Read The Room Magazine has been put together by a diverse collective of queer women, trans and nonbinary creatives, journalists, academics and fans, from around the world, who are passionate about arts and culture and the representation in it.
Through interviews, articles, opinion pieces and reviews, with this magazine, we aim to bring attention to the issues and interests that mean the most to us with a focus on women, LGBTQIA+ and marginalised voices.
Meet the team:
Alfie Whitby: Co-Editor
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Alfie has been immersed in various facets of the creative industry for almost 20 years. Most notably performing music as Laurence Made Me Cry, Alfie is also an acclaimed illustrator and founded the (now sadly defunct) award winning music and culture webzine Cat On The Wall. Gaining a BA in ‘Media Studies with Visual Cultures’ at Cardiff Met University in Wales, Alfie also enjoys analysing the crap out of media and popular culture. Currently developing a number of short films, Alfie is definitely having a productive mid-life-crisis. They live in West Yorkshire with their wife and children (cats).
Contact: alfie.whitby@readtheroommagazine.com
Helena Emmanuel: Co-Editor
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Helena has been an avid consumer of TV and media all her life, spending much of her youth sneaking into the family computer room to watch her then-favorite TV shows, much to the chagrin of her parents. A graduate of the Film & TV Production program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Helena has spent much of her career on sets, both as a creative/line producer on indie projects and in the Assistant Director department for major studio/network tv shows. She’s a production nerd and always wants to know as much as possible about how something was made, even if it seems trivial! Her passion is representation in media both in front of and behind the camera, and she loves talking about TV and the queer and female representation in it. She lives in NYC with her plant that is miraculously still alive.Contact: helena.emmanuel@readtheroommagazine.com
Candice Dupire: Assistant Editor
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Candice started writing stories since her childhood. At first, it was a way for her to relax her brain but she quickly felt herself falling in love with the process of writing and what it would mean to her ever since. Fascinated by the complex craft of acting she finds inspiration to write through watching someone’s performance whether it be a tv show, movie or play. She’s currently looking for a job that will allow her to do what she wants: be a journalist. She lives in drancy near Paris!Contact: candice.dupire@readtheroommagazine.com
Mieks Weijers:
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Mieks is a writer, librarian and a retired community organiser for the bisexual community in the UK. Having written since they were small, Mieks was often seen at youth camps handing out scripts and stories to queues of peers at their tent. Mieks studied at Liverpool Hope University and has a first degree in Film Studies, specialising in screenwriting and queer cinema. They're passionate about positive sapphic representation in TV and film, and often write about being polyamorous through a monogamous media gaze. Mieks is currently editing their first novel, a queer YA fantasy. They live with their spouse and two cats in Birmingham, UK.Contact: mieks.weijers@readtheroommagazine.com
Hazel Ashe:
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Hazel is a writer and musician with a penchant for analysis. An avid reader since they were young, they enjoy dissecting not only their favourite books but also TV shows, films, and animal parts. She is passionate about representation in TV, particularly in the writer’s room and crew. They hope to work in medicine or publishing one day, with the goal of writing a novel and gaining more experience as a beta-reader and copy editor. Hazel lives in Scotland, and can usually be found drinking tea or engrossed in a book.Contact: hazel.ashe@readtheroommagazine.com
Beatrice Copland:
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Beatrice has been absorbing film and television for as long as she can remember, and shows no signs of stopping. When she’s not writing for her blog Shakesqueer, she’s working at her local independent cinema, which has become a home away from home. A resident of the distant Orkney islands, she currently resides with her cat Nala, extensive DVD collection and equally extensive Lego collection.Contact: beatrice.copland@readtheroommagazine.com
Contributors:
Dominique Gagnon (she/her), Thomas Beech (he/they)