Ernest is a journal for enquiring minds. It's 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.
We launched Ernest back in 2014 and have since gone on to publish nine editions, covering subjects from breadmaking in space to the unruly world of made-up languages; from the psychology of polar exploration to the bizarre reality of cryonics; from wild man mythology to remapping the Antarctic with female place names.
We have come a long way since crowdfunding our first issue six years ago – the journal is now sold around the world and we have a loyal readership who love seeing their collection growing on their shelves as much as we do.
(Photography: Sightseers, Charles Fanshawe)
(Photography: @laurajrose_, The Future Kept)
(Photography: El Riordan, right)
(Photography: Ella Was Here, The Future Kept)
(Photography: Taylor R. Taylor, The Hambledon)
2020 was going to be a big year for us as we celebrated the launch of our 10th edition – a real milestone in independent publishing. We had lined up some great partnerships within the travel industry but, unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic, all of these have had to be postponed until next year.
We have been working hard to get the journal ready in the meantime, but in order to get the issue out this summer we need to find new ways to meet our print costs. So we have decided to go back to our roots and launch a campaign to help us send issue 10 to print.
At a time when we're all having to slow down and recalibrate, we find ourselves observing more and appreciating local, low key adventures. And it’s important to us that issue 10 speaks directly to people's experience of the current crisis.
Inside the upcoming issue, author Lucy Jones explores the effect of disconnection from the natural world, even while nature remains deeply ingrained in our language, culture and consciousness. Photographer Jim Marsden reflects on how it feels to pause. And we share human stories from remote islands, focusing on how isolation builds strong bonds of community and kinship, while bringing its own challenges.
All this alongside the curious tales readers come to expect from an edition of Ernest: an interview with a gastrophysicist; an investigation of the effect of ocean currents on the Great Barrier Reef; the resurgence of sleeper trains; and the science behind the aurora borealis.
(Photography: Finn Beales)
(Photography: Rebecca Douglas)
(Photography: Dan Cook)
We have lined up some fantastic incentives. Completists will be pleased to hear that we’re releasing our last remaining copies of issue one. We've also teamed up with seven of our favourite brands to bring you an array of tempting rewards.
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.
Pre-order a copy of issue 10 – £12 | Get our 10th edition delivered to your door. Price includes UK shipping.
Buy One Gift One – £20 *New reward* | Help us spread the word to your friends and family by buying one copy of issue 10 for yourself, while we post the other to your chosen recipient. Includes UK postage. (We will contact you after the campaign closes for the address).
Outside Lies Magic bundle – £20 *New reward* | These beautiful recycled paper notebooks, designed by Studio in the Sticks, are a hat tip to the great outdoors and the endless inspiration it offers us. The cover displays a bespoke piece of hand-lettering, ‘Outside Lies Magic’, and is printed using holographic/iridescent gold foil. The covers are made from upcycled coffee cups and the plain inner pages are 100% recycled paper. The gift set includes issue ten of Ernest + three notebooks. 30 available.
Ernest & Greenland tales – £20 *New reward* | This special gift set comprises a copy of issue 10 together with Death of a Foster Son – a limited edition small press publication by poet and author Nancy Campbell, created during a residency at Ilulissat Museum, Greenland. Death of a Foster Son explores the uncanny point at which the lives of bears and humans meet. The text merges two Arctic stories: a contemporary encounter with a polar bear in Upernavik, Greenland, and a traditional Inuit folk tale ‘The old woman who had a bear for a foster son’. The illustrations are based on traditional catch-share diagrams recorded by Inuit hunters for Knud Rasmussen’s Literary Expedition of 1903-4. 10 available.
Ernest & The Living Mountain book bundle – £20 *Sold out* | In this masterpiece of nature writing, which the Guardian calls “The finest book ever written on nature and landscape in Britain", Nan Shepherd describes her journeys into the Cairngorm mountains of Scotland. This gift set includes a beautiful, collectable gift edition of The Living Mountain introduced by Robert Macfarlane and with an afterword by Jeanette Winterson, plus issue 10 of Ernest. (5 available).
