Hasta La Ideas

A North Africa issue from the newly-redesigned mag covering contemporary Middle Eastern culture

Dubai-based Brownbook Magazine celebrates the 22nd issue of their “urban guide to the Middle East” with a focus on North Africa—all done up in their recently-debuted redesign. The fresh look includes a new Arabic-inspired font that blends seamlessly with text (primarily in English) for a magazine with a style as worldly as the stories it features.

At three years in, the bimonthly publication’s content covers its home base and surrounding regions, resulting in a magazine with a focus similar to Bidoun’s but from a less indie perspective that has more in common with
Monocle. Organized into lifestyle, culture, travel and design sections, the magazine’s original photography and layout lends a contemporary feel to stories and interviews for a read that’s not quite like anything else. Highlights from the new issue include a profile of emerging French-Moroccan designer Younes Duret, an in-depth piece on the architects changing Tehran’s urban landscape, a look at A.P.C.‘s Jean Touitou’s experience of growing up Jewish in Tunisia, and a tour of Morocco by artist Hassan Hajjaj (whose work also graces the cover).

Check out previews of Brownbook’s main articles on its website, where you can also check out video shorts on skateboarding in Qatar or surfing in Yemen, and sign up for the magazine’s podcasts. A one-year subscription to the magazine can also be purchased online for $70.