All About Stranger

Launched in September 2004, Stranger was an award-winning bimonthly youth lifestyle publication offering a dynamic new perspective: a flavour of life in Britain today that didn't just revolve around the nation's capital. The magazine tuned into the alternative and creative side of our culture, presenting a mix of music, film, environment, current affairs, surf, skate and fashion tied together by a distinctive visual style.

Originally aiming to shine a spotlight on Cornwall's talent and encourage young people to stay in the county, Stranger's popularity led to the magazine being distributed across the UK through Borders bookshops and over 200 other independent outlets.

After 16 issues, the last printed edition of the magazine was published in August 2007. Stranger continues to publish features, reviews and news on this website, as well as one-off print projects such as the September book and  LICK, a special zine produced to coincide with the Board Shorts surf and skate film event at the Cornwall Film Festival. The Stranger team also can't resist putting on special events and parties every now and then - watch this space!

Stranger also lives on through Stranger Collective, its creative services and copywriting agency. We edit websites, festival programmes and e-newsletters for the likes of Port Eliot Festival and iTunes; write travel, music and culture features for publications like Time Out, the Observer, and Arise magazine (recent commissions have seen us cycling around the Anti Atlas mountains in Morocco and travelling to Timbuktu in Mali to cover a music festival in the middle of the Sahara desert); write engaging web content and marketing materials for international corporate clients like Telstra International, Guava, TMA Worldwide and DX Group; provide editorial consultancy services and write prospectuses and brochures for University College Falmouth, Combined Universities in Cornwall and the University of Exeter; interview leading doctors and academics for annual reports for the NHS; and work on numerous other projects for The Design Council, ShelterBox, Sony BMG, BMI Baby, Future Publishing, Saab, and the Eden Project amongst many others.

Helen Gilchrist, Editorial Director
Previously a freelance journalist living in London and working for the likes of Time Out, Adrenalin magazine, The Observer, The Guardian, and The Independent, Helen came up with the idea for Stranger in August 2003 and moved back down to Cornwall in May 2004, working throughout that summer to secure start-up funding (loans from Objective One and The Prince's Trust), advertising, and editorial content for issue one, which finally launched in September 2004.

After successfully editing the magazine for three and a half years - liaising with and commissioning freelance writers, illustrators, photographers and designers all over the UK and further afield, managing marketing, distribution, advertising and sponsorship strategies and organising Stranger's music events and parties (like the Stranger Speakeasy and four Stranger snowboarding trips) - she now heads up Stranger Collective. In her spare time, Helen is a Response Team member for international disaster relief charity ShelterBox, a board member at the Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society (aka 'the Poly' – Falmouth's arts, culture, science and innovation centre) and loves surfing, cycling, photography, attempting to throw clay pots and dancing to funk, old school hip hop and even Charleston (has to be seen to be believed).

Kirsty Wood, Creative Producer
Stranger Collective’s newest team member and recent homecomer to Cornwall, Kirsty has been producing campaigns and working with some of the world’s best designers and creative thinkers for the past nine years. After starting her career in the TV industry (where she produced commercials for international clients such as Universal Films, Momentum Pictures and Dior Fragrances, as well as dramas and the odd music video), a five-year stint in sunny Australia saw her move into the world of advertising.

Managing the design and production of online, print, TV and radio campaigns and events for the likes of Nike, Perrier, Flip Video, V05, TRESemme and Mitsubishi, she also guided a team to completely re-brand Australia’s biggest bank, the Commonwealth Bank – which lead to her agency, BMF, winning Australia’s Agency of the Decade. Kirsty is a planning person; she’ll manage timescales, suppliers, budgets and resources with care and ease – from events to flyers, magazines to stickers, art installations to badges, she can roll her sleeves up and get it done...she’s even been known to hold a casting for a litter of piglets! Outside the office, she loves cooking, volunteering (she just spent three months in Cameroon), drinking bubbly, fancy dress parties and hip hop dance classes (despite the mockery, she’s not exactly ‘urban’!)

Clare Howdle, Senior Editor and Writer
Clare is an original and exciting writer, editor and communications consultant with an eye for a good story. As well as being deputy editor of Stranger magazine from its inception in 2004, she has written for a variety of surf and lifestyle publications and crafted crisp, finely tuned print and online copy for a range of clients from The Discovery Channel and the Met Office to the NSPCC and University College Falmouth. She has also put her way with words to good use leading on creative campaigns and film projects for Effervescent Theatre, the NHS and The Works, to name just a few.

For the past three years, Clare has also been working with the Real Ideas Organisation (RIO) providing communications consultancy to help them build a fresh new tone of voice, brand and website. Her work at RIO also involves helping young people and new social enterprise ventures realise their creative potential, identifying and drawing on appropriate resources, connections, skills and opportunities to help their projects really fly. Clare also founded and runs Telltales, a literary showcase which profiles talent from across the writing spectrum in performance and in print. Telltales' first publication, The Parabola Project is also out now and available via the Stranger Shop.

Luke Friend, Senior Writer
As well as three years working with Stranger Collective on projects for Port Eliot Festival, iTunes, Guava, the NHS, DX Group and University College Falmouth, Luke has written for a diverse range of magazines including Total Film, Golf World, i-D, Stranger and Transworld Skateboarding, covering personalities ranging from Spike Lee to Tiger Woods - with a four-year stint as a book editor sandwiched in between. He's also the founder of Holy Water, a creative platform for contemporary artists, an endeavour which has so far seen the publication of two art books - Things I Don't Remember by Andrew Pommier and Beach Glass: A collection of photographs by Bob Kronbauer, as well as a range of limited t-shirts. Manchester United Football Club serves as a constant distraction to his daily life.

Lotte Mahon, Marketing Wizard
As a marketing specialist running her own boutique marketing and PR agency, The Vine, for creative businesses and lifestyle brands, Lotte has worked on national marketing strategies for Port Eliot Festival, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Rockarchive.com and Living Space Architects amongst many others. Previously Assistant Publisher at Stranger magazine, Lotte has years of experience in advertising and sponsorship, magazine publishing and distribution, and public relations - and Stranger Collective enjoys a close working relationship and frequent collaborations with The Vine.

In recent years Lotte has focused on the rapid changes in the media. Having worked for one of Europe's largest digital marketing agencies, she has a solid understanding of online PR and social media marketing and devises creative campaigns to harness the power of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube et al to build valuable customer relationships. She has secured coverage for her clients in national publications ranging from The Independent to Woman's Own and is also an experienced advertising planner. With a wealth of contacts and a solid understanding of all things media, Lotte delivers creative thinking and a professional service in an approachable fashion and enjoys working collaboratively with clients, web developers, copywriters and graphic designers.