Ernest & Outpost book bundle – £20 *Sold out* | Dan Richards is a long-standing contributor to Ernest Journal and we would highly recommend adding his books to your reading list. In Outpost, Dan explores the appeal of far-flung shelters in mountains, tundra, forests, oceans and deserts, and the effect of such places on the human spirit. Alongside tales of Iceland’s ‘Houses of Joy’ and a Mars research station in the Utah desert, you may recognise stories from within the pages of Ernest – tales of Jack Kerouac's Lookout on Desolation Peak, Captain Scott's Terra Nova hut in Antarctica and Pyramiden, an abandoned Russian coal mining settlement on Svalbard. This gift set includes a signed copy of Outpost and issue 10 of Ernest. (5 available).
Ernest & Icebreaker book bundle – £20 *Sold out* | One of the most enjoyable books we read last year, Icebreaker document’s Horatio Clare’s voyage through the ice-packs of the far north. Described by the Observer as “Nimble, vital and unexpectedly affecting”, the book touches upon Finland’s history and character, as Horatio comes to understand something of the complexity and fragile beauty of sea ice. This gift set includes a copy of Icebreaker (unsigned) plus issue 10 of Ernest. (5 available).
Ernest & The Outrun book bundle – £20 *Sold out* | At the age of 30, Amy Liptrot finds herself washed up back home on Orkney. Standing unstable on the island, she tries to come to terms with the addiction that has swallowed the last decade of her life. As she spends her mornings swimming in the bracingly cold sea, her days tracking Orkney’s wildlife, and her nights searching the sky for the Merry Dancers, Amy discovers how the wild can restore life and renew hope. The gift set includes a copy of The Outrun (unsigned) along with issue 10 of Ernest. (5 available).
Juniper Ridge trail wash gift set – £20 | Transport yourself into Wild West landscapes with scents gathered in the Mojave Desert, Eastern Sierras and temperate rainforests of Cascadia. Juniper Ridge’s versatile, concentrated body wash is handcrafted in Oakland with 100% natural and biodegradable ingredients. This gift set is kindly donated by our friends at Wingfield’s and includes one bottle of body wash (Cascade Forest, Coastal Pine, Desert Cedar or White Sage) plus a copy of issue 10. (20 available).
Sea salt chocolate & mountain tea bundle – £22 | Delve into your copy of issue 10 while indulging in Ocelot Sea Salt Chocolate and Rhoeco Mountain Herbal Tea, courtesy of our friends at The Future Kept – purveyors of consciously crafted and responsibly sourced products for your home. (22 available).
The Northern Lights bundle – £25 *Sold out* | To tie in with her story ‘Chasing Aurora’ in issue 10, photographer Rebecca Douglas has donated six fine art mounted prints captured at Jökulsárlón in Iceland's Vatnajökull National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The bundle includes a copy of issue 10 plus a 6”x4” Fine Art Mounted Print of ‘Jökulsárlón Finally’ – a shot that took eight visits to the glacier lagoon – printed sustainably on the finest quality matte fine art paper.
Outdoor Provisions energy bar gift set – £25 | We love these all natural energy bars by Outdoor Provisions, which come in plastic-free, compostable wrappers and in flavours inspired by our national parks. Try Cherry Bakewell flavour, inspired by the Peak District; fiery, treacly Parkin from the Yorkshire Dales; the rich and fruity Bara Brith of Snowdonia; or the unexpected peppermint and bitter cocoa nib flavour of Kendal Mint Cake, inspired by the Lake District. This gift set includes an eight bar variety box (2 x Cherry Bakewell, 2 x Choc Kendal Mint Cake, 2 x Bara Brith and 2 x Parkin) and a copy of issue 10. (50 available).
Subscribe for two issues (UK) – £25 | Subscribe to Ernest to help secure the future of our independent journal and get issues 10 and 11 delivered to your door.
A copy of issue one – £25 *Sold out* | Bag yourself a copy of the much sought after issue one, originally published in 2014. (10 available).
Natural beauty gift bundle – £25 | Treat that special someone to a bundle of organic toiletries from our friends at The Future Kept. This gift set includes a copy of issue 10, a Savon Stories charcoal and blackseed soap and invigorating 70% linen exfoliating pad. (14 available).
