From park tennis to indie rock lyrics: 7 newspapers we love in April

Every month, we pick a handful newspapers that catch our (very discerning) eye and ask the people behind them to tell us more. Here’s what's stood out in April – from a zine celebrating public tennis courts in London to a lyric newspaper for the new Mumford & Sons album.

Mumford & Sons lyrics

Format: Traditional tabloid / Paper: 52gsm recycled newsprint

What it is: An exclusive newspaper for the official Mumford & Sons fan club, dropped at secret locations near shows to celebrate the release of the band's album PRIZEFIGHTER.

Why we love it: It turns a newspaper into a treasure hunt, and lets fans spend time with the lyrics offline, not just scroll through them on Genius.

Designed by PLAYLAB, INC.

The Pits

Format: Digital mini / Paper: 55gsm improved newsprint

What it is: A zine for London's park tennis players, celebrating the ups and downs of public courts.

Why we love it:  “Our city’s courts are the pits of the world but they’re ours, they’re what we’ve got, and they make us happy,” writes Hilary Armstrong, creator of this print-only zine. It's a joyful look at a niche sports community,  featuring articles on what park players wear, a guide to shaking hands at the net and artwork by Tom Guilmard and Chloe Scott-Moncrief.

Hilary says she wanted a format that was "more than a Substack, less than a glossy mag." We may just nab that for our new tagline!

Designed by Hilary Armstrong

Samuel Guì Yang lookbook

Format: Digital midi / Paper: 55gsm improved newsprint

What it is: A lookbook to celebrate 10 years of London and Shanghai-based label Samuel Guì Yang.

Why we love it: Gorgeous photography by Xavier Mas, and a great example of using printed matter to mark a milestone. Pages from the newspaper were also repurposed to create wall displays in stores.

The Evening Star from Old Town

Format: Digital tabloid / Paper: 55gsm improved newsprint

What it is: A facsimile edition of the Evening Star, a newspaper from British clothing brand Old Town. It was originally published in 2011 and reprinted for a pop-up event at Labour and Wait in London.

Why we love it: It's a charming tribute to small town local news, mixing satirical articles (LIGHT LEFT ON OVER WEEKEND is the front page headline) with behind-the-scenes snippets from Old Town founders Marie Willey and Will Brown.  The newspaper's slogan “Small life is here” is a nod to the News of the World’s “All human life is here”.

In the Community Garden

Format: Digital midi / Paper: 55gsm improved newsprint

What it is: A collection of photographs by Recreate-U members at RHS Garden Bridgewater, created for an exhibition at Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool.

Why we love it: It's celebration of green spaces and community collaboration. And we love how the newspapers became part of the exhibition itself, hanging on the wall for visitors to pick up and take home.

Designed by Declan Connolly

"The newspaper is a perfect format for sharing without being too precious. People wanted more than one! " –Declan Connolly, designer

Arddun Agency

Format: Traditional tabloid / Paper: 55gsm improved newsprint

What it is: A quarterly 'training pack' newspaper from Arddun Agency, a fashion agency representing womenswear brands like Altuzarra and Rothy’s.

Why we love it: Instead of sending out a PDF, Arddun produces a visually-led publication for shop floor staff to get to know the brands and latest collections. This is the 11th edition!

"People love them and we’ve become known for making them. I love that they’re like little time capsules!" –Ian Shoobridge, Head of Creative

Max Hemphill's newsletter

Format: Digital midi / Paper: 55gsm improved newsprint

What it is: The latest printed newsletter from LA-based photographer and creative director Max Hemphill.

Why we love it: Last year, Max printed a quarterly newsletter on our tabloids. This year, he’s switched to the midi format and his new work for Oura, the Ritz-Carlton and Bang & Olufsen looks fantastic. He’s also added interviews with other creatives – this issue features Raymond Croft, senior art director at Tommy Hilfiger.

"The response rate to my newspapers is 10x higher than email. People don't get physical mail anymore, so when they do, they actually engage with it." –Max Hemphill

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