New Philosopher’s Australian operation to launch women’s magazine Womankind
The Australian publishers of New Philosopher are to launch a sister title called Womankind, aimed at “all women” who are not being catered for in the current market of celebrity and gossip driven women’s magazines.
The Bull Publishing yesterday launched the new quarterly magazine which will be edited by Antonia Case, who is currently literary editor of New Philosopher.
“When you get into the newsagents you see the magazines that my grandma used to read – on diet tips, celebrities, etc. Why hasn’t publishing changed over the years?” Case told Mumbrella.
“Why don’t they reflect the very intelligent and worldly women, who travel, who live in different countries etc? These magazines haven’t moved.”
Case argues that Womankind will cater to a broad demographic of woman who are looking for a better understanding of the world around them.
“I think most woman are intelligent, we all go through school, and this is for all women and for all ages. I think it would be great if a 16 year old could pick up the magazine,” she said.
“We are bringing the best ideas we can from philosophy, sociology and economics, if we have to, to explain the world and your place in it.”
Unlike The New Philosopher which launched last year in Australia the new publication will be less academic but will take ideas and insights from various academic schools.
“It’s not academic,” said Case. “If you look at the new magazine we have an author writing, we have a lot of art, we have a story about how can you grow butterflies, there is a piece about why do we all work so much.
“It touches all different types of issues but in a useful and insightful way.”
Womankind will be on sale in more than 3,000 newsagents and will print more than 20,000 copies on its first run.
Nic Christensen
At last. Bravo and good luck.
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My co worker said, ‘we’ll that won’t work’, women WANT the gossip magazines that’s why they sell. I think he is right. A thinking woman’s magazine, I don’t think so!
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Ben, crawl back into your hole.
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Finally! Cannot wait to grab my copy.
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Not much thought in that comment Mandariin, I can see you won’t be wasting your money to buy it !
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It won’t sell and will likely close after a few issues. Magazines such as New Idea and Woman’s Day shift copies because of the gossip, not because of any philosophical content.
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Ben, I’ll disagree with your assessment. I picked up a copy of Womankind for my wife on Monday precisely because she did want it. This would be the first magazine not related to crafts that she had demonstrated any interest in, in twelve years of marriage. There is a market for a thinking woman’s magazine and it’s high time that it was catered to.
Both The New Philosopher and Womankind are beautiful products and the content — if Womankind holds up to the standard being set by its sibling magazine — is thoughtful, articulate and thought provoking. More power to their arm by being advertising free as well.
It may not be something that every woman might want to read, but hopefully the broadly anti-intellectual society we have in Australia still has enough women (and men) that this magazine finds its place.
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If this were EHarmony I think Ben and Germaine would be a good match.
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GREAT magazine. I already subscribe to New Philosopher and have just added Womankind to the mix. I hope they can maintain their ad free environment. Great content and lovely design.
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Ben and Germaine: Silly talk. I’m not a magazine-type reader … but I look forward to picking up a copy of this one.
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I was going to send a link to this article to friends overseas, telling them about this new magazine. After reading some of these comments, I won’t. It would only reinforce the stereotypical view of Aussies being backward yobs!
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LOL Ben! Thank you for proving the point! I agree that this magazine fills a deep hole in publishing that many are, possibly, too ignorant to consider it worthy of attention. Womanknd magazine is a breath of fresh air. I fell in love from page one, and after sharing it with my many women friends via Facebook, I’m not alone in my adour.
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I saw the poster for the magazine today and I was so impressed by this thinking and aware magazine that I bought a copy immediately. I then jumped online to subscribed. I was beginning to believe that I was the only woman remaining in this nation with a functioning brain … i.e. not brainwashed into thinking my role in life as a silent compliant sexual servant to men. I do not buy the regular magazines that promote women as shallow consumers all superficially wanting to become easy objects for men, or other women as like media is steering current common social trends. Mature women use the remainder of their brains and social character, operating far beyond the more primal juvenile superficial levels of catwalks, hand bags, heels, make-up and lowering themselves to focusing only to flirting to the testosterone culture of males … who like to limit women only to the narrow perspective of the most mediocre urges of men’s play. This magazine is sound reading and is comfort for all women who want to choose who they become and to say “no” to the current trashy social trend – to squash girls from becoming real women. This magazine reminds us all that we should be respected, without exception, and should have more choices and support, always. We women have a very long way to go yet until our rights as women in this nation move towards equality. We are still the puppets of the male psyche and i see this mag as a catalyst for shifting towards wider consciousness and a better balance. Well done Womankind.
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I picked up a copy yesterday, was drawn to it by the great cover illustration. Having scanned many of the pages and read the lead-ins I decided it was something both I (in my 60’s, still growing, learning and loving) and my 30 year old daughter (who surprises me with her differences and similarities to myself and who is at the cusp of feeling out new directions but in the need of intelligent and thoughtful examples and influences) will find inspirational. I am relieved and excited. We will subscribe and read this issue from cover to cover. The support of artists, photographers and journalists and the showcasing of high quality results in all areas is heartening. I usually feel drained and purposeless from general gossip mags Womankind will feed and not fry my brain! (hope a similar mag is in the pipeline for men) thank you to all who worked on this issue.
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Bought a copy yesterday and I love it. Since gone online and obtained a subscription. Wonderful to see a book that both celebrates women and inspires us as well. Great job womankind xxx
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I surprised that this market wasn’t cornered ages ago. Like MillyMolly and Ella, I’m also frustrated by the plethora of mediocre, dumb mags out there pandering to an over-represented section of Australian society. We are not all uneducated, uncultured, cashed-up bogans. Australian society is more complex and layered than that, and publications such as Womankind (and NewPhilosopher) do an important job of promoting that. Well done!
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Not at all surprised that Womankind has been well-received. We have been supplying
Philosophy Now (A Magazine of Ideas) to Australia for the past 20 years; through the newstrade and by direct subscription. It is one of our strongest markets. No lack of intellectual curiosity there!
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My friend told me about this magazine thinking I would like it as I so often criticize the mindless articles in the ‘trashy’ magazines that make my blood boil sometimes with the ridiculous emphasis on beauty, gossip and ‘personalities’.
Raising confident girls is hard enough without this constant dribble of who’s doing what with whose partner and why woman need improving.
Thanks for providing this much longed for magazine which I have read cover to cover and I am telling everyone of my friends about it. I love the artwork in it and looks like you have a great team of writers on board. I look forward to the next edition.
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