from the interview is when she was explaining the process of working on her new record. “I tried to not be so scared of not being liked – I realise as a woman that that is probably my biggest fear. And I just realised that it’s bullshit, and I wanted to get things done so I’ve had to rewire my brain.”
3. Body positivity with Chidera Eggerue
Who doesn’t want to talk to Chidera Eggerue right now? She is absolutely everywhere, spreading her message of body positivity, self-care, self-importance…following her on social media really brightens up my day, so I jumped at the chance to work with her on this issue. Her energy is fascinating and inspiring. I think we could all learn something from her, and I found it really difficult to write up her interview into a feature, as I just wanted to print everything that we had spoken about word for word.
4. Amika George, the teenage activist behind #FreePeriods
At just 18 years old, Amika George is yet another force to be reckoned with on the pages of The Sound Issue. I certainly wasn’t organising political protests or being interviewed by Naomi Campbell when I was studying for my A-Levels. What Amika has to say, and what she stands for, is extremely important and affects thousands of girls across the UK who simply cannot afford sanitary products. I think for our younger readers, reading her interview will be an excellent entry point into activism and will hopefully inspire them to challenge the structures of society.
5. Come to our launch party
We love to bring our community together IRL, so to celebrate the new issue, we’ll be throwing a party at VFD on 15 September. We’ll have the new magazine for sale, and there will be some special guests throughout the night. Earwax Collective, who feature in the issue, is an all-female spoken word collective and I’m so excited to see them perform. Please make sure you join us! You can find more information on the event’s Facebook page.
