Featuring art, photography and poetry, the publication’s latest issue focuses on love – here, editor and designer Luisa Le Voguer Couyet talks us through it
- TextAnother Man
Hate Zine was born out of Luisa Le Voguer Couyet and Scarlett Carlos Clarke’s desire to incite change in the world. The publication is now three years old and on the cusp of its fifth issue – and yet its founding principles remain the same. “I want to use Hate to promote the things we all have in common,” says Le Voguer Couyet, who was born in Hackney, is based in Brixton and edited and designed this upcoming issue on her own. “I want to use it to introduce readers to new ways of living, encourage people to care about issues such as the environment or the rights of refugees, and show people that they can do something like this if they want to.”
The premise is simple: the zine uses art, photography and poetry as a vehicle for exploring different social and political issues. Previous issues have addressed topics including mental health, the environment, sex and gender, but Issue 5 focuses (however ironically, given the name) on love. But not love in the Disney sense of the word.
“I really wanted to avoid boring heteronormative depictions of love so there are lots of features about family love and friendship,” explains Le Voguer Couyet, who dedicated the issue to Carlos Clarke’s newly born baby, River. “There are interviews with Help Refugees, Romance FC, and Objectum-Sexuality Internationale, a support and information group for people who form romantic relationships with inanimate objects.” The latter’s inclusion in the issue is something she’s especially proud of, citing their usual treatment by the press, who often ridicule or sensationalise them.
“There are some really beautiful paintings and drawings in this issue, too,” she continues. “From artists like Tristan Pigott, George Rouy, Hannah King, Arizona Smith, Darren Cullen, and Hayden Kays. It was also important to focus on the negative side of love and there are some great poems which really capture this.”
The result is a beautiful, lovingly put together zine which represents a tapestry of art, photography and poetry, embroidered with thought-provoking ideas about love in the 21st century. Free from adverts, products and any attempt to sell you something, it’s a very pure and enjoyable creation.
Hate Zine Issue 5 is out July 28. Pre-order a copy here and buy a ticket to the launch party here
