Ernest Journal: Collector's Edition campaign

Aim: We are raising money to print a Collector’s Edition of the sold out and much sought after first issue of Ernest.

We are raising money to reprint issue one of Ernest, which sold out seven years ago. More about that in a moment, but first, let me introduce you to Ernest…

Ernest is a journal for enquiring minds. It is made for those who value surprising and meandering journeys, fuelled by curiosity rather than adrenaline and guided by chance encounters. It is a place for wild ideas and curious artefacts, filled with tales of pioneers, invention and human obsession. 

(Left to right: editor Jo Tinsley, art director Tina Hobson and deputy editor Abi Whyte. Photo by Jim Marsden).

We’ve been publishing Ernest since 2014 but last year, like so many independent publishers, we came up against a whole host of challenges. While the whole world paused, the brand partnerships that sustain our journal alongside magazine sales were, understandably, postponed. 

Fortunately, our wonderful community rallied round and helped us to raise almost £15,000 so that we could bring out our 10th edition. 

Thanks to your overwhelming support, we’ve since gone on to publish issue 11.

But the effects of the pandemic rumble on and we now find ourselves in a more precarious position than ever. We took a gamble on the postponed brand partnerships going ahead in 2021 and dug into our Bounce Back Loan to bridge the gap. Unfortunately, it hasn't been possible to move forward on either partnership, and so the future of Ernest is, once again, hanging in the balance. The difficult truth is... we need to raise £20,000 before the end of the year in order to continue publishing Ernest in 2022. 

Which leads me back to that much sought after issue one!

Earlier this year, we launched a survey asking our readers for their thoughts on the future of Ernest. We had an incredible response, with almost 500 people sharing ideas on everything from font size to digital editions to diversity of voices. One of the clearest messages to come across is that what people really, really want is a copy of issue one to add to their collection – with 60% of you asking us to re-print our first edition. 

And so we’ve decided to do it! To print a special Collector’s Edition of issue one, with a subtle matte silver foil on the cover, no advertising and an extra 8-page feature celebrating seven years of publishing Ernest.

We’ll keep everything else just as it should be, so you can look forward to stories about nautical slang, recipes from the Antarctic, a history of forks, the remarkable life of Nikola Tesla,  sea monsters of the northern seas, the bizarre tale of plumber turned mystic Dr Lobsang Rampa, a history of backpacks, slow coffee, wild beer and an epic journey from the heart of Iceland to the North Atlantic. 

Our rewards

We’ve kept to the ‘Collector’s Edition’ theme with our rewards, working with some of our most valued contributors and partners to bring you limited edition prints and one-of-a-kind product collaborations. 

You can also sign up to become an Ernest patron, to play an important part in our future – and we have some very special gifts for those of you who would like to share in our journey in this way. 

Pledge £10 or more

Collector’s edition of issue one – £20 | Bag yourself a copy of the much sought after issue one, originally published in 2014. Reprinted with a matte silver foil on the cover, no advertising and an extra 8-page feature celebrating seven years of publishing Ernest. (Limited: 1,500 available).

**SOLD OUT** The Grounded book bundle – £22 | A copy of Ruth Allen's book Grounded plus a back issue of Ernest*. Counsellor and eco-psychotherapist Ruth is a longstanding contributor to Ernest, and in her book Grounded she explores how we can therapeutically benefit from a deeper connection with nature, finding within it balance, stillness, solitude, resilience, contentment, activity, fearlessness – and our own wild voice. (Limited: 5 available). *Excludes issues 1, 2 and 8.

Pledge £25 or more

Subscribe for two issues – £25 | Subscribe to Ernest to help secure the future of our independent journal and get issues 11 and 12 delivered to your door.

Collector's Edition of issue one (signed) – £25 | A special copy of our Collector's Edition of issue one, signed by the Ernest team and printed with a matte silver foil, no advertising and an extra 8-page feature celebrating seven years of publishing Ernest. (Limited: 100 available). 

'Embrace the seasons' gift set – £25 | Treat yourself to a Homework Avocado Shampoo Bar, Pink Clay Soap Bar plus a copy of Ernest* courtesy of Quarters Home, who curate thoughtful gifts and homewares inspired by the seasons. (Limited: 12 available). *Excludes issues 1, 2 and 8. UK shipping only. 

The Technature gift set – £30 | A set of six 'technature' gift cards plus two back issues of Ernest*, courtesy of Lewes Map Store, an online purveyor of beautiful curated gifts for your home. This set of greeting cards features the first three botanical drawings from Lewes Map Store’s ‘Technature’ range; ‘Acorn’, ‘Sycamore Seed’ and ‘Horse Chestnut’, pencil-drawn by Sussex artist Malcolm Trollope-Davis. The set includes two of each designs and is printed on FSC approved paper. (Limited: 15 available). *Excludes issues 1, 2 and 8. Free UK shipping. 

