New Humanist

Last updated
New Humanist
New Humanist logo.svg
EditorJessica Abrahams
Deputy EditorNiki Seth-Smith
Contributing EditorsKenan Malik, Suzanne Moore, Alom Shaha, Jonathan Rée
Categories Humanism, rationalism
FrequencyQuarterly
Publisher The Rationalist Association
Founded1885 (under the name Watts's Literary Guide)
Country United Kingdom
Based inLondon
LanguageEnglish
Website newhumanist.org.uk
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]

Contents

History

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.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Observer</i> British weekly newspaper

The Observer is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to The Guardian and The Guardian Weekly, having been acquired by their parent company, Guardian Media Group Limited, in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.

<i>Granta</i> British literary magazine and publisher

Granta is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centres on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story's supreme ability to describe, illuminate and make real." In 2007, The Observer stated: "In its blend of memoirs and photojournalism, and in its championing of contemporary realist fiction, Granta has its face pressed firmly against the window, determined to witness the world."

A Secular Humanist Declaration was an argument for and statement of support for democratic secular humanism. The document was issued in 1980 by the Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism (CODESH), now the Council for Secular Humanism (CSH). Compiled by Paul Kurtz, it is largely a restatement of the content of the American Humanist Association's 1973 Humanist Manifesto II, of which he was co-author with Edwin H. Wilson. Both Wilson and Kurtz had served as editors of The Humanist, from which Kurtz departed in 1979 and thereafter set about establishing his own movement and his own periodical. His Secular Humanist Declaration was the starting point for these enterprises.

Jim Herrick was a British humanist and secularist. He studied history and English literature at Trinity College, Cambridge University, and then worked as a school teacher for seven years. He wrote or edited several books on humanism and the history of freethought.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicolas Walter</span>

Nicolas Hardy Walter was a British anarchist and atheist writer, speaker and activist. He was a member of the Committee of 100 and Spies for Peace, and wrote on topics of anarchism and humanism.

<i>Free Inquiry</i> Bi-monthly journal

Free Inquiry is a bimonthly journal of secular humanist opinion and commentary published by the Council for Secular Humanism, a program of the Center for Inquiry. Philosopher Paul Kurtz was the editor-in-chief from its inception in 1980 until stepping down in 2010. Kurtz was succeeded by Tom Flynn who worked as Editor in Chief until 2021. Paul Fidalgo was named editor in 2022, beginning with the October/November issue. Feature articles cover a wide range of topics from a freethinking perspective. Common themes are separation of church and state, science and religion, dissemination of freethought, and applied philosophy. Regular contributors include well-known scholars in the fields of science and philosophy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanal Edamaruku</span> Indian rationalist (born 1955)

Sanal Edamaruku is an Indian author and rationalist. He is the founder-president and editor of Rationalist International, the president of the Indian Rationalist Association and the author of 25 books and other articles. In 2012, after examining an alleged miracle at a local church in Mumbai, he was charged under India's blasphemy law, causing him to voluntarily exile to Finland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham</span> Rationalist group based in India

Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham is a rationalist organization based in Kerala, India. The organization says it stands for rationalism and humanism. It is the initiator of the umbrella organization for rationalism and humanism, Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations.The Rationalist Movement in Kerala had started with the Sahodara Sangham, formed by K. Ayyappan on May 29, 1917 at Cherai, in Ernakulam. This fraternity forum propagated 'Mishra Bhojanam', which was unthinkable as well as very revolutionary at the time. These movements paved way for a rationalist organization which started functioning in 1967. Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham is the continuation of this parent avatar. The organization started functioning in 1967. It has units in all the districts in Kerala and in the Union Territorial district of Mahi. Yukthirekha, a monthly in Malayalam, is the official magazine of Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham, which has been in circulation since 1983. KYS has a youth wing, Humanist Youth Movement, and a parallel wing, Kerala Misra Vivahavedi, a sub-organisation for the cause of inter-religious and inter-caste married lives. KYS also manages A T Kovoor Trust and Pavanan Institute. KYS is an associate organization of International Humanist Ethical Union, now Humanist International, headquartered in London.

