Conteu Magazine was launched in 2015. Kindled from the French word 'raconteur', meaning storyteller, Conteu (pronounced kon-terr) is a collection of stories about slow living, that support a more meaningful lifestyle, and that celebrate the makers, honour the thinkers and inspire the adventurers.
“Just like the online issues, the print edition will have a mixture of storytelling formats including photo essays, illustrations, recipes and copy produced by South African creatives… We wanted to create a publication that showcases the wealth of South African creativity.
“Our hope is that it shapes your day and resonates with your soul… Our hope is that it won’t be a magazine that becomes stale within a week or month, but can be re-read over a number of years.”
Here, Chloé and Megan tell us more about their journey towards print, and how others that believe in the project can help #PrintConteu.
What gave you the idea to start a magazine, and when was this?We had a chance encounter about two years ago which led us into a conversation about starting a magazine… quite surreal actually. This was something we had both been considering separately as a result of our frustration of being unable to find local authentic content we related with. So, after a year of conversations, dreaming a mixture of naivety and a ‘let’s do this’ type of attitude, we finally launched the first online issue in 2015.
Who else is behind it?The Conteu Magazine team is made up of two founders and editors (Chloe and Megan), a graphic designer (Jonny), web developer (Matt) and assistant editor (Rachel). The magazine would also not exist without the amazing South African creatives who have given their time and talents so graciously.
The magazine is currently a passion project with no salary being drawn, and something you enjoy working on in your spare time.Each issue requires a lot of work. From brainstorming and sourcing stories that we find inspiring, connecting with storytellers, editing and then organising a launch where readers can connect with the stories tangibly. The print initiative has added a whole nother (and complex) layer to the process with budgets, printing costs and organising the crowdfunding campaign.
Our readers are people who are passionate about life in all its forms: the silent reflective moments, the creative moments of inspiration to the spontaneous weekend adventures with friends. They value community as much as we do, and are independent thinkers that are open to simplifying their lives in order to amplify the value of life.
The (*96 page) special print edition will be a collection of our favourite stories from past issues along with stories from our new issue, PLAY. Just like the online issues, the print edition will have a mixture of storytelling formats including photo essays, illustrations, recipes and copy produced by South African creatives.
*still in the process of putting it all together, so length may change
Comment on your journey towards print.
We are taking one step at a time at the moment and so have not yet finalised the launch. But without giving too much away we are thinking flower dyed fabric, delicious celebration cakes, a little bit of bubbly and the opportunity to really engage with our community.
You’ve just launched an online crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo and still need $4,041 to reach your target of $5,000 to help take Conteu from screen to print. What is your encouragement to supporters and potential backers?Supporting local, no matter the industry, is always a good idea. But more than that we hope that potential backers will join us in creating a space to showcase and celebrate South African creatives. There are so many more stories we want to tell, creatives we want to collaborate with and events we want to host to celebrate and add value to our communities.
Conteu's special print edition is available for pre-order over the next 14 days on Indiegogo. Help #PrintConteu by pre-ordering a copy and sharing this story or the campaign on social media.
What are the additional perks to making a financial contribution?We've partnered with some incredible creatives like Dayfeels, a Cape Town illustrator, who is creating some beautiful postcards (bring on the joy of writing letters). We've also partnered with Kin Culture, a shop in Cape Town that designs with humanity in mind, who is producing premium totes for us.
Why do you believe in Conteu, and why do you hope others will too?Simply, we believe in three things. We like creativity, we want to celebrate it locally, and we want to share authentic stories for the makers, thinkers and adventurers. If we can add value in this small way, telling just a fraction of the incredible stories that are in this country, then we're happy. And we think there are others who believe in that vision too. To be honest we're still learning and figuring out this process as we go. We're not perfect but imperfection is a beautiful thing.
