Helen Lewis

Miniature CV

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:45:29 +0100

Helen Lewis is deputy editor at the New Statesman, a British left-leaning political magazine.

As well as commissioning and editing, she writes for the NS magazine and blogs for its website, with favoured topics including comedy, feminism, politics and computer games. She has also written for Edge magazine, British Elle, the New York Times, the Stylist, the Sunday Times, Saga, Economia, Square Meal and the Guardian; and has appeared on the Today programme, Pienaar’s Politics, Woman’s Hour, BBC Breakfast and The Daily Politics.

She has a first class degree in English Language and Literature from Oxford University and an MA (Distinction) in English Literature from the Open University. She was described as a “dedicated gamer” in the Financial Times, which is a nice way of describing what happens when you turn your hobby into a job.

She tweets @helenlewis and her blog can be found here.

In Saga magazine, I told pensioners why they should play Grand...

Wed, 08 May 2013 13:44:37 +0100

In Saga magazine, I told pensioners why they should play Grand Theft Auto.

“Will a tattoo ever hang in the Louvre?” My...

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:32:07 +0100

“Will a tattoo ever hang in the Louvre?”

My longread on the academic study of tattoos.

Listen: Did the left win the 20th century?

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:41:33 +0100

newstatesman:

Did you miss our excellent centenary debate last week? “This house believes the Left won the 20th century” saw Mehdi Hasan, Helen Lewis and Simon Heffer supporting the motion, taking on Tim Montgomerie, Owen Jones and Ruth Porter.

But fear not, we’ve prepared a lovely podcast for your listening pleasure.

Just click here.

I hoodwinked the Guardian into letting me write about videogames...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:14:14 +0100

I hoodwinked the Guardian into letting me write about videogames again. Virtual economies are fascinating.

"There’s no point in your language being ‘correct’ if only 12 of your friends can..."

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 09:05:38 +0100

“There’s no point in your language being ‘correct’ if only 12 of your friends can understand it.”

- - on the impossibility of aiming for perfection in language.

newstatesman100: The New Statesman magazine is one-hundred...

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:41:49 +0100

newstatesman100:

The New Statesman magazine is one-hundred years old today.

The first issue: 12 April 1913.

“Instead of 50 shades, the back cover lists 56 names and...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:18:25 +0100

“Instead of 50 shades, the back cover lists 56 names and there’s a further essay by a young, feminist prizewinner tucked away at the back. Hey, who cares? Maths is for dudes, anyway.”

- Reviewing “50 Shades of Feminism” for the New Statesman (I liked Meera Syal’s piece, btw)

I’ve written in the new Elle about being feminine and a...

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 17:22:20 +0100

I’ve written in the new Elle about being feminine and a feminist; or why it’s terrible to be told you have to live up to arbitrary standards of femininity, and then mocked for doing the homework.

The piece isn’t online, so you will have to pay ACTUAL MONEY to read it.

"Lewis’s Law (coined by journalist Helen Lewis) holds that ‘the comments on any article about..."

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:57:00 +0100

“Lewis’s Law (coined by journalist Helen Lewis) holds that ‘the comments on any article about feminism justify feminism’.”

- I genuinely feel that my existence is justified by this Wired piece.

Are internet comments helping maintain a public sphere that’s...

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:36:10 +0000

Are internet comments helping maintain a public sphere that’s dominated by white men, I ask over at Open Democracy.

"Of all the great inventions, the front door might be the least appreciated."

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:32:14 +0000

“Of all the great inventions, the front door might be the least appreciated.”

- For the Guardian, on Facebook’s privacy settings.

"Newsnight Review I always wonder about - they played Call Of Duty once and they all just sort of..."

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:24:39 +0000

““Newsnight Review I always wonder about - they played Call Of Duty once and they all just sort of went, “I don’t know why all these people want to run around shooting people in the face when they could be reading Brecht”. I thought that was an incredibly snobby attitude to take. Just because they didn’t understand, they wouldn’t ever go to the opera and say, ‘why are all these people banging on in German all the time?’”

- Talking to Games Industry International about Games and Acceptance in the Mainstream Media

Talking about Lara Croft on the BBC World Service programme, The...

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 13:41:33 +0000

Talking about Lara Croft on the BBC World Service programme, The Strand.

Lara was our ambassador to mainstream culture. She used to tell...

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 11:00:37 +0000

Lara was our ambassador to mainstream culture. She used to tell a story about gamers as feverish adolescent boys. What story does she tell about us now?

"The lobby went wild. “New Statesman” trended briefly on Twitter. Adam Boulton..."

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:53:00 +0000

“The lobby went wild. “New Statesman” trended briefly on Twitter. Adam Boulton unironically used the word “dissing” on Sky News. It was literally the most exciting thing that happened at the weekly meeting between the two most powerful politicians in our country.”

- On PMQs, for Comment Is Free.

Do you like WOMEN with OPINIONS? Come to the New...

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:52:15 +0000

Do you like WOMEN with OPINIONS?

Come to the New Statesman’s debate on the future of feminism on 4 April at Conway Hall. Me, Laurie Penny, Glosswitch, Juliet Jacques, Bim Adewunmi and Rhiannon & Holly of Vagenda Magazine.

Tickets £5.

No Pressure to Be Funny - Sunday, 3 March

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:50:06 +0000

No Pressure to Be Funny - Sunday, 3 March:

Watch me and TV’s Owen Jones try and fail to be funny about topical topics.

Nominated for Rising Star at the British Media Awards 2013.

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:35:25 +0000

Nominated for Rising Star at the British Media Awards 2013.

Nominated for Journalist of the Year against Maryam Namazie and...

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 16:25:18 +0000

Nominated for Journalist of the Year against Maryam Namazie and Clare Balding.