Magazines just discovered
Magazines have always been where I go to get knowledge, inspiration and leisure. As a 17 year old, I lived on Teen Vogue and short story magazines most of which I got from my late boss, the elegant Ms Onyanta Ogwiji and her younger sister, also late, Aunty Ejima. As a 12 year old, I […]
Magazines have always been where I go to get knowledge, inspiration and leisure. As a 17 year old, I lived on Teen Vogue and short story magazines most of which I got from my late boss, the elegant Ms Onyanta Ogwiji and her younger sister, also late, Aunty Ejima.
As a 12 year old, I had already developed the appetite for comic magazines, Snoopy, Asterix, Hagar the Horrible etcetera. My life revolved around reading and this ultimately led me to writing. All parents must get their children to read, it opens the mind.
Today I am a readaholic, reading as many things as I can find the time for in my very busy schedule.
Magazines are often on my A-list when I go shopping. While family members are buying toiletries, beverages and things required in the home, I am at the magazine stand seeking the familiar and the unfamiliar. I get my monthly fix at a certain supermarket in Abuja and I am elated once I get my collection of old and new.
Last week I got a selection of some new magazines. Although these magazines have always been in existence, I am only just getting to know them better. They are so full of knowledge and illumination I thought should share.
1. National Geographic:
This attracted my attention as soon as I saw it because as a Television person, I am quite familiar with the brand. I am a huge fan of the well-produced and engaging programmes on the channel. So I bought five editions of the magazine each with a different major theme. I was quite fascinated by the one that discusses the sub-planet, Pluto. It explained Pluto, described Pluto, and talked about new discoveries on the sub-planet.
Another edition looked at first artists in the world and tied it to those who were the first in major discoveries or major firsts in innovation. As for cities, Lagos earned the first city of Africa. A great read about the ubiquitous Lagos and its energy as the first city on the continent. A position I felt proud of. More importantly I read about mortar fire in wars and how this can affect the brain if one is exposed continuously to the sound of mortar fire to the point where there is emotional trauma and amnesia. An eye-opener.
The biggest read for me in these magazines is a story on mites so small you can’t see them. They are magnified 1,000 times in colour and described as being everywhere. In some pictures in this magazine, they are presented like a new army in orange uniform, leg pads and all. I was totally blown away.
Get National Geographic whenever you can find them. I bought my collection at NEXT, Abuja.
2. Forbes Woman, Forbes Africa and Forbes.
That I am able to get these off my vendor’s stand is heart-warming. The Forbes Woman gives me an opportunity to see how the women of the African continent are doing intellectually, entrepreneurial wise and otherwise. It is giving me a whole new network of women doing great things in Africa.
The other Forbes Magazines just helps to hone my business skills and entrepreneurial mind and provides me role models in business and stories of their struggles and successes. I also get tips for how to get ahead if I ever decided to do business. A sort of collection for a public servant who needs to understand private sector. It has been rewarding.
3. The Interview
This magazine recently hit the streets with its maiden edition published by former Punch editor Azubike Ishiekwene. Brilliant. Brilliant ideas to create a magazine whose thrust is interview is absolutely de rigueur. I love interviews and if I had thought about this first, I might have run with it. On the cover of the maiden Editions is Former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke. Then there are smaller interviews of other engaging personalities.
Congrats, Azubike Ishiekwene I shall subscribe. It’s a great read.
4. The Africa Report.
Published by Danielle Ben Yahmed Although I have seen this a lot in shops/malls, I often just go past it.
I thought to buy this time because the cover was on National Copyrights, an area Africa needs to pay more attention to. The rider on the cover is “How Africa can establish and defend its brands against global competitors.” The main cover title is “fight for your copyright” As a writer and brand owner, I was interested in how this plays out. I also studied copyright as part of some of my many researches. So I dug in Petinah Gappah, Lawyer and Writer, who wrote the cover story provided incredible perspectives on how Ethiopia has projected its tea brand so that to sell it anywhere in the world some licencing fee must be obtained. She listed African brands to include Kente, Bogolan etc and described Dangote as one of Africa’s leading brands. It was a truly engaging read.
5. The National Geographic Traveller.
This is essential for any world traveller like me and an aspiring Travel Writer. It’s a beautiful magazine with tips on where to holiday, how to holiday, city news and views and pages on food. I am a convert.