The making of Death Kit and the importance of print: In conversation with editor Joe Coward

“Print is essential – it’s what people want.”

On October 28, I was lucky enough to speak with editor Joe Coward to discuss the founding – and thriving – of London’s new small press literary magazine, Death Kit. At only four pounds a copy, Death Kit situates itself proudly as one of the most accessible lit mags in town. We covered what it takes to bring a literary magazine to life, the importance of print in an online age, and the future of the magazine-come-community that is Death Kit. Here’s the rundown:

Even the naming of the mag signals that Death Kit is publishing work that “turns away from trends”

Where did the name come from? The striking name comes from the Susan Sontag novel. Coward mentions Vanity Fair as another magazine that takes its title from literature, but even the naming of the mag signals that Death Kit is publishing work that “turns away from trends.” Unbothered by pop-culture, you can be sure to find writing that’s unapologetically strange.

How did it begin? The project that was born out of “boredom” is now six months old and is celebrating the release of its second issue this October. With accessibility at the forefront, Coward emphasised the importance of being willing to invest what you can, in order for the magazine to find itself in as many hands as possible. The team is small, with as little as two regular editors and two feature-writers: “all quite unofficial,” but successful nonetheless.

Published work (…) usually lingers in a balance between “cynicism and hope”

How do you select the work? When publishing submissions, there’s no set genre that writers are tied to: “We don’t specify themes.” What Coward does say about the published work is that it usually lingers in a balance between “cynicism and hope.” Whilst the writing may not be concerned with mainstream literary culture, this attitude certainly keeps the material relevant to the UK’s sociopolitical atmosphere. Coward follows, “We’re able to promote all kinds of work that wouldn’t necessarily find a home somewhere else. (…) Writers at all stages of their career have more scope and can be more experimental.” It only takes a short walk through the city to find yourself in that same crossroad between doubt and hope, and I believe Death Kit seeks to put words to this feeling.

“People want something they can pick up and take home. (…) Online publishing is too ephemeral, too temporary”

Why print? For Coward, making the magazine accessible starts with the initial tangibility: “People want something they can pick up and take home. (…) Online publishing is too ephemeral, too temporary.” We discussed Death Kit as a space that fills the “void” where writers often find themselves lost and without a direction for their craft. However, having a print edition also answers to the void that is online publication and readership. Whilst some literary platforms choose to only publish online, Coward remarks that material online is vulnerable to being lost and deleted amongst other forms of internet-esque disappearance: “It’s avoided by it being a physical thing, and I think people are willing to engage with something more if they can hold it in their hands.”

What’s next for Death Kit? “In the short space of time that we’ve been going, six months, we’re already stocked by one of the biggest independent book chains in New York, which is very nice! We just want to do more of that: to be as accessible in person to as many people as possible.” The international take-up of Death Kit really is a testament to ‘what people want’: “It’s a shame for [print] to be considered a luxury.” As the magazine is distributed overseas, this also “avoids passing the [shipping] cost over to readers.” Once again with accessibility at the forefront, the magazines affordable readership enables the writing within Death Kit to travel far beyond London.

Thank you for the insight into small press publishing, Joe Coward! I’ll be keeping my eye out for Death Kit as my next literary treat.

The second issue of Death Kit is out now for all to read. Read more at http://death-kit.com/ and connect on X @deathdashkit.