Journal I Rama Publishing

Inspiration

When Books Are Confiscated, Words Travel Further

Palestinian bookseller Mahmoud Muna shares his story of arrest, resistance, and literature’s power amid the genocide in Gaza. A moving call to action to amplify Palestinian voices and support cultural freedom.

Inspiration

No to racism

I have watched in horror as racist thugs rampaged through the UK over the past few weeks. I felt utter dread but not surprise. Our mainstream media and politicians, with some exceptions, have been stoking the fires of Islamophobia and fascism for years now.

Inspiration

100 days of horror

Today marks 100 days of utter horror unfolding right before our eyes in Gaza. Humanity has truly failed if we are still arguing whether or not this is a genocide. We will stand with the OPPRESSED until the end of our days. No one is free until all of us are free. We all have a part to play.

Inspiration

Where is home? And why this question is so hard to answer?

A few years ago I attended an event featuring Elif Shafak and she crystallised a feeling I had felt for many years - the idea that "home" not having to be one fixed place (usually where you were born and raised) but that it could be mutliple locations that your soul connects with. As you may know, I was born in France and while it will always be home in one sense, London is the where my soul feels at home.

Inspiration

The benefits of a weekly deskpad planner

Having an overview of your week is a highly powerful technique to alleviate the burden your poor brain is under. Research shows that the average human brain generates 45 thoughts per minute which works out to 64,800 thoughts per day! You don't need a degree in neuroscience to understand how essential it is to learn some coping mechanisms to keep these thoughts organised.

Inspiration

How I use my Daily Review Planner

How you use your Daily Review Planner is entirely up to you – I designed it to give you this freedom within some broad guidelines. Many people have been asking me recently how I like to use my planner so I thought that I would walk you through my process on a typical day.

Inspiration

How cultivating a sense of awe will benefit you

Spring has sprung and the past few days in London have been glorious with the bluest of blue skies. I am deeply inspired and affected by the weather and the elements, as every single human being is on a spiritual level. Shaking off the winter vibes and entering a new season is a fascinating process especially if we take the time to pause and observe what our mind and soul need.

Inspiration

Finding pockets of joy

I hope you all had a restful end to the year that was full of love, health, and pockets of joy. I say "pockets" because I believe life is not all about happiness, as many may tell you, but about finding the courage to overcome your challenges and looking back with pride and gratitude at your efforts. The pursuit of happiness should remain the title of a movie! Knowing this has brought a lot of joy and fulfillment to my life.

Inspiration

How I deal with my anxiety spikes

I have always lived with anxiety but it has been through the roof lately. Watching the news of the earthquakes in horror with a death toll at a number my mind cannot comprehend. More than 33,000 have lost their lives. The feeling of hopelessness can be extremely overwhelming so here is my list of coping mechanisms. I am not a doctor, so this list is of course a personal toolbox that helps me when my anxiety spikes. Hope you find some of them helpful.

Inspiration

If you don't feel rage at this point...

In the past few years, we have all seen an increase of articles about how important it is to explore your emotions, speak up, connect with your values etc. but it will never cease to amaze me how women are still expected to eradicate key emotions from the human spectrum such as anger, frustration, or deep sadness. Society still expects women to be behave as if nothing bothers us.

Interviews

Interview: Zara Afflick, Founder of Box of Prints

I had the immense pleasure of meeting Zara Afflick a few years ago at a social event in Shoreditch and I was immediately inspired by her incredible generosity of spirit, work ethic, and talent. Zara is a social entrepreneur and textile designer and even with her amazing portfolio career, she still has time to organise brilliant events for young entrepreneurs. I was so excited to catch up with her and ask her a few questions.

Inspiration

Surviving the festive season

The festive season is officially here! You just need to see your Christmas obsessed neighbour who lit up his entire house, the mince pies on sale at Tesco or the drunk Santas all around town. Joke apart I am a sucker for lights and decorations and quite enjoy the festive season.

Interviews

Interview: Laura Brooks, The Paper Collective

Laura Brooks is the founder of an exciting new stationery store called The Paper Collective. They originally launched online but now have a physical store as of October 2022! I love talking to fellow stationery lovers and business owners so it was a great pleasure to interview Laura for our journal.

Interviews

Interview: Sarah Gwonyoma, Founder of @WhatSarahReadNext

I came across Sarah Gwonyoma's Instagram page and was immediately drawn to her thoughtful and powerful reviews of books. When not reading and reviewing books, Sarah is writing and contributed to "Beyond Grief" by Pippa Vosper. It was a delight to ask her a few questions.

Inspiration

Not everyone deserves to hear your heartbreak

I read something ages ago that resonated so much with me. The author was saying that it is a privilege to hear someone’s heartbreak. I couldn’t agree more.

Interviews

Interview: The Candid Book Club

I had the beautiful luck to stumble across The Candid Book Club a few years ago when they had just started their book club. I immediately fell in love with their sharp, insightful, and genuine book reviews. Their no-nonsense approach is what gives them their immense credibility and I always check them out when looking for new titles for our Rama store. It was an honour to catch up with them.

Inspiration

What I have learnt from founding Rama Publishing

It is hard to pause and look back on what life has taught you. We keep running around like headless chickens and then wonder where the time has gone. I made myself a cup of tea and, whilst waiting for the leaves to brew, I reflected on what I learnt starting my business. I hope you find these points useful.

