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September 22, 2009

New Statesman to relaunch this week

By Oliver Luft

Current affairs magazine, New Statesman, will relaunch print and online editions this week by introducing a raft of new columnists including award-winning novelist Will Self and economics professor David Blanchflower.

In addition to a redesign and new masthead, the new look magazine will add new sections in print, expanded online content and place greater focus on photography with the appointment of its first ever picture editor.

Self will pen a new column, Madness of Crowds, which aims to be a wry look at strange social phenomena and group behaviour. This column will alternate with another called Real Meals for which he will visit high street food outlets.

Dartmouth College professor Blanchflower, a former member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England, will join him to write a column on economics, while comedian Mark Watson who will write about ethical dilemmas.

Phillip Blond, director of the think tank ResPublica, will write fortnightly on political ideas, and John Gray, author and philosopher, has been appointed lead book reviewer.

Further changes will see Michael Hodges write a weekly column on class and historian Dominic Sandbrook explore counterfactual history. Mark Lynas, Sophie Elmhirst and Bibi van der Zee will also contribute, writing columns on green issues.

Rebecca McClelland has been appointed picture editor. She joins from Wallpaper magazine and was previously picture director with the Sunday Times and ES magazines.

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Jason Cowley, New Statesman editor, said: “The New Statesman has been completely rethought and restructured, with new, coherent sections, improved signposting, more creative use of photography and illustration, and new, award-winning writers and columnists.

“The magazine will remain true to its political heritage, but will be more nuanced in tone, more plural, sceptical and unpredictable.”

The redesign of the magazine has been conducted by Simon Esterson and Stephen Coates of Esterson Associates.

It will incorporate the introduction of a new front section, The Intelligence, as a concise view of the week.

The new middle section will be given over to longer reports and essays while another new section will cover social affairs, the environment, health, science and campaigns, and The Critics will offer views on the arts, books and culture.

In the coming months, the magazine intends to launch a major expansion of its online operation.

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