Cosy toes bundle – £25 *Sold out* | Keep your feet snug while sinking into issue 10. Gift set includes a pair of Fforest's cotton blend socks inspired by Welsh wool blanket patterns and made by Welsh sock-makers Corgi, who’ve been keeping feet warm since 1892. Plus a copy of issue 10. (4 available).
‘Breath of the wild’ wooden postcards – £25 | Recorded in history and mythology and feared for thousands of years, our ‘named winds’ have whipped up deserts, rained ‘blood’ and plagued people to insanity. In issue eight, author Nick Hunt explores stories behind the Meltemi of Greece, Sirocco of the Sahara and Tramontana of the Alps – and illustrator Ruth Thorp created these incredible artworks to accompany the feature. This gift set includes three exclusive wooden postcard prints (24 x 18 x 1.5cm) by Ruth Thorp, plus a copy of issue 10.
Ernest & The Library of Ice book bundle – £28 *Sold out* | This special gift set comprises a copy of issue 10 together with two Arctic-related books by writer and poet Nancy Campbell: a signed hardback copy of The Library of Ice – a vivid and perceptive book combining memoir, scientific and cultural history with a bewitching account of remote Arctic settlements and the world’s northernmost museum – and a signed copy of Death of a Foster Son – a limited edition, small press publication created during Campbell’s residency at Ilulissat Museum, Greenland, beautifully illustrated with cyanotype collages.
The lost explorers bundle – £30 *Sold out* | For the intrepid at heart – we've teamed up with Yorkshire leather crafters HÔRD to bring you a gift bundle inspired by the rugged topography of Scafell Pike and Snowdon. Includes a copy of issue 10 plus a beautifully-made leather key fob, riveted to hold a swivel clip and engraved with an etching of the contours of Snowdon or Scafell Pike. (3 available).
Trail Tea enamel mug gift set – £32 | Long-standing Ernest contributor Aidan Meighan has designed these exclusive enamel mugs, inspired by foraged teas you can make in the great outdoors – including common gorse and Norway spruce. This set includes two enamel mugs engraved by Cut by Beam in Cornwall, together with a copy of issue 10.
Wild swimming gift set – £35 *Sold out* | Conjure scents of crisp ocean air, sweet cedar resin, snapped Fir needles and citrusy conifer with Juniper Ridge’s body wash. This gift set, courtesy of Wingfield’s, includes a cotton travel towel – a lightweight, hammam-style that packs down to the size of a 1 litre water bottle – plus a 100% biodegradable body wash and a copy of issue 10. (8 available).
Subscribe for four issues (UK) – £45 | Subscribe to Ernest to help secure the future of our independent journal and get issues 10-14 delivered to your door.
The Ernest book club bundle – £50 *Sold out* | A copy of issue 10 plus four of our favourite books, reflecting themes of curiosity and slow adventure: The Living Mountain, Nan Shepherd’s celebration of the Cairngorm mountains; Icebreaker, documenting Horatio Clare’s voyage through the frozen Bay of Bothnia; The Outrun, a lyrical and brave memoir about how the wild can restore life and renew hope; and Outpost, in which Dan Richards explores the appeal of far-flung shelters in mountains, tundra, forests, oceans and deserts. Plus a set of Ernest postcards. (5 available).
Holloway single print & journal bundle – £70 *Sold out* | Stanley Donwood has kindly donated eight of these incredible letterpress prints, created for the book Holloway by Stanley Donwood, Robert Macfarlane and Dan Richards. This gift set includes a signed, open edition letterpress print (27 cm x 38 cm) plus issue 10 of Ernest. You will receive one of the five artworks created for the book. (8 available).
The Original Bergen Bag bundle – £75 *Sold out* | The last gift set remaining from our original Kickstarter campaign back in 2014. An original 40lt Bergen rucksack, repurposed with bespoke tweed details and a woodcut and letterpressed lining by Ryan Hannigan of Haggart's Tweed. A sturdy (and well-worn) hiking backpack with a metal frame and leather straps for a sleeping bag or picnic rug. Plus a copy of issue ten and the sold-out issue one. (1 available).