William J. "Bill" McIlroy was a British secularist and atheist activist, writer and editor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Al-Khalili</span> British theoretical physicist, author and broadcaster

Jameel Sadik "Jim" Al-Khalili is an Iraqi-British theoretical physicist, author and broadcaster. He is professor of theoretical physics and chair in the public engagement in science at the University of Surrey. He is a regular broadcaster and presenter of science programmes on BBC radio and television, and a frequent commentator about science in other British media.

Kathleen Cecilia Nott FRSL was a British poet, novelist, critic, philosopher and editor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham Humanists</span>

The Birmingham Humanist Group was formed on 23 May 1962 at the Arden Hotel, New Street, Birmingham, England, at a meeting convened by Dr Anthony Brierley. It changed its name to Birmingham Humanists in 2000 and voted to become a Partner Group of the BHA, which changed its name to Humanists UK in 2017. It holds most of its meetings at the rooms of the Community Development trust in Moseley, Birmingham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Watts (secularist)</span> English secularist

Charles Watts was an English writer, lecturer and publisher, who was prominent in the secularist and freethought movements in both Britain and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Albert Watts</span>

Charles Albert Watts was an English secularist editor and publisher. He founded the journal Watts's Literary Guide, which later became the New Humanist magazine, and the Rationalist Press Association. His father Charles Watts was also a prominent secularist writer. Father and son are sometimes confused with each other, and Charles Albert Watts is sometimes referred to as C. A. Watts or Charles Watts Jr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rationalist Association</span> Irreligious organization in the United Kingdom

The Rationalist Association, originally the Rationalist Press Association, is an organization in the United Kingdom, founded in 1885 by a group of freethinkers who were unhappy with the increasingly political and decreasingly intellectual tenor of the British secularist movement. The purpose of the Rationalist Press Association was to publish literature that was too anti-religious to be handled by mainstream publishers and booksellers. The Rationalist Press Association changed its name to "The Rationalist Association" in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas Whittaker (metaphysician)</span>

Thomas Whittaker was an English metaphysician and critic.

<i>Tatler</i> British Magazine established in 1901

Tatler is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. It focuses on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper-middle class and upper class, and those interested in society events. Its readership is the wealthiest of all Condé Nast's publications.

David Alan Clifton Reynolds is an English author and publisher.

Ravipudi Venkatadri was an Indian activist in the rationalist and humanist movements.

Archie Edward Heath was a philosopher and philosophy professor. Alongside his contemporary Ludwig Wittgenstein, he significantly influenced the 'Swansea School of Philosophy'. He was President of the Rationalist Press Association from 1949 to 1954.

References

  1. "Ten reasons why you should read the relaunched New Humanist". Rationalist Association. 20 November 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  2. James Heartfield (28 October 2005). "Humanist Pupils: The Right Not To Pray". The Times Educational Supplement.
  3. "An extremely brief history of New Humanist". Archived from the original on 24 February 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
  4. Alex Johnson (9 February 2006). "Free speech no laughing matter in Britain". MSNBC.
  5. Sullivan, Alvin. (1983). British Literary Magazines: The Augustan age and the age of Johnson, 1698-1788. Greenwood Press. p. 198
  6. Phil Baty (9 September 2005). "Ignatieff Ducks Debate With Critics In Torture Row". The Times Higher Education Supplement.
  7. "Political Pundit Heads to Flintshire". Daily Post. 2 April 2010.
  8. Gavin Ross (13 September 2007). "Tom Cruises in all sizes No 3995". New Statesman.
  9. Andrew Pierce (25 April 2003). "Religious cartoon draws the anger of atheist writer". The Times.
  10. "Humanists UK mourns Jim Herrick (1944-2023)". Humanists UK. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  11. "A Round Up of Some Of Our Other Activities" (PDF). National Secular Society Bulletin. January–February 2005. p. 11. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  12. Caspar Melville (26 December 2009). "I've changed my mind about religion". Guardian Unlimited.
  13. "Meet the team". Rationalist Association. Archived from the original on 8 February 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2013.