A Personal Welcome to The Luminaries Magazine, from Editor AJ

Happy Sunday to our new readers and those of you who have subscribed in recent months,

Welcome to the charismatic realm of The Luminaries Magazine. When the kind of magazine I wanted to write for no longer existed, I knew I had to be daring and dream it up!   We are a thoroughly independent, people-powered slow arts and culture magazine for the discerning reader in search of great journalism, intelligent escapism, fun, inspiration and a real sense of community.

After two decades working for national newspapers in the UK, including almost a decade at The London Times, interviewing cultural icons across film, tv, fashion and gastronomy - I wanted to be able to write great stories without being told what to do or to ask personal questions of very famous people.

Hi Girl Friday - A Brilliant Film About Journalism Starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell

Above all, I wanted to write about people, film, fashion and real food for the sheer joy of telling stories in long and short-form journalism and our new live and recorded culture show, free of corporate vested interests.

Read our mission statement here - https://www.theluminariesmagazine.com/support-the-luminaries-magazine-as-a-founding-member-for-cultural-and-social-impact-journalism-and-storytelling/

In 2014 I launched the first iteration of this magazine -  Ethical Hedonist, a culture magazine covering the arts and sustainable ideas with a sense of glamour and aspiration. After losing a grant from the EU due to Brexit, and missing my passion for film and drama journalism, I decided to relaunch and focus more on arts and culture journalism once again and turn Ethical Hedonist into our slow food, wine, travel and health section. I hope you love the result. My aim is to delight you, to be informative and to create journalism that remains gloriously free of hidden vested interests.

We don't follow the herd or pay much attention to pr press releases unless they are from a tiny company making wildcrafted drinks in the Hebrides, a film I have to review or a singer using his voice and talent to highlight the plight of Lebanon. We find our own stories.

Below are seventeen selected pieces of journalism for you to enjoy from the magazine and we hope you will seriously consider supporting the magazine to help us to thrive and flourish.

So far, we have survived on tiny grants, the live and ticked culture show, crowdfunding and selling my iconic storytelling skills to responsible, artisan and ethical businesses in the form of sponsored storytelling projects. We also have a storytelling club for brands. Read about it here - https://www.theluminariesmagazine.com/responsible-luxury-storytelling/

Brexit and Covid have made life extraordinarily challenging for this small magazine. We are now growing our reader subscriptions and need many more. For the price of two cups of good coffee per month, you could become our next supporter.

I am always happy to hear from readers, email me - theluminariesmagazine@gmail.com

With Warmest Wishes,

Alison Jane, Founder, Editor and J0urnalist Extraordinaire

Luminary Journalism and Storytelling

Icons of Style: The Bow is Back in Film, Fashion and The Resistance!
The Bow is back. Film and fashion journalist Alison Jane Reid explores the power of the bow in film, fashion, war and politics. Don’t miss our competition to win a silk Pussycat bow blouse as worn by Olivia Coleman, Cush Jumbo and Emilia Fox.
Happy Birthday Cary Grant, Suave Prince of Hollywood
Happy Birthday Cary Grant. Arts and film journalist Alison Jane Reid pays tribute to Hollywood’s greatest leading man who exuded a brilliant duality in life and on screen.
Magic Film, Drama and Radio Review: Steve McQueen and Natalie Wood in Love with the Proper Stranger, Impeachment, Things We Forgot to Remember
Love with The Proper Stranger - Classic Film of the Month Love with The Proper Stranger is an extraordinary and important film in any era, let alone 1963. It stars Natalie Wood and the prince of cool Steve McQueen as two people who have a one night stand after a
The Magic Film, Drama and Radio Review - Ten Things I Hate About You, Sex Education 3, James Bond, Hania Rani and More
Ten Things I Hate About You starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles is the definitive coming of age rom-com that has also inspired the hit Netflix drama Sex Education writes journalist Alison Jane Reid. AJ also reviews the James Bond soundtracks on BBC Sounds, Hania Rani and Somethings Gotta Give.
From The Graduate to The Witches of Eastwick and Richard 111, Meet Angela Cobbin, Queen of Wigs for Film, Opera, Broadway and the West End!
My Name is Not Wigs, a book extract from Angela Cobbin, wig-maker extraordinaire to Broadway offering an intimate glimpse behind the stage door with the greatest actors of our times from Helen Mirren to Woody Harrelson.
Chocolate, Food of the Gods Medicine and All its Secrets!
The Secret Life of Chocolate - an extract from the book on chocolate and its medicinal benefits by Marcus Patchett that deserves to become the chocolate, food as medicine bible.
John Simpson Gala Interview
John Simpson CBE talks to Journalist Alison Jane Reid about his life, work and passions. From Casablanca to a good single malt whisky and dictators to climbing the rooftops of St Paul’s Boys’ School in London.
Talking Fashion & Fabric Revolution at the V & A Museum, London | Ethical Hedonist TV
In this documentary-style fashion interview, journalist and sustainable fashion expert, Alison Jane Reid talks to curator Edwina Ehrman about the relationship between fashion and nature and fashion innovation at the museum’s Fashioned from Nature Exhibition. Nature is a constant source of inspiratio…
Interview: Sarah Angliss On Composing Chillingly Beautiful Music for Horror Film Amulet
Award-winning composer Sarah Angliss talks to the Luminaries editor, journalist Alison Jane Reid about her multi-layered music for Romola Garai’s horror film Amulet.
Luminary Interview: Emeli Sande Talking Music, Culture, Slow Fashion and Maria Callas with AJ!
Emeli Sande talks to journalist Alison Jane Reid about slow fashion, living in the age of climate change, cultural identity and her love for the music of Maria Callas - La Divina.
The Sanditon Review - Sex, Sandcastles & Love Undone!
The admired Sanditon long-form review by leading British arts and culture journalist Alison Jane Reid, founder of The Luminaries Magazine. AJ perfected her feature writing skills during a decade at The Times Magazine writing about cultural icons, fashion and food.
Hedy Lamarr - A Galaxy of Stars for a Film Goddess and the Inventor of Frequency Hopping
Hedy Lamarr, inventor and film goddess was born in November 1914. Alison Jane Reid celebrates her mind as the inventor of frequency hopping and we explore how to emulate her image as a Hollywood icon of golden age style in suitably starstruck fashion.
The Luminaries Magazine Live from the Ventnor Botanic Garden with Britt Rentschler, Chef Brad Roe and Carl Honore
Journalist Alison Jane Reid Presents a live magazine culture show from The Ventnor Botanic Garden, with guests Carl Honore, chef Brad Roe and Hollywood actress Britt Rentschler.
Organic Farm Box Schemes
A feature on top organic farm shops that sell and deliver their own organic, grass-fed meat, vegetables and dairy products.
Katherine Priddy, The Luminary Interview
Katherine Priddy, singer-songwriter extraordinaire talks in-depth to arts and culture journalist Alison Jane Reid about her remarkable journey from making music in her bedroom to The London Palladium and why she is so proud to come from Birmingham.
The Magical Apothecary for Gut Health
Digestive health is the foundation of good health. Medical Herbalist Amaia Dadachanji looks at exciting, delicious ways to love and pamper our gut with medicinal herbs, plants and flowers.
A Frittata, The Bishop’s Wife and a Glass Of Organic Terre di Faiano
An organic frittata, a classic Cary Grant movie and a glass of organic red wine. Journalist Alison Jane celebrates the good life, with the real Mediterranean food diet inspired by Dr Aseem Malhotra and food for metabolic health and immunity.