The Ramblers Roll bundle – £75 *Sold out* | The ‘Ramblers Roll’ by Moorswood is a portable picnic blanket for one, made in Devon using natural fibres, lined with organic wool felt and a water resistant wax cotton base. These ‘Dartmoor Fern’ rolls are the last seven of an extremely limited edition run, made with beautiful fern green tweed woven on the outskirts of Dartmoor. Pack one in your backpack for your next wild swim or slow adventure. This gift set comes complete with a copy of issue ten and the option of a personalised stamp on the leather strap. (7 available).
The cwtch bundle – £75 *Sold out* | One of the most memorable things about a stay with Fforest – unique accommodation in West Wales ranging from a Georgian farmhouse beside the River Teifi to a geodesic dome tucked into a valley along the Cardigan Bay coast – is the array of thoughtfully crafted, locally made homewares from Welsh textiles to timeless enamel kitchenware. This gift set, kindly donated by Fforest General Stores, lets you to snuggle up with a pair of colourful Fforest forager woolly socks, a gorgeous Welsh wool blanket cushion and (of course) issue 10 of Ernest. (2 available).
The completist set – £100 *Sold out* | An entire set of Ernest Journal, including the sold out and sought after issues 1 and 2, plus issue 10. (5 available).
The Millican rucksack bundle – £120 | Fraser the Rucksack (15L) is the ideal size for everyday use – a ‘grab and go’ bag for short trips across town and further afield. Kindly donated by our friends at Millican, this bundle comes with a copy of issue 10 and you can choose the bag colour from Gorse, Tarn, Graphite Grey, Heather or Slate (stock dependent). (10 available).
Letterpress prints & signed copy of Holloway – £225 | This remarkable collection comprises three signed, open edition letterpress prints (27 cm x 38 cm) by artist Stanley Donwood, a hardback copy of Holloway signed by all three authors, plus issue 10 of Ernest. The prints are taken from the plates used to print the first edition of Holloway, a book by Robert Macfarlane, Stanley Donwood and Dan Richards, which was published in an edition of 277 copies by Quive-Smith Press in 2012. Stanley Donwood’s original pen and ink drawings were converted into etched magnesium plates then printed on a 1965 Heidelberg Platen press. You can read more about this extraordinary process in Robert Macfarlane’s Guardian article ‘Making a book from a lump of lead’ (4 available).
A wild Welsh break with Fforest – £250 *Sold out* | Treat yourself to an much-needed dose of nature, space and fresh air with this very special break in West Wales. Fforest offers a collection of unique and cosy accommodation over three remarkable sites: Fforest farm, 200 acres beside the Teifi marshes nature reserve and only minutes from the undiscovered coves of the West Wales coast; Manorafon camp, a converted dairy farm beside Penbryn beach, now replete with geodesic domes, a cedar barrel sauna and firepit; and Granary Lofts in the heart of Cardigan with a restaurant serving woodfired pizza. This very special gift set includes a £250 voucher for a Fforest holiday (for a break before 1 July 2021), plus a goody bag worth £70 with two pairs of cosy Fforest Forager woolly socks, a copy of issue 10 to read beside an open fire, two Ernest ‘trail tea’ mugs and a set of Ernest ‘slow adventure’ postcards. (1 available).
Become an Ernest patron – £500 | Help secure the future of our independent 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 starting from issue 10, a thank you in the upcoming edition plus a framed lithographic print of the cover
Become an Ernest patron PLUS a very special gift – £1,000 | Help secure the future of our independent journal by becoming an Ernest patron. As well as a lifetime subscription starting from issue 10 and a heartfelt thank you in the upcoming edition, we will frame the original CMYK aluminium cover plates from the printing of issue 10* as a very special gift. Thank you so much for supporting our journal and helping it to thrive through difficult times. *Only three available.
A huge thank you to our brand partners for their ongoing support and for providing some incredible rewards.
Thank you to everyone who has supported our journey so far – from those of you who funded our first edition, to all our readers who have ordered back issues or taken out a subscription over the past few months. We now need your help to nudge us over the finish line and reach our 10th edition milestone. Thank you – and we look forward to delivering issue 10 to you very soon!