STARS OF EGYPTOLOGY

How did Nile Magazine start?

Nile originally started as Facebook page called Hieroglyphica, dedicated to learning to read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. To my mind, not only are they beautiful to look at, but there is no better way to gain an insight into the hearts and minds of the people of ancient Egypt than reading their own words that expressed their hopes, joys, fears and triumphs. I first visited Egypt some 20 years ago, and was immediately captivated by the hieroglyphs that covered the walls of the tombs and temples. But they seemed rather like an Italian opera: beautiful to experience, but I had no idea what was being said! So I made it my mission to learn to read the ancient symbols. In 2012 I launched Hieroglyphica to share what I had learnt. In time, this broadened out to celebrate all facets of ancient Egypt, and in 2015, we launched Nile Magazine as an online-only offering. We received so many inquiries into whether it was available in hard copy that the print Nile Magazine was born the following year. Right from the start, we wanted Nile to look and feel different from the existing offerings. We wanted it to be smart, fresh, and pop with fabulous, high-quality photographs; a modern magazine that drips with amazing images as much as it enthralls with fascinating articles. It’s our core vision for every single issue, and the amazing feedback we receive, helps us stay true to that. Hieroglyphica is still part of the fabric of Nile Magazine. Uniquely, each issue includes the hieroglyphic transcriptions of ancient Egyptian texts. Thanks to our language specialist, Christian Casey, we are able to update the translations of many of these texts. A great number of ancient Egyptian papyri were first translated in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and studies in the ancient Egyptian language have come a long way since then. Thanks to Christian’s good work, we make sure that readers get the most up-to-date insights on what the ancient authors intended. And for those who have taken up the challenge of learning ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, they get to try out their hieroglyphic know-how on texts that are otherwise pretty tricky to access.

What is your vision for the magazine?

Our strapline on the cover of each issue is: “Because you love ancient Egypt”, and that’s central to what we’re about; sharing the history and wonders of ancient Egypt. We never forget why we all fell for ancient Egypt in the first place, and if a reader puts down the latest issue and thinks, “well that was awesome,” we have done our job. Oh, and the images. Every article – without fail – must have a visual wow-factor. The ancient Egyptians cared as much about the beauty of their funerary art and tomb and temple architecture, as they did about their function. I can’t think of a better example to follow.

How do you choose your articles?

Each published article passes three questions: Will it make me feel like I have a deeper understanding of the ancient Egyptians? Will it give me a fresh perspective or be full of “I didn’t know that” nuggets? Will it be a visual feast? Every article should be fascinating to the armchair Egyptologist, and never stuffy or fluffy. It’s always a balance between the readers who are fairly new to the subject and those who have been living and loving ancient Egypt for ages. It’s why we make sure that articles that deal with very specific topics always include the wider context of what ancient Egypt was like at that time. The articles that tend to be rejected haven’t invested in the proper research, present unsubstantiated claims as fact, or simply don’t excite me. 

Where do you see the publication in five years’ time?

Nile is printed in and distributed from the U.K. Within five years, we plan to have a second printing and distribution operation in the U.S. so that American and Canadian subscribers can enjoy Nile Magazine without having to pay for international postage. Looking ahead, the plan is to launch Chinese, Spanish and Arabic editions. 

What do you do in your spare time?

Spare time? Tell me more about this “spare time” idea of yours. Outside of Nile Magazine, I’m a father of two, husband of one, and servant to three cats!

Nile Magazine can be purchased in both digital and hard copy formats and can be delivered to your home or phone. Subscribe today!

(The home of the magazine is at: https://www.nilemagazine.com.au/. There is also a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Official.Nile.Magazine/.)