Interviews

Interview: Dina Asfour, Founder of Palestinian Tatreez Workshops

Dina is a force of nature! We met through a mutual friend and the spark was immediate. When I found out that she hosted workshops on the Palestinian art of tatreez I was so excited to attend one. Her knowledge and passion was so infectious and I had the most magical afternoon. It was a great pleasure have her share some more information about herself and the workshops.

Inspiration

More tips on using your Daily Review Planner

I know we have previously written about how to use your Daily Review Planner but I wanted to add some more tips that our lovely customers have mentioned over the last few years. Read more to find out.

Inspiration

Getting back into the reading groove

If you enjoy reading as much as I do then you know the feeling of a reading slump. Read on to find out how to get out of one.

Inspiration

Thank You for 2021

I cannot believe I am writing my annual thank you. 2021 honestly feels like a blur. As much as we wanted the year to be business as usual it was anything but.

Inspiration

Guess what? It's great to be "too much"

I want to reiterate something you might already know in theory but really need to apply immediately in your life: do not dim your light to accommodate other people’s insecurities.

Inspiration

Already dreading the winter darkness?

As an anxious person, I can't help but feel dread at the shorter days coming sooner than I would like them to. If this is you too, read this article to find out ways to cope.

Career

How to focus in the modern world

The question that I get asked time and time again by my clients and the students I mentor is: “How do I focus on my work and stop procrastinating for hours every day?” Read this article to find out how.

Career

This belief may be holding you back

One of the most dangerous beliefs we can hold is that we are stuck in a box and can never get out. We have accepted consciously or subconsciously the limitations placed upon us by our social circles - often parents, close friends, and colleagues.

Inspiration

Lessons Learnt from a Leap of Faith

We had a pop-up in London in early August! Thank you to all of you that came to support us - it was a magical two weeks and I am still on a high from it all. Read about my experience and lessons learnt in this article.

Inspiration

You are invited to our pop-up!

I am beyond excited to announce that our first ever pop-up will be happening at the start of August in Shoreditch, London! It is an amazing opportunity to meet all the lovely members of our stationery community, some of which have been supporting us since the early days of Rama Publishing back in 2018.

Interviews

Interview: Isa Welly, Nutritionial Therapist and Wellness Coach

Isa Welly is a force of nature. Coming from a professional dance background where she used to tour with mega stars like Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, Snoop Dogg and Chaka Khan, Isa is now a Registered Nutritionist and Wellness Coach. Get ready to feel motivated and inspired!

Inspiration

Want to make friends as an adult? Join a book club.

Making friends as an adult is not as simple as it was when we were young. In this article I talk about how joining a book club opened me up to a world of likeminded, friendly, and fun women.

Inspiration

Planner versus laptop: who wins?

When I decided to start Rama Publishing, so many people tried to dissuade me. Their main argument was that people use their phones or laptops to jot down notes rather than a notebook or diary.

Inspiration

The purpose of a time log

Do you ever wonder where all your time goes? Then this is the article for you! Follow the exercise I give my clients to identify your personal time wasters and claim back hours of your day.

Inspiration

Why you should never tone yourself down

When we hear “be yourself” we tend to dismiss it as quick as it takes this government to make a U-turn. But if we look at this phrase closely and in our day to day lives, how many of us are living a life that aligns with who we truly are, whether it is online, in our private lives, or at work?

Inspiration

A love letter to reading

In lieu of a gift guide (well I am sort of promoting books as gifts!), here are my thoughts on the benefits of reading and also a short reflection on what we have all gone through in 2020.

Inspiration

Why writing is helping me through these tough times

When they first announced the lockdown, it was a shock to my system. Processing emotions is one of the most difficult things to do but I have found writing cathartic during these past months. In the same way as a brisk walk will help your overall mental wellbeing, writing will help you process difficult emotions and free up space in your mind.

Interviews

Interview: Sarah Holmes, Pencil Me In

Sarah Holmes is the founder of Pencil Me In, a wonderful stationery store and online shop based in Elgin, Scotland. I discovered her store through her Instagram page and after many DM's we were lucky enough to meet in person while exhibiting at a trade show in London (ah innocent times!). Read more about the behind-the-scenes action at Pencil Me In and how they were managing the lockdown in this interview.

Inspiration

A heartfelt message

We all have a part to play in creating a better and fairer world for everyone and it can start right now. Just because you don't realise your privilege doesn't mean it doesn't exist and it is your responsibility to educate yourself, no one else's.

Interviews

Interview: Vici Blenkharn, Artcadia

Vici Blenkharn is the founder of Artcadia, a design and letterpress company based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire which she runs with her husband Adam. I am in love with their mesmerising designs and exquisite craftsmanship of their products and it was a great pleasure to have Vici answer some questions for our Journal.

Interviews

Interview: Laura Stephens, Laura Stephens Interior Design

I came across interior designer Laura Stephens whilst looking for inspiration during the lockdown and instantly clicked with her design aesthetic. As we all trying to make our homes a little cosier at the moment, I thought Laura would be the perfect interviewee for the Rama Journal.

Inspiration

A Letter from the Founder: Rachida Benamar

Before I founded Rama Publishing and whilst living in Australia, I would often sit in my favourite armchair with a notebook and pencil and sketch out my aspirations, goals, and dreams.

Inspiration

Rama Publishing's Last Minute Christmas Gift Guide 2019

When someone tells you: “I really don’t want anything”, don’t believe them! It is ALWAYS nice to receive a thoughtful gift, especially if you weren’t expecting it. I know it can be tough finding the perfect gift, so I have rounded up some of my favourites for you.

Inspiration

Your dose of inspiration

When Books Are Confiscated, Words Travel Further

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