magCulture Live, LDN26

magCulture Live, LDN26 takes place on 19 November 2026. Venue: Vitsœ, London.

Join us for an afternoon of talks from some of the best magazine makers currently working. Expect creative inspiration and a reminder of the power of magazines, as we hear from people behind both long-established and brand new publications. The thread running through the day this year is ‘Escaping the Algorithm.’ Everybody’s talking about getting offline, about reducing their screen time and defying the algorithm. What better way to do that than enjoy a magazine? We’re seeing ever more indie mags being launched, more customers buying them, and more specialist shops opening to sell them. But can the magazines themselves exist outside the digital realm? Or do publishers have to play the algorithm game? Join us for an afternoon of talks as our speakers share their work and consider the relationship between print and digital. Readers can escape the algorithm, even if only temporarily. Can publishers? If you can’t join us IRL, book a li vestream ticket and follow the day online. Meet our first speakers: Claire Belhassine Claire is a cultural producer, editor and founder of Godmothers , a new magazine exploring the intersection of technology, feminist economics and philosophy. She has held editorial roles at a host of magazines, ranging from Dazed and Sleazenation to Vogue and GQ . With Godmothers , Claire returns to the magazine as a space for cultural investigation and change, bringing together women, tech, art and activism. Read our interview with Claire. godmothers.ai Chris Clarke Chris is editorial creative director at The Guardian , where he leads major editorial projects and award-winning design teams across print and digital. His work has been recognised by D&AD, SPD, TDC, ISTD and the Design Week Awards. Alongside this, through his wider creative practice, he creates message-led typographic art that combines understated craft with playful expression. Read our interview with Chris. theguardian.com James Hewes James has over two decades of experience across the international media, publishing, and communications sectors. Through his consultancy Soho Consulting, he continues to shape the future of media, advising high-profile international clients while sharing his expertise as a guest lecturer worldwide on the evolving media landscape. Hugo Lindgren Hugo is the editorial director of the relaunched Life Magazine . He was previously editor of the New York Times Magazine , editorial director of New York and executive editor of Bloomberg Businessweek . He also worked at George , The Hollywood Reporter and Metropolis . He edits books, produces a podcast about politics and technology called Firewall and launched the zine publisher Mean Mean Thirst, whose first title was Let’s Start a Band . Coming up next is How to Edit Yourself. Lucy Roeber Lucy is the founder, editor and publisher of the Erotic Review . Recently, she’s been curating events with the ICA, BerlinPornFlimFestival, Reference Point and the Groucho Club, and has published articles and essays in the TLS , the Guardian and the Real Review amongst others. ermagazine.com Charlotte Rubesa Charlotte is the founder and editor of Quiet Media , a print-first zine founded on the belief that our attention is our most valuable resource, and it should be treated with care. The first issue launched in April 2026 featuring 15 makers and contributors, with a foreword by Andrew McLuhan. By day she’s a Communications Strategy Director at Wieden+Kennedy London, shaping how ideas travel for global brands. instagram.com/quietmediamag Emily Tobin Emily is editor of The World of Interiors , the Condé Nast maagzine about design and decoration. She took the helm in 2024, having previously been deputy editor, and has overseen the launch of worldofinteriors.com as well as a series of special publications including the gorgeous Top Shelf . In a recent interview for the magCulture Journal she claimed ‘ World of Interiors is the original indie mag.’ Read our interview with Emily . worldofinteriors.com More speakers to be confirmed. For this 13th edition of magCulture Live London, we return to the Vitsoe space in Marylebone ( above ). We’ve worked with Vitsoe since 2014 , and use their 606 shelving, 620 chairs and 621 tables in our London shop. We also collaborate annually as part of the magCulture Live New York. Their central London shop features a brutalist double-height open space that converts into a live venue for magCulture Live. Doors open at 12noon, the event starts at 1pm and runs through to 5pm, when everyone’s welcome to stick around for a beer and chat. The magCulture pop-up shop will on site alongside partner displays. We hope you’ll join us live in London, but are also offering livestream tickets for those who can’t. All ticket holders will have free access to a video of the talks after the event. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– With thanks to our partners for their support: parkcom.co.uk vitsoe.com/ commercialtype.com raandollyltd.co.uk abcdinamo.com All speakers are confirmed but we reserve the right to change the line-up for reasons beyond our control. We’re unable to refund tickets once booked. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– FAQs What is magCulture Live? magCulture Live is the only live event focusing on the creative side of magazine publishing. Each edition showcases the best creative editorial projects, giving a sense of the state of our industry while inspiring our audience. Previously known as known as ModMag, the conference has been held annually in London since 2013, starting life as a celebration/launch of Jeremy Leslie’s book ‘The Modern Magazine’. We have now organised 11 London editions and five New York editions—plus three Zoom editions during the Covid lockdown. What is it about? The day presents the most innovative and interesting creative work in magazine publishing, with editors and art directors uniting to share their thoughts and ideas. We don't duck the big issues facing print publishing, but neither do we fall for the easy, negative narratives surrounding the industry. magCulture Live is a celebration and reminder of the power of magazine creativity —if you know the MagCulture Journal you’ll have a sense of the scope and focus of the event. Is there a theme to the day? Every year we celebrate the creativity of the magazine industry, bringing together the publishing community for a session of creative inspiration. Alongside that, this year the theme is the death of the mainstream—under the banner, ‘Independent! Analogue! Future!’ Who is magCulture Live for? The day is aimed at publishing professionals, design and journalism students and graduates, and anyone else with a creative curiousity. The ability to develop an editorial voice is in everyone’s hands today via digital channels. Hear from leading editorial practitioners how they are handling this responsibility. Who organises magCulture Live? magCulture Live is produced by magCulture, led by founder Jeremy Leslie, Bella Robathon and Stephanie Hartman. Read the magCulture Journal for a sense of what/who we are.