New Humanist | |
Editor2: | Jessica Abrahams |
Editor: | Niki Seth-Smith |
Editor Title2: | Deputy Editor |
Frequency: | Quarterly |
Editor3: | Kenan Malik, Suzanne Moore, Alom Shaha, Jonathan Rée |
Editor Title3: | Contributing Editors |
Category: | Humanism, rationalism |
Publisher: | The Rationalist Association |
Founded: | 1885 (under the name Watts's Literary Guide) |
Country: | United Kingdom |
Based: | London |
Language: | English |
Issn: | 0306-512X |
New Humanist is a quarterly[1] magazine, published by the Rationalist Association in the UK,[2] that focuses on culture, news, philosophy, and science from a sceptical perspective.[3]
The New Humanist has been in print for more than 131 years; starting out life as Watts's Literary Guide, founded by C. A. Watts in November 1885.[4] It later became The Literary Guide and Rationalist Review (1894–1954), Humanist (1956–1971) and the New Humanist in 1972.[5]
Notable columnists have included Laurie Taylor,[6] Simon Hoggart[7] and Sally Feldman.[8]
In 2003 Hazhir Teimourian, a reviewer for the magazine, quit over a controversial cartoon depicting Christ slumped in the arms of the Virgin Mary.[9]
Jim Herrick was editor of New Humanist from 1984 until 2002, and subsequently became the journal’s literary editor until his retirement in 2005.[10] From 2002 until 2005 the magazine's editor was Frank Jordans.[11] In 2005 Caspar Melville took over as managing editor of the magazine and CEO of the Rationalist Association.[12] Daniel Trilling assumed the position of Editor in 2013.[13] Samira Shackle became editor in spring 2020. Niki Seth-Smith is the current editor, having assumed the position in spring 2023.