Idler

03/06/2026

More cartoons by Royston in every edition of the Idler!

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02/06/2026

What is poetry for? Why write it? Idler editor Tom Hodgkinson chats to Alexander McCall Smith - author of the N0. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series – about his third poetry collection, The Kind Company of Others, where he explores nature and the complexities of human relationships.

“The optimist, then, is a realist of sorts, / Is happier, by far, sleeps better at night,” Alexander writes in the poem “Optimism”. Always wise, conversational and optimistic in his writing, we can’t wait to meet him and soak up some of his lessons for life.

Join us Thursday 4 June 6-7pm at “A Drink with the Idler” with Alexander McCall Smith.
https://www.idler.co.uk/product/a-drink-with-the-idler-alexander-mccall-smith/

01/06/2026

Quote of the week: Leo Tolstoy.

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31/05/2026

The founder of the Slow Food movement, Carlo Petrini, died last week. It’s not over-egging things to say that his work improved the world, says Idler editor Tom Hodgkinson.

The Slow Food idea has its roots in the early eighties when Petrini and a group of radicals protested outside the opening of a McDonald’s in Rome. Later in the decade he launched Slow Food with a cute snail for its logo. In Slow Food’s rousing manifesto, Petrini, who had been a member of the Communist Proletarian Unity Party when young, wrote:

“Homo sapiens must regain wisdom and liberate itself from the ‘velocity’ that is propelling it on the road to extinction. Let us defend ourselves against the universal madness of ‘the fast life’ with tranquil material pleasure.”

Petrini reminded us that life is not a race to be won but something to be savoured. For more thoughts on the art of living well, join The Idler newsletter here: https://www.idler.co.uk/ -list

The Idler is a magazine and academy dedicated to fun, freedom and fulfilment. Subscribe today from £2.50 per month.

27/05/2026

More cartoons by Modern Toss in every edition of the Idler! Sign up to our mailing list for more: https://www.idler.co.uk/ -list

26/05/2026

“Why do people love sheds so much? In truth there are numerous factors,” writes Alex Johnson. “Much of it is surely down to the simplicity of the structure, as it has been the basic building block of all architecture since the time of the influential first-century-BCE Roman architect Vitruvius, who argued that any building worth its salt should possess ‘firmitas’, ‘utilitas’ and ‘venustas’; that is, it should be sturdy, functional and aesthetically appealing.

“Benedictine monk Marc-Antoine Laugier went a shed-like step further in his 1753 treatise Essai sur l’architecture, promulgating the theory of the ‘Primitive Hut’. Essentially, he contended that his architect peers were guilty of over-elaboration in their work and should always create with the simplicity of the rustic hut uppermost in their thoughts, since it links us intimately with the natural world.”

We’ll be chatting with Alex Johnson about his new book, The Philosophy of Sheds, this Thursday at 6pm at “A Drink with the Idler”.

https://www.idler.co.uk/product/a-drink-with-the-idler-alex-johnson-on-the-philosophy-of-sheds/

25/05/2026

Quote of the week: Bertrand Russell

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23/05/2026

Meta has just sacked 8,000 workers as part of its promised transformation to AI, says Tom Hodgkinson, the Metaverse having been long abandoned as a terrible idea.

This seems all wrong. In a sane world, AI would reduce the length of the working week. But this is not a sane world. It’s ruled by something called “shareholder value”, where share price is the only real consideration of a big business. Everything else – employee satisfaction, shorter working hours, autonomy, happiness – comes a long way behind.

As Bertrand Russell asked in 1932: when technology makes work more efficient, why don’t we simply work less? The road to happiness, he argued, lies in an organised diminution of work.

What do you think: should AI mean bigger profits or more leisure?

Read the full newsletter from the Editor and join the conversation.

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21/05/2026

“Bible for living.” Three words from Emma Thompson on the Idler.

Just before taking to the stage with Tom Hodgkinson at last year’s Idler Festival, we caught up with Emma for a chat about her long history with the Idler, the art of idling, and her newfound enthusiasm for beekeeping.

We’ve got another wonderful line-up at this year’s festival.
Get your tickets here: https://www.idler.co.uk/festival/