pulpmagazine.co.uk

You’ve probably landed here (rather than, say, a particular post/page) because you’ve Googled ‘pulp mmu’ or ‘student magazine manchester met’ or something along those lines. I hate to try and second-guess you, but you’ve probably done so to find out more about your student magazine as a new student at MMU. Am I right? I thought so.

If I’m not, then please scuttle on over to the section headers at the top; there’s some excellent content from a couple of years ago which deserves to be enjoyed even now.

If you’re here hoping to find out how to get involved with student media at Manchester Metropolitan University, I’m really sorry to have to break it to you that… you can’t. Not with an MMU publication at least. PULP was closed last year (towards the end of the ’09/’10 academic year), after 30 years of publication. The Union’s decision. MMUnion, you know the one. ‘Your’ union.

I shan’t bother going into details about PULP’s history, or into conspiracy theories about how PULP conveniently died a death last year. I can’t even give you much assistance with finding an outlet for your work. You probably hoped there’d be an MMU student publication ready to welcome your writing, your drawings, your photography, your whatever. Apparently not. Apparently MMUnion doesn’t see such activity as profitable or worthwhile. How bizarre.

Finally, all I can do is suggest you look elsewhere. You’re at MMU now, so make the best of that, but don’t be dissuaded by a Union so short-sighted as to not have a student paper. There are plenty more publications around Manchester just begging for your input, even if MMUnion isn’t. Student Direct would be the obvious suggestion, although it’s fair to say that it differs rather greatly to what PULP was.

If you want my honest opinion, I’d suggest you get together with a few mates, come up with some ideas, and start your own website or zine. Sure, Manchester’s got plenty, but you can never have too much creativity. If you like, get involved with one of the existing ones you find at Piccadilly Records or Trof. But have a bash at starting your own. It’ll make you feel incredible. It’ll piss you off at times, and wear you out. But I promise it’ll be worth it.

So I’m sorry there’s no PULP any more. But it’s not my fault. Just take my advice and go and make something amazing. Do it today. If you don’t do it, no one else will. And that’s how things like PULP wither and die.

Yours,
the online editor (2008/2009)