''The London Magazine'' is the title of six different publications that have appeared in succession since 1732. All six have focused on the arts, literature and poetry. A number of Nobel Laureates, including Annie Ernaux,

Albert Camus Albert Camus ( ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, journalist, world federalist, and political activist. He was the recipient of the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the s ...

Doris Lessing Doris May Lessing ( Tayler; 22 October 1919 – 17 November 2013) was a British novelist. She was born to British parents in Qajar Iran, Persia, where she lived until 1925. Her family then moved to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where ...

and

Nadine Gordimer Nadine Gordimer (20 November 192313 July 2014) was a South African writer and political activist. She received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991, recognised as a writer "who through her magnificent epic writing has ... been of very great ben ...

have been published in its pages. It is England's oldest literary journal.

1732–1785

''The London Magazine, or, Gentleman's Monthly Intelligencer'' was founded in 1732 in political opposition and rivalry to the Tory-supporting ''

Gentleman's Magazine ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1907, ceasing publication altogether in 1922. It was the first to use the term '' ...

'' and ran for 53 years until its closure in 1785. Edward Kimber became editor in 1755, succeeding his father Isaac Kimber. Henry Mayo was editor from 1775 to 1783. Publishers included

Thomas Astley Thomas Astley (died 1759) was a bookseller and publisher in London in the 18th century. He often wrote about relevant topics at the time, and contributed to many of those controversial topics. He ran his business from Saint Paul's Churchyard (cir ...

1820–1829

In 1820 the ''London Magazine'' was resurrected by the publishers Baldwin, Craddock & Joy under the editorship of John Scott who formatted the magazine along the lines of the

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

publication ''

Blackwood's Magazine ''Blackwood's Magazine'' was a British magazine and miscellany printed between 1817 and 1980. It was founded by publisher William Blackwood and originally called the ''Edinburgh Monthly Magazine'', but quickly relaunched as ''Blackwood's Edinb ...

''. It was during this time that the magazine published poems by

William Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poetry, Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romanticism, Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication ''Lyrical Balla ...

Percy Bysshe Shelley Percy Bysshe Shelley ( ; 4 August 1792 – 8 July 1822) was an English writer who is considered one of the major English Romantic poets. A radical in his poetry as well as in his political and social views, Shelley did not achieve fame durin ...

John Clare John Clare (13 July 1793 – 20 May 1864) was an English poet. The son of a farm labourer, he became known for his celebrations of the English countryside and his sorrows at its disruption. His work underwent major re-evaluation in the late 20t ...

and

John Keats John Keats (31 October 1795 – 23 February 1821) was an English poet of the second generation of Romantic poets, along with Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley. His poems had been in publication for less than four years when he died of tub ...

. In September 1821 the first of two instalments of

Thomas De Quincey Thomas Penson De Quincey (; Thomas Penson Quincey; 15 August 17858 December 1859) was an English writer, essayist, and literary critic, best known for his ''Confessions of an English Opium-Eater'' (1821).Eaton, Horace Ainsworth, ''Thomas De Q ...

's ''

Confessions of an English Opium-Eater ''Confessions of an English Opium-Eater'' is an 1821 autobiography, autobiographical account written by Thomas De Quincey, about his laudanum addiction and its effect on his life. The ''Confessions'' was "the first major work De Quincey publishe ...

'' appeared in the magazine. Scott quickly began a literary row with writers for''Blackwood's Magazine'', in particular with

John Gibson Lockhart John Gibson Lockhart (12 June 1794 – 25 November 1854) was a Scottish writer and editor. He is best known as the author of the seminal, and much-admired, seven-volume biography of his father-in-law Sir Walter Scott: ''Memoirs of the Life of Sir ...

, on various topics, including ''Blackwood'' virulent criticism of the "Cockney School", under which

Leigh Hunt James Henry Leigh Hunt (19 October 178428 August 1859), best known as Leigh Hunt, was an English critic, essayist and poet. Hunt co-founded '' The Examiner'', a leading intellectual journal expounding radical principles. He was the centre ...

and

were grouped. The quarrel ended in a fatal duel between Scott and Lockhart's close friend and colleague J. H. Christie. Scott lost the duel and his life in 1821. The ''London Magazine'' continued under the editorship of John Taylor. Its contributors included

Thomas Hood Thomas Hood (23 May 1799 – 3 May 1845) was an English poet, author and humorist, best known for poems such as "The Bridge of Sighs (poem), The Bridge of Sighs" and "The Song of the Shirt". Hood wrote regularly for ''The London Magazine'', '' ...

