MEET THE TEAM
MIA MAXWELL
FOUNDER AND HEAD EDITOR
"I’m Mia and I founded FEM in 2017. I started FEM because of frustration from feeling under-represented, and feeling like those around me were even more so, by mainstream and even ‘young’ and ‘current’ ‘gen z’ media. FEM began when I still identified as a woman (I now identify as non-binary) and so as you can imagine that what ‘FEM’ means to me has changed a lot over the last years. Right now, my focus is diversifying media and spaces and FEM is a platform which nurtures these values. Our focus continues to be on intersectional stories and representing and hearing voices we don’t hear enough from in our community. We’re not aiming to educate the masses, but that would be nice. I’m more focussed on this platform as a space for each other to share our work, and for us to get excited about.
Something else to note about FEM is that we aim to be a dyslexic-friendly zine, and accessible space in general. I think we ignore disability in the ‘intersectional feminist’ and ‘queer’ community in London and this really needs to be one of the things at the forefront of conversation and participation. I myself have dyslexia and Borderline Personality Disorder and have felt some levels of frustration at my own ability to access things built and made in our communities. I really want FEM to be at the forefront of this conversation and that started with the pages of our zines and the online content being clearer for dyslexic readers. (If you have any other pointers at how we can increase accessibility please get in touch).
Some other important bits about me are that I’m a stylist who works predominantly with under-represented bodies in fashion. My aim is to get my clients looking like the most incredible pieces of high fashion art to say fuck you to the industry that ignores them. I want to show another way that fashion can exist, but most importantly, I want the amazing artists I work with to feel amazing in themselves and get the respect on set that they absolutely deserve. And that involves me turning up and making them look amazing.
I also host workshops involving zine making and discussion - trying to take URL conversations into IRL space. I have a love for the physical and love bringing our online community into face to face situations where possible.
I’m super grateful for the journey FEM has taken so far and can’t wait to see what else grows from this. Thanks so much for being a part of it and supporting us."
GEORGIA MITCHELL
FOUNDER OF FEM PRESS AND GENERAL EDITOR
"I’m Georgia and I joined FEM in 2017. I study literature, and joined FEM when it was only a zine to source and edit the written content, and to write myself. As the issues have gone on, I have realised I’m much more interested in editing and collating amazing work by writers and artists than publishing my own work. The function of FEM in general is to differ and defer from the voices we hear in mainstream media and make space for those we don’t hear as much from. At this stage, FEM is an amazing self-sustaining network that is inclusive by necessity; we don’t have to try hard to source content from voices that are marginalised by the mainstream as we have built an incredible network of creative people eager to make work and collaborate with us.
In 2018, I published a book by the amazing poetry collective 4 BROWN GIRLS WHO WRITE. When we started, the book was meant to be a beautiful single project that would be in print, as we had recently chosen to publish FEM Zine exclusively online. The success of the book and ideas for other projects have made FEM Press something I am running as a business under the FEM banner, which works for the same purpose as FEM: to differ and defer from the voices we are used to hearing."
KRYSTLE AMOO
FEATURES EDITOR
"Writing a synopsis about who I am has been harder than I had imagined! Reason being, I live many lives. The are many dimensions to myself, and I never really stopped to realise it before. I am a mother; I am the founder of @siku.store and @thebibioproject, a features editor at @femzinelondon… and most importantly I am an African woman. All of these cloaks I wear have been instrumental in bringing me out of depression; they keep me present in the now and have awaken me to realise that it’s not how you choose to use your time on this earth, but rather how have you impacted the world for the better. Everything I give my time to has a purpose, and I guess the one that currently holds the most responsibility is learning about what it means to be a black woman.
A few years back I decided to rekindle a deep love affair with myself, in its raw, unapologetic form. For the simple fact that we as black women frequently neglect our ability to self-love. Oblivious at times of the burdens we carry (not by choice); we walk through life broken and stressed, often internalising the imbalance by suffering in silence. What started out as being a personal journey of recovery, soon became a mission to reclaim my softness as an African woman. I realised that in order to save myself, I had to understand the political and social catalysts that were depriving me of healing. This illness was bigger than me and although without a label for this sickness, it became apparent that other black women around me existed undiagnosed. I want to be actively involved in bringing awareness to the struggles we as black women face; I cannot speak in absolutes, so therefore I choose to document my experiences, and be that platform for our stories to be told. I wouldn't call myself a writer; I am just an African woman who is "sick and tired of being sick and tired!" These words I write are an extension of my mind, body and soul - a celebration (for better and for worse) of my blackness and magic...and an ode to my black sisters."