Latest issue of ‘Elska Magazine’ explores men of Dublin, pandemic era hope

19th April 2021 BWM Staff

The spotlight is on the beautiful men of Dublin, Ireland!

Back in December, we reported that Elska Magazine had chosen to shine their light on Belfast, Northern Ireland for their latest issue. This time around, the publication, which is dedicated to revealing the bodies and voices of LGBTQ men around the world, has decided to shine their light on Dublin, Ireland, according to The Advocate.

In the midst of a global pandemic, Elska Dublin was shot with the intention of spreading a bit of hope in a time of lockdowns, lay offs and uncertainty. The personal stories shared by the men in this issue are some of the most cheerful, relaxed and carefree of all the cities Elska has featured. They share tales of nights drinking and going out on the city’s gay scene, quieter nights in, and some even share stories that highlight some of the best moments they’ve experienced during this pandemic era.

“The Dublin issue was such a surprise,” says Elska editor and chief photographer Liam Campbell. “We’d just lost two planned shoot trips for future issues and were nervous that our next two trips would also end up canceled due to the pandemic and resulting travel restrictions. So on a whim I decided to hop over the ‘invisible’ border from where I was in Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland and see if I could make an issue while the COVID-19 rates were at a low.”

He goes on to say: “To my delight, within days of announcing my plans on social media, dozens of guys had come forward, keen to take part in my project. So I grabbed a train and quickly got to work, finishing a busy week of seventeen photoshoots just before a new set of lockdowns came into effect. It was still a scary time, but also really joyful, and I’m happy to now present an issue that will give readers a bit of joy when we really need it.”

Elska Dublin is divided into 11 chapters, with each one dedicated to a different guy and filled with a selection of photos taken in their neighborhoods and homes, and features them dressed in their own style — and sometimes not dressed at all.

A special limited edition companion zine called Elska Ekstra Dublin is also available, containing six more guys and their stories for whom there weren’t enough pages for in the main mag, plus behind-the-scenes tale, and bonus outtakes.

Elska Dublin is 196 pages and is available from a select group of shops around the world as well as for order online from the Elska website. The list of stockists and details of the subscription service can also be found on the Elska website.

For more information, including subscriptions and purchasing, visit elskamagazine.com.