East Londoner Ellena Hamber has been part of the Beast team now for some time. She’s also the brilliant mind behind In Her Shoes Mag, a newly launched online platform dedicated to giving young people a space to share their authentic, unfiltered experiences. With In Her Shoes, Ellena aims to shed light on the messy, beautiful, and sometimes challenging moments of womanhood, offering a supportive community where real stories take centre stage
What’s the story behind the name In Her Shoes? Was there a specific pair of shoes that inspired you?
The name In Her Shoes is more metaphorical, it’s inspired by the saying ‘put yourself in their shoes’, which reflects my mission of offering genuine perspectives on real life issues.
What made you want to create a platform that gives young people a voice?
In today’s world it’s very easy to sit behind a screen and constantly consume content showcasing the seemingly perfect lives of others. By shining light onto more personal thoughts and feelings, In Her Shoes aims to remind readers that it’s okay to not have everything figured out.
There’s also a column named Agony Bro, tell us a little about this?
‘Agony Bro’ offers a new twist on the traditional ‘Agony Aunt’ concept. People can write in anonymously and get a male take on a situation. While many advice columns are written by knowledgable, older women, Agony Bro offers the perspective of a male friend. They have very different viewpoints on situations compared to the women in my life – and that’s because they understand it differently.
If you could feature anyone (past or present) who would it be and why?
Sylvia Plath would be a dream collaboration. Her work resonates with people who find comfort and relation to her words, however sad they may be.
What’s the most unexpected place you’ve found inspiration for a feature?
Inspiration usually strikes in unexpected places, for me it’s just real life situations – I can just be sat at the dinner table with my family and an idea for a column will come to me. Much of my actual writing takes place on trains, where listening to music creates the perfect environment to get lost in thought.
If In Her Shoes were a playlist, what would be the top three songs?
‘Free treasure’ by Adrianne Lenker
‘I Gotta Find Peace of Mind’ by Lauryn Hill
‘Tears Dry On Their Own’ by Amy Winehouse
What’s your favourite article, book or story ever published, and why does it stand out?
When I was travelling, I took the book ‘Everything I Know About Love’ by Dolly Alderton with me. I carried it around in my backpack, read it on beaches and buses, until the entire cover fell apart. It’s popular for a reason, and Dolly truly captures the emotional ups and downs of your 20s.
If you could swap jobs with anyone for a day, who would it be?
I would channel my inner Meredith Grey and be a surgeon for the day (if I got the skill set for the day too!), I think it would be amazing to have the opportunity to save people’s lives every single day, and get paid to do it.
What’s one thing about running a magazine that people would be surprised to learn?
A lot more effort and attention goes into maintaining and building the design and back-end part of it, rather than the actual writing.
If In Her Shoes could host a dream event, where would it be, and what would it look like?
My dream event would be a warehouse-style party in East London, featuring pink neon signs and bottomless martinis. There would be a chilled vibe, with no mobile phones and a traditional conversation pit for real conversations. For music – think Lana Del Rey. A fun idea would be to bring the ‘Agony Bro’ section to life, it could still be kept anonymous with two separate pods, almost like a confessional box.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
The best piece of advice I’ve been given is to view big decisions as though you’re advising a friend, instead of yourself. This removes some of the emotion out of making difficult choices and helps you to think more rationally.
Favourite hang out in East London?
One of my favourite hangouts in East London would be Mare Street Market in London Fields – I love the decor and the vibe, as well as the great food and drinks.
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