The whole area of preteen/tweenage media is pretty outside my usual areas of interest, and I did wonder when I got in touch with Vivien if she'd be a bit puzzled as to why the music editor of The F-Word was contacting her, as opposed to the features editor. The most recent pieces I'd done prior to that being the Rews album review and my anti-Donald Trump/pro loud female guitar rock playlist. If she did fail to see the connections, she was too polite to say so.
Really though, Kookie and it's origin story tie in with a long standing interest of mine in DIY magazines. Kookie is a crowdfunded startup that relies on a subscription base and does not take advertising, it's tagline is "Celebrating everything a girl can be", and it aims to showcase a complex and varied range of content and present a wide range of experiences and inspirational touchstones for preteen girls. Heroines for the modern age if you like.
Vivien and I talked about the lack of positive media around for preteen/tweenage girls and the importance of role models for young girls, amongst other things. What really came across was her frustration with the lack of decent magazines for young girls (her own daughters are teenagers now) and her strong desire to change the situation.
It was a very enjoyable interview to do and, while the finished piece has taken longer than I would have liked it to, I am very pleased with the piece.
Issue one of Kookie came out in December, and you can read my interview with Vivien on The F-Word.
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