BURNT ROTI MAGAZINE

Brown girls in Britain, you'll want to read this.

Burnt Roti, Issue 1

A platform for South Asians to show their talent in the creative industries.

The Style

This is an easy to read magazine that allows people to write in their own voice, setting an environment that is intimate and honest. It feels like you're having a physical conversation.

The lack of white space is a constant reminder of the brown person's culture and upbringing. It's usually busy, quite chaotic and noisy! No idea if that's a deliberate technique but I love it for what it is, a true reflection.

When I first saw this magazine, I couldn't believe it. I thought 'wow, a magazine that has people in it that looks like me - finally! I'm buying it.'

The Content

Don't be fooled by the casual tone; the magazine tackles some serious issues and seeks to banish some of the stigma surrounding them. Mental health, sexuality, racism, it's all there, and rightly so. It's time that the brown girls had a magazine that speaks of the issues that affcet everyone.

It's also a beautiful space celebrating accomplished young creatives.

Stories of those fighting for those non stereotypical roles, sit next to stories of brown people doing other excellent things, cos if people are not going to make the art, television, film and theatre spaces diverse (no, having an 'equal opportunities and diversity statement' is not enough), then we're going to do it.

The feeling when I first saw Burnt Roti, I can't put into words, but there was a mild sense of shock at seeing a magazine that ackowledged my identity. I was in my twenties.

The Audience

Primarilty relatable to brown women, but hey, white person, maybe you could pick up a copy too and see what it's all about? You know that saying 'Fear breeds hate'? Well this comes from the idea that we as humans learn to fear what we do not know. So if it's been a while since you had a conversation with a Muslim, watched a movie in language that is not your mother tongue, or picked up a magazine that is not aimed at your demographic, I'd suggest this one to anyone. It's written in a light way, but provides many different perspectives on a variety of topics. After all, we're all human, do you think you'e that different that you will find no interest in a magazine that is filled with faces not of your skin colour? Wait... 'I've been doing that all my life!

A Final Note

This was the first magazine I ever saw that had people in it that looked like me. If you can, please support the magazine by donating, as it is so important that we provide things like this for people to grow up seeing their identity, skin culture, race, religion, gender, interests, hobbies, and culture represented, celebrated, and at the very least, given a voice.