One of the best way to use and learn Esperanto is by reading magazines. You get to practice using the language while seeing the views and opinions of Esperantists from all over the world. There are loads of Esperanto magazines, covering a wide range of topics, so there’s certainly going to be something to interest you. There are hundreds of magazines in total as most countries and interest groups have their own review. I won’t be able to discuss all of them in this post, so I’ll just focus on the main international journals. Esperanto magazines do not have one flat subscription rate, instead the price varies by country, with poorer countries paying less and richer countries paying more.
(This post was translated from Esperanto)
Juna Amiko
If you are a beginner, then I would highly recommend “Juna Amiko” (Young Friend). It is designed for teenagers and beginners, so it is written in a simple and easy to understand level of Esperanto. The magazine only uses the 1,500 most basic words of Esperanto. It contains conversations, stories, comics, songs and games. It has been published four times a year since 1972 by the International League of Esperanto Teachers. It is published in Slovakia and has 40 pages. Every issue between 1972 and 2013 is available here for free.
Revuo Esperanto
The oldest and most prestigious magazine in the Esperanto community is the “Revuo Esperanto” (Esperanto Review), usually just called Esperanto. Founded in 1905 and continuing to this day (apart from an interruption during the World Wars), it is the official magazine of UEA, Universala Esperanto-Asocio (the World Esperanto Association). It focuses on themes relevant to the Esperanto movement, the activities of UEA and the language itself. The articles mainly relate to events, national associations, activism, campaigns, interviews with Esperantists, speeches, books and Esperantists who have died. It appears 11 times a year and contains 22 pages.
Revuo Kontakto
The official magazine of TEJO, Tutmonda Esperantista Junulara Organizo (World Esperantist Youth Organisation) is Kontakto (Contact), which is aimed at the Esperanto youth movement. Unlike Revuo Esperanto, it rarely discusses organisational affairs (usually only a little about TEJO) instead it focuses on youth topics. It is much less formal and much more cool and casual. Generally, it contains articles, interviews and essays but from a youth viewpoint. It also has articles written in easy Esperanto suitable for beginners. First published in 1963, it appears 6 times a year and has 22 pages.
Monato
Monato (Month) is an “independent international magazine about politics, economics and culture . . . Monato has 126 correspondents with work contracts in 43 countries and subscribers in 68 countries.” Basically, it’s an Esperanto version of Time or Newsweek magazine that discusses current affairs. As a rule, only people who live in the country can write about it, in order to get a local perspective. Unlike other magazines, Monato is strictly “in Esperanto, not about Esperanto.” It never discusses Esperanto affairs or movement matters, instead it only deals with global topics. Recently they published an article I’d written. Founded in 1980, it has 27 pages and appears 11 times during the year. Issues between 2006 and 2015 are available here.
Beletra Almanako
This is an international literary review and has some of the highest quality Esperanto writing I’ve come across. It contains poetry, prose, essays, stories, both original and translated. It contributes massively to the culture of Esperanto and shows the beautiful and creative ways the language can be used. Founded in 2007, it appears three times per year and each issue contains roughly 150 pages.
Scienca Revuo
The International Esperantist Scientific Association publishes this scientific journal. It has continuously appeared since 1949 and is a continuation of the International Scientific Review founded in 1904. It is very important for the prestige of Esperanto and shows that the language is capable of discussing complex technicalities. It shows that people don’t just use Esperanto to talk about Esperanto but also to discuss serious topics. The entire archive is downloadable for free from its website. It’s also possible to see articles before they are published in its blog.
La Ondo de Esperanto
La Ondo de Esperanto (The Wave of Esperanto) is about Esperanto and the world in general. Published in Kaliningrad, Russia, it contains articles about books, world news and events. Although it was only founded in 1991, it has the same name as a magazine published from 1909-1917. Each year it awards the prize of “Esperantist of the Year”. It appears monthly and has 25 pages, but from 2017 it will only appear online. For reasons I don’t understand, I even appeared on the cover of it this year.
So those are the main Esperanto magazine, at least in my opinion. I only wrote about physical paper magazines, perhaps I’ll write a future post about online magazines and blogs. My favourite magazines are Monato and Kontakto but I also like Revuo Esperanto. Beletra Almanako and Scienca Revuo contribute massively to the culture and prestige of the language, so I am very proud of them.
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