So what is a magazine, anyway?

As we expand the LtW offer, we're challenging what some people think of as a magazine

The etymology of the word “magazine” has been traced back to the same root that gives us the name for the receptacle for bullets in a gun. That might seem like an odd connection, but it does make sense when you go back a few hundred years.

The original word was the Arabic word “makhzan” which means a storehouse. French and Italian traders adopted the name, which evolved in Middle French to “magasin”, still used today as the word for a shop. At some point military adoption meant the “magazine” became the place where gunpowder and ammunition were kept. Hence the link to guns.

But then, in 1731, The Gentleman's Magazine was launched. And the publishers used the word “magazine” to describe this new type of title, because it was a collection of different ideas, articles and voices.

Which is what most people think about, if they consider a magazine today - a collection of different articles, features, stories, images and perhaps news.

So far, so what?

Going beyond ink-on-paper

Well if this definition is taken at face value, then a magazine can be - but doesn’t have to be - a collection of words and images printed on paper and bound into a convenient publication. But by the same token, a magazine can be a radio show, a podcast, a television broad case or - drum roll, please - an event.

After years (and I mean years!) of talking about putting on a “proper” event, the Like the Wind team has unveiled Run Culture: Live. A two-day gathering of runners, in central London, where we can all enjoy storytelling, panel discussions, live interviews, art, creativity and more.

Doing it the hard way

Hiring a venue that can hold hundreds of people, bringing on-board a small number of brands, installing a stage and cinema-quality screen, etc in one of the most expensive cities in the world is a significant undertaking.

Coordinating guests, films, creators, podcasters and more is challenging. Selling hundreds of tickets is really difficult.

But that is the point, really. If something is easy, it is almost always valueless because everyone is doing it, so differentiation is an uphill battle. That is part of the reason we publish LtW in print. There are significant barriers to producing a print title (if you’re interested, ask me and I’ll tell you about all the bumps in the road we have encountered and continue to encounter) but what we create is valued all the more as a result.

The same goes for an event. I believe people innately understand that curating and hosting a two-day event is difficult. And they value it all the more because of that.

Want to join us?

We are hoping that Run Culture: Live (aka RCL) will be the first in a series of annual gatherings around storytelling, art and community. So if you are in or near London or you can swing a trip to the city (it’s really worth visiting, I promise!) then we’d love to see you there.

The details are as follows:

• When: 4th and 5th September

• Where: Truman Brewery, central London

• What: Live storytelling, films, podcast recordings, great local beer, food, music and more

• Tickets are available now at www.runculture.co

I hope we’ll see many of the people who subscribe to, buy or follow Like the Wind at RCL. If you have questions or ideas, please drop me a line.

Simon

Simon Freeman
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief