The Idler (1993)


The Idler is a bi-monthly magazine, devoted to its ethos of 'idling'. Founded in 1993 by Tom Hodgkinson and Gavin Pretor-Pinney, the publication's intention is to return dignity to the art of loafing, to make idling into something to aspire towards rather than reject.
The magazine combines the aesthetics of 1990s slacker culture and pre-industrial revolution idealism. The title comes from a series of essays by Samuel Johnson, published in 1758–59.

Ethos

On the practice of idling, Tom Hodgkinson writes:

History

The Idler was launched in 1993 when its editor, Tom Hodgkinson, was 25. The title came from a series of essays by Samuel Johnson. In it, Johnson wrote on such subjects as sleep and sloth and said: "Every man is, or hopes to be, an idler." The new Idler took this 18th-century sensibility and combined it with the radical philosophies of the 1990s. Issue One featured a profile of Dr Johnson and an interview with psychonaut Terence McKenna.
The Idler has since enjoyed a number of incarnations. In the nineties it was published by The Guardian newspaper, then by Ebury publishing. Tom published the Idler as an annual collection of essays until 2014, then relaunched the magazine in 2016. The magazine is now published bi-monthly.

Spin-offs and other media

Tom Hodgkinson has written numerous books which develop this attitude to life. The first, How to Be Idle, has been published in 20 countries and has so far become a best-seller in the UK, Italy and Germany. His second book How to Be Free takes an anarchic approach to the everyday barriers that come between us and our dreams. The third is an alternative parenting manual, The Idle Parent, which argues that children should be left largely to their own devices. The fourth, Brave Old World considers the virtues of the self-sufficient, rural lifestyle.
TitleYearPagesAuthor
How to be Idle2007286Tom Hodgkinson
How to be Free2008352Tom Hodgkinson
The Book of Idle Pleasures2008224Tom Hodgkinson and Dan Kieran
The Idle Parent2009260Tom Hodgkinson
Brave Old World2011275Tom Hodgkinson

The Crap series of humour books is a direct spin-off from an Idler column and edited by Dan Kieran:
The Idler includes archived magazine content and regular updates from the editor.

Academy

The Idler Academy, founded at a festival in 2010, is the Idler’s educational offshoot. It is a school which offers online and real-world courses in the classical liberal arts and practical skills. The Idler Academy teaches philosophy, astronomy, calligraphy, music, business skills, English grammar, ukulele, public speaking, singing, drawing, self-defence and other subjects.

Bad Grammar Award

From 2013 the Academy awarded a Bad Grammar Award. Entries were nominated by Idler readers and Academy students and judged by a panel of experts.
Winners
2018: The NHS
2017: Transport For London

Notable past contributors

Contributors and interviewees who have been featured in the Idler include: