Why did you set up Aeon?
Paul and I set up Aeon because we believed that we live at a point in history when people are questioning their own and their society’s values and beliefs, and in our view the only way to work through this is by having open conversation and debate about questions that matter deeply to people.
What is the main aim of Aeon?
To foster conversations about significant questions that go to the heart of contemporary dilemmas and interests: whether that be understanding the latest news about the Higgs Boson, wondering how we mark important moments in our lives, or thinking deeply about the meaning of work and leisure. Our topics range very widely, but our interests are unified by a particular ethos, or tone. We want Aeon to be a place that people visit, and spend time online, where they feel confident that each essay will be stimulating, and some will have the capacity to shift their perspectives altogether.
You have some brilliant essays coming up. Can you tell us about some of the highlights?
We have a wonderful lyrical essay on Bristlecone Pines – the world’s oldest living beings – and their prospects under climate change, by young science writer Ross Andersen. A searing memoir of life as a fostered adolescent and how a wild raccoon saved her sense of self by Lauren Slater, an award-winning essayist. A spirited defence of metaphor and inspiration by Jay Griffiths, author of the Wild; and a searching, deeply personal account of what it is like for Arab women facing the post-revolution world today by Amal Ghandour. A highly varied collection!
What do you think the most important news story this year has been?
In the spirit of our commitment to many perspectives, and the many qualities that make us human beings, I couldn’t say there has been one dominating story. Our desire is to get beyond the news and into the questions that lie behind the daily news cycle: from the lives of Arab women living through revolutions to the consequences of climate change; questions of sexuality and gay rights in Uganda or the culture wars that are part of the US election.
How do you get your writers?
We do a huge amount of research and discussion within the editorial team. The initial point of contact varies: sometimes one of our editors will approach a writer they have worked with before; sometimes we cold-call somebody we’d love to have writing for us, and sometimes we are approached by writers who have something for us.
Describe a typical day.
Right now we are in the middle of launch so we have a great deal going on. The longer rhythms of commissioning essays and working with our writers to get the essays right goes on all the time. So every day we are in correspondence with writers, working on drafts, researching possible stories and researching pictures (which are very important to our highly visual site).
At the same time as this we meet every day to discuss the day to day management of the website, and the kinds of responses we have had to each essay. Every day we also connect to our social media communities, as well. If we are serious about conversation, we need to be agile and responsive to our readers as well as commissioning work that we believe in ourselves.
Tell us a bit about you
I’m originally trained as an environmental historian, and also have an academic background in anthropology. I’ve always had wide intellectual interests, especially in science, environment and historical topics. For a very long time Paul and I have both been interested in how ideas work in the world – both through people’s personal experiences and also through social action and wider discussion – so Aeon is very much an expression of that mutual interest. On a personal note, I’m Australian, I’ve been living in London for most of the past 6 years (I’ve also lived briefly in New York) and Paul and I have a daughter who is 11.
Aeon is an online magazine. Do you think print is dead?
Not at all! I love print, both in magazine and book form. However the digital space offers a fluidity and reach that cannot be matched in print for a new magazine like ours. As new devices come on the market, digital will be able to offer something closer and closer to the immersive reading of print. There are things that print still does very well – the ultimate balance between the two is hard to predict.
What is Aeon’s business model? How do you think you will make money?
Our business model is to spend the first year or so investing significantly in the magazine in order to build up a strong following or community of interested people – readers, writers, artists and photographers. Once we have established that reach we will start to build opportunities for generating revenue. We are not sure what forms these will take and are watching closely how other publications are doing so – from micro-payments for articles, to higher levels of service for subscribers, live events, and online fora.
What advice do you have for people who want to get into publishing?
I’m not sure that I have any particular advice for people who want to get into publishing – but for those who are interested in writing for a magazine like Aeon I can say: know you subject very well, and read deeply into it if that’s appropriate. Authentic personal experience married with significant technical or empirical knowledge is a powerful combination. Write often, but with discipline and seek advice and help with your writing. And approach us with a pitch if you think you have something that’s right for us!