Cuntry Living is a free termly zine which invites any gender, race, class, sexuality, or background to submit contributions which speak out against the oppression, subjugation and degradation of women – ‘in its many guises’. These submissions create an empowering college of art, poetry, essays, personal anecdotes and everything in-between; with the message of each zine being guided by what every feminist wants to say, and how they want to say it.
Created using the ecofriendly service GreenPrint, the zine is arranged in a punchy, unapologetic pastiche, with the literary submissions superimposed over magazine clippings. The range of media and content is fantastic, with 2019’s summer issue leaping from gritty minimalist poetry, to an interview exploring DIY culture and activism in the context of both the British film and punk scene, to an opinion piece on shaving customs. A few of Kanye West’s more narcissistic Twitter posts even made the cut. However, despite the sheer scope of ideas, the zine manages to maintain a collective and unashamed energy, rendering the challenges of every issue an intellectual delight.
The only real complaint I have with Cuntry Living is its disappointingly minimal reach. A submission invitation in the form of a Facebook event is buried discreetly in my feed every term, and one can’t help but wonder how many incredible potential contributors we are missing by virtue of the zine being relatively unknown. The relaxed nature of each issue certainly credits it with a distinctive charm, but I would like to see a longer list of less familiar names in the next index. And, more importantly, more people experiencing this celebratory message which is ever more important for us to hear.