William Hazlitt William Hazlitt (10 April 177818 September 1830) was an English essayist, drama and literary criticism, literary critic, painter, social commentator, and philosopher. He is now considered one of the greatest critics and essayists in the history ...

and

Charles Lamb Charles Lamb (10 February 1775 – 27 December 1834) was an English essayist, poet, and antiquarian, best known for his '' Essays of Elia'' and for the children's book '' Tales from Shakespeare'', co-authored with his sister, Mary Lamb (1764� ...

. During this time Lamb published the first series of his ''

Essays of Elia ''Essays of Elia'' is a collection of essays written by Charles Lamb; it was first published in book form in 1823, with a second volume, ''Last Essays of Elia'', issued in 1833 by the publisher Edward Moxon. The essays in the collection first ...

'', beginning in 1820. Taylor's insistent tampering with contributors' poems led many of the staff, including Lamb and Hazlitt, to abandon the magazine, which ceased publication in 1829.

1840

Simpkin, Marshall and Co. published ''The London Magazine, Charivari, and Courrier des Dames; a Proteus in Politics, a Chameleon in Literature, and a Butterfly in the World of Bon Ton'', edited by Richard Fennell. The first item in the inaugural issue in February 1840 was "Behind the Scenes, with the Prologue to Our Little Drama", which begins: " HathiTrust (undated catalogue record)
"The London magazine, charivari, and courrier des dames"
1840(?). Retrieved 15 December 2019.
HathiTrust Digital Library holdings may be complete, catalogued as two volumes spanning February to November 1840.

1875–1879

The title was revived in November 1875 for a monthly edited by Will Williams. It has been described as "a society paper", and as "a journal of a type more usual in Paris than London, written for the sake of its contributors rather than of the public".

W.P. James, 1911, "Henley, William Ernest," in ''Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition">Encyclopædia Britannica The is a general knowledge, general-knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It has been published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. since 1768, although the company has changed ownership seven times. The 2010 version of the 15th edition, ...

,'' 11th ed. (Hugh Chisholm & Walter Alison Phillips, Eds.), Vol. 13, ''

Project Gutenberg Project Gutenberg (PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, as well as to "encourage the creation and distribution of eBooks." It was founded in 1971 by American writer Michael S. Hart and is the oldest digital li ...

'' part 271, se

accessed 8 May 2015. A significant development in this period was the arrival of

William Ernest Henley William Ernest Henley (23 August 1849 11 July 1903) was a British poet, writer, critic and editor. Though he wrote several books of poetry, Henley is remembered most often for his 1875 poem "Invictus". A fixture in London literary circles, th ...

, who accepted the post of editor, serving from 15 December 1877 for the closing two years (1877–1879). Henley anonymously contributed tens of his own poems to the magazine, "chiefly in old French forms," some of which have been termed "brilliant" (and were later published in a compilation by

Gleeson White Joseph William Gleeson White (1851–1898), often known as Gleeson White, was an English writer on art. Life He was born in Christchurch, Dorset and educated at Christ Church School and afterward became a member of the Art Workers Guild. ...

, Ed. 1888, ''Ballades and Rondeaus, Chants Royal, Sestinas, Villanelles, &c.: Selected with Chapter on the Various Forms'' (William Sharp, Gen. Series Ed.), pp. xix, 16-22, 77-82, 139-141, 169-173, 221, 251-253, and 288-290, London, England:Walter Scott Ltd., se

''

'' online edition, se

accessed 8 May 2015. This period also saw the publication of

Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as ''Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...

's first fictional works, later collected in one volume as " The New Arabian Nights". ''The London'' ceased publication with the issue dated 5 April 1879.

1898–1933

In 1901 ''The Harmsworth Magazine'' was relaunched as ''The London Magazine''The page headings on issue 37 Aug 1901 are "The Harmsworth London Magazine". In March 1901 (issue 32) the pages say "Harmsworth Magazine". By April 1902 (issue 45) the pages say "The London Magazine". From bound volumes. by Cecil Harmsworth, proprietor of the ''

Daily Mail The ''Daily Mail'' is a British daily Middle-market newspaper, middle-market Tabloid journalism, tabloid conservative newspaper founded in 1896 and published in London. , it has the List of newspapers in the United Kingdom by circulation, h ...

'' at the time. The editor was Henry Beckles Willson.

Amalgamated Press The Amalgamated Press (AP) was a British newspaper and magazine publishing company founded by journalist and entrepreneur Alfred Harmsworth (1865–1922) in 1901, gathering his many publishing ventures together under one banner. At one point the ...

continued publishing it until 1930, when it was retitled the ''New London Magazine''. The Australian scholar Sue Thomas has referred to it as "an important informer ... of popular literary tastes in the late Victorian and Edwardian periods". Among

Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Poles in the United Kingdom#19th century, Polish-British novelist and story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the Eng ...

