I was really excited when Evangelina's email landed in my inbox asking me to do a feature on The Seventy Fifth, a new magazine aimed at Paris expats. I first discovered Evangelina by reading her article on Vagenda Magazine (about French men's behaviour towards women) so feel confident that she will do a great job. I'm going to hand you over to Evangelina so that you can learn some more about her plans for The Seventy Fifth.
Hi Evie, could you explain the meaning behind the name of the magazine?
France is divided into regions and Paris is in the seventy-fifth, hence why all post codes here begin with 75..., so it refers to the fact that it's a Paris-based 'zine.
How did you end up in Paris, launching and editing a magazine?
I work as an au pair in Paris and although I love my job I didn't feel like I was contributing anything and I wanted a creative outlet. I’d interned at a newspaper on my Erasmus year and really enjoyed it and I tried to find something similar here where I could contribute my writing, but there wasn’t really anything that didn’t require fluency in French. I thought it would be really easy to just start my own magazine [haha!] I posted something on Facebook asking if anyone was interested in starting a publication and I got over fifty emails that day so I wasn't the only person who felt that way. Generally I get the impression that au pairing is a bit of a stop-gap for people who are unsure of what to do next, it certainly was for me after I finished my degree, and so there are a lot of talented people here in Paris who want to share their skills and experiences.
Who can contribute to The Seventy Fifth?
Absolutely anyone! You don't have to be an au pair, the magazine is just about being young and the hustle and bustle of city life.
What are your hopes for the magazine?
First, I hope to get Issue 2 printed via our kickstarter campaign! In the future if we could be stocked in little independent shops such as Shakespeare and Company that would be a real milestone for me.
Your weirdest Parisian experience?
There's probably quite a few! I can’t think of anything specific off the top of my head but it would take quite a lot to shock me now. I see people during the day peeing in metro stations so…
Your nicest Parisian experience?
At the moment I keep thinking about when I first arrived in August and I spent the daytime drinking coffee in parks and the evenings drinking wine by the Seine. I can’t wait for Summer to return!
One word that describes your Paris?
Effervescent.
Something you would miss about the city if you moved away?
The view from my window, it looks different every time. It's really cliché but when I wake up in a morning and look out of my window I really can't believe how lucky I am.
Here's where you can get hold of The Seventy Fifth on line. Enjoy!
