I’m fascinated by the emerging trend of the magazine as a place of escape. These days the shelves are heaving with magazines that use print as a sanctuary, providing readers with peace by slowing down and relaxing into a more calming view of the world. The series of images build up to provide an anthropological look into Britain’s obsession with football, at every level of the game. It questions whether the country’s preeminent domestic cup competition still retains it’s magic, in the light of competition from top flight football leagues and the European cup competitions. Now on its eighth issue, Lodestars Anthology travels to New Zealand to produce a reflective instalment that is full of typically dreamy landscapes and panoramic images. Editor Liz Schaffer invites us into this issue by pressing readers to visit New Zealand, if not to soak in the dramatic scenery, then to support Kaikoura, a township well-known for its whale watching and coastlines, that was hit by an earthquake in November last year.

I think every place in the world has a little bit of magic about it – the special pull of the place. You see a lot of magazines at the moment, especially the ones with a travel focus, that are about looking deeper and realising that a place is more than a couple of fruity attractions and some architectural icons. It’s about the people and the stories and the history, and that makes travel all the more magical. There are also quite a few magazines around at the moment that take a positive look at what other start-ups are doing. That’s something I’ve found about starting up in general – I’ve spoken to editors on other independent magazines and everyone has been so supportive and willing to talk about their experience, the art of putting a magazine together and the dramas. That sense of community and support has been really lovely, and it was totally unexpected. She is currently researching and working on a long term project about Yerba Mate’s history, cultural significance, and modern cultivation in her home country, Argentina. Her objective is to bring awareness and document the strength among people whose lives depend on vulnerable situations, but reveals an optimistic and colourful view of the world.Hay-on-Wye, Fforest, Pembrokeshire, Gower Peninsula, Wye Valley, Brecon Beacons, Snowdonia, Portmeirion, Farmers’ Welsh Lavender, Dyfi Distillery, Old Lands, Palé Hall, Llŷn Peninsula, Ynys Enlli, Skomer, Cowy Details: Lodestars Anthology – Issue 14 (Wales) Lodestars Anthology is a beautiful independent travel magazine-come-journal that is practically made for leaving on the coffee table for ever. Each stunning issue is a dedicated guide to a different country, filled with photographs, articles and recommendations.

In the editor’s letter you describe a lodestar as something that can guide and inspire. Who are the readers you’ll be guiding and inspiring?

This is a magazine about Greece - a celebration of her myths, mountains and glittering seas. It contains glimpses of island life and odes to olives, and lashings of wildflowers, ruins, wilderness and awe . . . Despite having left years ago, the country fills me with contentment each and every time I return, something that up until just 12 months ago I could do without a second thought; jumping on a plane to visit family, celebrate special moments with friends, or simply to return home and reconnect with my roots. The Welsh proverb, Dod yn ôl at fy nghoed——meaning ‘to return to a balanced state of mind’——the perfect encapsulation of my sentiments. It’s anyone who has a passion for travel – anyone who wants to get out and really experience something authentic. We’re about really immersive travel, and presenting the culture, history and people that make up a place. We’ll be distributed in 13 countries to start, but the main ports are Australia, America and the UK. I really admired the quality and presentation of Lodestars Anthology, and really can’t wait to get my paws on the first issue (England), and promised further issues set in Italy and Australia. The sheer amount of research that’s gone into Scotland issue is impressive, and I can understand why the magazine has so far been biannual (I’ve got my fingers crossed that the 3rd issue will be appearing in September 2015 or before).

We’re possibly seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses, but I think it’s good for the soul to do that sometimes. We focus on beauty and positive stories, but then I think people read magazines as a form of escapism. We don’t have investigative journalism or political issues, but that was a very conscious choice – we decided to be positive and make that our version of authenticity. I’d like to believe the world is like that actually!This is our ode to Wales - a celebration of its soaring peaks and dazzling waters, its wilderness, song and lore. Venture here to walk in the footsteps of saints and ancient kings, and to explore landscapes - diverse, dramatic and sublime - destined to fill you with awe. You’ll cross paths with artists, poets and lavender farmers, feast on Welsh cakes and bara brith, wallow in the history, swim in the sea, hike hills, forage, revel and bask in the beauty. All the while knowing that here, there may well be dragons. There’s Anglesey, an island off the mainland’s northwestern coast, home to Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch, a village purported to have the longest place name in Europe; national parks such as Snowdonia, with the highest peaks in the United Kingdom outside of Scotland, and the Brecon Beacons, spanning some 1,340 square kilometres of Mid and South Wales; beautiful towns like Hay-on-Wye and Conwy; numerous castles, churches, bridges and historical monuments; contemporary art galleries and eccentric hidden gems; and cities, such as the country’s capital, Cardiff. And that’s just the beginning. Wales is infectious and inspiring, something captured in the latest edition of independent magazine, Lodestars Anthology. Basically, we’re a magazine-meets-journal all about place, travel and exploration, one you’ll ideally like to keep atop a coffee table. Or filled with scribblings and safely stored in your suitcase. Yeah I’ve been living here for four years and I haven’t lost that romantic feeling. Even in London, in the bustle of the city, I just find it so exciting and so different and exotic compared to the world I grew up in. I’m sure a sense of that awe and wonder is there in the magazine, and yes, I expect this first issue might sell better in places where England seems glorified and beautiful and far away. Independently published, distributed internationally and all set to explore the globe one country (or should that be one issue) at a time.