's contributions to ''The London Magazine'' was the serialization of his novel "

Heart of Darkness ''Heart of Darkness'' is an 1899 novella by Polish-British novelist Joseph Conrad in which the sailor Charles Marlow tells his listeners the story of his assignment as steamer captain for a Belgium, Belgian company in the African interior. Th ...

" in three parts (from February to April 1899).

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to a ...

published his essay "A Hanging" in the magazine in August of 1931, considered a classic of modern English literature. Despite the acclaim it enjoyed, the magazine closed in 1933.

Since 1954–present

In 1954 a new periodical was given the title the ''London Magazine'' under the editorship of

John Lehmann Rudolf John Frederick Lehmann (2 June 1907 – 7 April 1987) was an English publisher, poet and man of letters. He founded the periodicals '' New Writing'' and ''The London Magazine'', and the publishing house of John Lehmann Limited. Early ...

,HathiTrust (undated catalogue record)
"London magazine"
1954–present. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
HathiTrust Digital Library holdings, from 1954, provide no view of page images; limited search only. who largely continued the tradition of his previous magazine '' New Writing''. It was endorsed by

T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...

as a non-university-based periodical that would "boldly assume the existence of a public interested in serious literature".

Susan Sontag Susan Lee Sontag (; January 16, 1933 – December 28, 2004) was an American writer, critic, and public intellectual. She mostly wrote essays, but also published novels; she published her first major work, the essay "Notes on "Camp", Notes on 'Ca ...

, Eugene Ionesco,

Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath (; October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was an American poet and author. She is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry and is best known for '' The Colossus and Other Poems'' (1960), '' Ariel'' (1965), a ...

Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian writer and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th centur ...

Hilary Mantel Dame Hilary Mary Mantel ( ; born Thompson; 6 July 1952 – 22 September 2022) was a British writer whose work includes historical fiction, personal memoirs and short stories. Her first published novel, ''Every Day Is Mother's Day'', was releas ...

and Annie Ernaux were among the iconic writers who contributed to the magazine during this period. In 1961 the magazine changed hands and came under the editorship of Lehmann's fellow poet and critic

Alan Ross Alan John Ross (6 May 1922 – 14 February 2001) was a British poet, writer, editor and publisher. Early years Ross was born in Calcutta, India, son of John Brackenridge Ross, CBE, a former Lieutenant in the Indian Army Reserve ( Supply and ...

. Publication continued until Ross's death in 2001. Under both Lehmann and Ross the magazine was published by

Chatto & Windus Chatto & Windus is an imprint of Penguin Random House that was formerly an independent book publishing company founded in London in 1855 by John Camden Hotten. Following Hotten's death, the firm would reorganize under the names of his busines ...

. In 2001 it was relaunched by Christopher Arkell, who appointed the poet and literary critic

Sebastian Barker Sebastian Smart Barker FRSL (16 April 1945 – 31 January 2014) was a British poet notable for a visionary manner that has been compared to William Blake in its use of the long ecstatic line and its "ability to write lyric poetry which used simp ...

as editor. Barker retired in early 2008 and Sara-Mae Tuson took over. In July 2009 Arkell sold the magazine to

Burhan Al-Chalabi Burhan Al-Chalabi (born 1 March 1947) is a British-Iraqi writer and political commentator, and an expert on Middle Eastern relations. He is also the publisher of the London magazine, London Magazine, Britain's oldest journal of the arts and litera ...

, who is now the publisher. ''The London Magazine'' has been relaunched under the current editorship. It is published six times a year. It publishes both emerging and established writers from around the world.

References

External links

Official website of the current incarnation
(TheLondonMagazine.org)
Back issues from the 18th and 19th centuries
via

The Online Books Page The Online Books Page is an index of e-text books available on the Internet. It is edited by John Mark Ockerbloom and is hosted by the library of the University of Pennsylvania. The Online Books Page lists over 2 million books and has several fe ...

.
''Harmsworth Magazine'' (''London Magazine'') - Indexes to Fiction (Victorian Fiction Research Guide)
* Archival material at * The London Magazine Short Story Priz

{{DEFAULTSORT:London Magazine, The Defunct literary magazines published in the United Kingdom Magazines established in 1732 Magazines disestablished in 1785 Magazines established in 1820 Magazines disestablished in 1829 Magazines established in 1840 Magazines disestablished in 1840 Magazines established in 1875 Magazines disestablished in 1879 Magazines established in 1900 Magazines disestablished in 1930 Magazines established in 1954 1732 establishments in England Magazines published in London