Welcome to The Northern Correspondent #8, our before-and-after issue.

Most of us 
have experienced a moment in our lives when something happened
 that changed the course of our lives. Before, life was balanced and in equilibrium. Then forces tipped the seesaw, and after… well, life was never the same again. Sometimes it’s a choice: to move house or stay put. In other cases, it just happens: a breakup or a death.

These moments can be intensely personal. But regions and nations experience a before-and-after too. The idea for this latest issue was sparked by the EU referendum but in the pages of this magazine, our writers, photographers, illustrators and poets also share moments 
of joy and self-fulfillment, of recovery from addiction and paralysis, of struggles with loss and hunger.

There’s both learning and comfort to be found in this issue, we believe. So we hope you’ll take a moment to buy a copy, read at your leisure and, as always, let us know what you think.

And if you value the kind of journalism we’re offering, please consider helping us to sustain it by taking out a subscription to the magazine.