The discovery pack – £35 | Four back issues of your choice*. The ideal gift to introduce a friend to Ernest or a chance to complete your collection. *Excludes issues 1, 2 and 8.

The Lifeboat Station Project gift set – £30 | A set of 12 limited edition postcards marking the first five years of Jack Lowe's incredible project to photograph 238 RNLI Lifeboat Stations on glass. Plus a 'with courage' keyring and a copy of issue five* of Ernest, which features Jack a year into his project. (Limited: 15 available). *If you already have issue five, you can choose a different back issue, apart from issues 1, 2 and 8. UK shipping only. 

The wilder gift set – £35 | Three pocket notebooks, one A5 notebook, a Wilder. pencil plus a copy of Ernest.* Wilder. strives to encourage more people to unplug from our hyper-connected world and experience the joy of putting pencil to paper with their beautiful range of stationery. The notebooks are made from buttery smooth FSC-approved paper produced by one of Britain’s last remaining mills. (Limited: 21 available). *Excludes issues 1, 2 and 8.

Mapping Antarctic Women poster – £40 | A map of Antarctica charted by humanitarian Carol Devine to shine a light on female place names. For issue seven of Ernest, Carol shared the story of her mission to compile a list of female place names in Antarctica – some old, some new, some lost to a rapidly changing climate – and chart them on a new map of the frozen continent. Illustrator Aidan Meighan created this incredible map to accompany her research, now available for the first time as a limited-edition poster. (Limited: 200 available). We are printing 100 posters in the UK and 100 posters in Canada for ease of shipping. 

Mountain of Gravitas print set – £40 | For issue four of Ernest, Simon Ingram wrote about scientist Nevil Maskelyne who decided to use Schiehallion, in the Scottish Highlands, to work out the weight of the world. Ruth Allen created a trio of drawings to accompany Simon’s words, available for the first time as a limited edition set. Each print is A5.   

Subscribe for four issues – £40 | Subscribe to Ernest to help secure the future of our independent journal and get issues 11-14 delivered to your door. 

Pledge £50 or more

A dose of curiosity – £50 | A glass apothecary bottle etched by our friends at [Vinegar & Brown Paper], to remind you to always indulge your curiosity. Under the guise of [Vinegar & Brown Paper], Andy Poplar has spent the last 10 years taking iconic items of glassware and bringing them to life with tools of wit, wordplay and a slightly askew way of looking at things. This limited edition Ernest apothecary bottle has an airtight stopper, so is perfect for storing all kinds of liquids (like gin, for example). (Limited: 10 available). UK shipping only.

The seaweed adventure bottle – £50 | A bespoke, leather-wrapped and fully insulated water bottle engraved with seaweed illustrations, inspired by Ernst Haeckel’s illustrations and made by our friends at Hôrd. In 1904, zoologist Ernst Haeckel wrote and illustrated Kunstformen der Natur (Artforms of Nature) – a book filled with geometric shapes and natural forms. Inspired by Haeckel, Ernest's art director Tina Hobson designed this seaweed motif, which Hôrd have engraved onto their leather-wrapped insulated water bottles. The leather has been hand-dyed to match Ernest’s signature colours. (Limited: 10 available). UK shipping only.

The expedition pack – £75 | Eight back issues of Ernest*. An ideal gift to introduce your friends and family to the journal or to complete your collection. Excluding issue 1, 2 and 8.  

Britain's immortal trees wood print – £90 | Robin Mackenzie’s wood engraved yew trees from issue eight, hand-printed from the original blocks. For issue 8 of Ernest, photographer Dan Cook explored the curious history of a tree that resides in the churchyards of Britain and is capable of surviving across millennia. Artist Robin Mackenzie illustrated a series of iconic yews and yew forests to accompany Dan’s words, now available as limited edition prints, hand-printed from the original blocks. (Limited: 50 available).

**SOLD OUT** The Forest Roll – £90 | A limited edition Forest Roll by our friends at Moorswood. Only five ever made. A new addition to Moorswood’s collection of Field Rugs, Forest Rolls are designed for a forest bathe (or woodland snooze), but work equally well as a small natural fibre picnic mat for sharing. These limited edition rolls are edged with denim offcuts from Hiut Denim Co, so will age beautifully – like your favourite pair of jeans! (limited: 5 available). UK shipping only. 

Pledge £100 or more

Limited edition Brighton Map – £190 | A limited edition Brighton Map plus a back issue of your choosing, courtesy of Lewes Map Store. Artist and co-founder of Lewes Map Store, Malcolm Trollope Davis hand-drew this manuscript style of map of Brighton & Hove; a project that took a year to complete and involved extensive research of points of interest in and around central Brighton. This entertaining visual art is now available as limited edition signed A0 print. (Limited: 1 available).

'Longhope Old RNLI Boathouse View' limited edition print by Jack Lowe plus two copies of Ernest – £200 | Jack Lowe's photographs of lifeboat station slipways – which form part of his eight-year mission to capture all 238 RNLI lifeboat stations using an early Victorian process known as wet collodion – are remarkable for many reasons. These images not only document the view faced by volunteers as they launch into unpredictable seas, they also capture the very waters the crews are striving to protect. In the case of the Longhope slipway (pictured), it's also a stark reminder of the risk RNLI crews take every time they set out to sea, as this Orkney lifeboat station suffered one of the worst tragedies in British lifeboat history on 17 March 1969. This very special reward includes a limited edition print of Longhope slipway, together with two back issues of Ernest*. (Limited: 5 available). *Excludes issues 1, 2 and 8.

Become an Ernest patron 

For those of you who have expressed an interest in becoming an Ernest patron, we are now offering three levels in which you can pledge your support. 

Become an Ernest patron (level one) – £250 | Help secure and shape the future of our indie magazine by becoming an Ernest patron. As well as the knowledge that you are helping the journal to thrive through difficult times, you will receive a lifetime subscription, a thank you in the Collector's Edition (unless you choose to remain anonymous), plus a lithographic print of the cover. You will also have the opportunity to contribute to conversations about the future of the journal.

Become an Ernest patron (level two) – £500 | Help secure and shape the future of our indie magazine by becoming an Ernest patron. As well as the knowledge that you are helping the journal to thrive through difficult times, you will receive a lifetime subscription, a thank you in the Collector's Edition (unless you choose to remain anonymous), plus a framed aluminium plate of the cover. You will also have the opportunity to contribute to conversations about the future of the journal.

Become an Ernest patron (level three), plus a VERY special gift – £1,000 | Help secure and shape the future of our indie journal by becoming an Ernest patron. As well as a lifetime subscription and a heartfelt thank you in the Collector's Edition (unless you choose to remain anonymous), we will frame the four CMYK aluminium cover plates from issue one as a distinctive and extra special gift. You will also have the opportunity to contribute to conversations about the future of the journal. Thank you so much for your generous support!

Where will the money go? 

All of the money raised will contribute towards either reprinting issue one, our costs related to creating and distributing the rewards or securing the future of our independent magazine. It will cost £5,000 to print 1,500 copies of our Collector's Edition. We will also need to pay for packaging and postage, plus a fee/donation to the illustrators, photographers and researchers who have kindly given their permission for us to include their artwork in this campaign. 

What happens if you don't raise the full amount?

We need to raise £20,000 to continue publishing Ernest in 2022. If we raise less than this amount, we will still reprint issue one and fulfil all of the rewards as promised. We will then carefully consider our future to access whether we can continue as an annual printed publication, pause publishing until we can work out a new way of funding the journal or, sadly, close the magazine. We will keep readers informed and involved in our decision. 

Will you also reprint issue 2 and 8, which are sold out?

To address the most frequently asked question in response to our campaign, the answer is... possibly. It costs around £5,000 to reprint an issue, meaning we would need to ensure we could get at least 500 pre-orders of issue 2 and 8 to make this viable. If our Collector's Edition campaign goes well then we will ask our community if this is something they would like us to do. 

Our mission

In our editor’s letter back in 2014, we set out our mission statement… to create a magazine that is “collaborative, down-to-earth and driven by genuine curiosity; a thoughtful yet playful journal that inspires you to slow down and appreciate simple pleasures, while rekindling a hunger for exploration.” Seven years later, the journal has evolved but we hold true to our manifesto.

Earlier this year, we asked our community how they would describe our purpose. Over 220 readers kindly shared their thoughts. They talked about... broadening our minds through discovery, curiosity and a deep connection with the living world. Taking time to appreciate the depth and character of the world around us. Slow, thought-provoking writing for people who value honesty, integrity and the planet they live on. And about beautifully capturing and inspiring slow travel and our connection to landscape.

These aren’t just tag lines for the magazine. They represent our shared values and passions. Our journey together over the past seven years. Our community. 

We want Ernest to continue to exist in the world. If you do too, please consider backing our campaign. 

Thank you for your support!
Jo, Tina & Abi

Film by Colin Nicholls. Photography by Nathan Jones, Jim Marsden, Colin Nicholls, Jesse Wild, Ruth Allen, Lewes Map Store, Jack Lowe, Andy Popular at Vinegar & Brown Paper, Robin Mackenzie, Charles Fanshawe at Moorswood. 

Our supporters

A huge thank you to our brand partners for their ongoing support and for providing some incredible rewards.