As a freelance, I've had my work published in various newspapers; mostly the Guardian, but also the Independent, Sunday Herald, Chronicle of Higher Education, The Scotsman, and Times Education, Higher Education, and Literary Supplements. I've also written for various magazines including Prospect, Fabian Review, Psychologies, New Humanist and specialist publications such as Professional Fundraiser and Public Finance. I currently write a weekly column for the Herald. New articles are announced on this site as they are published. Below is a set of links to highlights of past journalism, until March 2007. I hope to add more recent articles soon.
Free doesn't mean unfair (The Guardian, March 5 2007)
A defence of fair trade
Stop the Clocks (The Independent, 1 January 2007)
A lengthy essy on time, given a misleading headline.
The Simpsons as Philosophy (BBC Online, 19 May 2006)
This is the piece that finally secured me a place in Private Eye's Pseud's Corner.
Face to Faith (The Guardian, 29 April 2006)
I'm an atheist, but as this piece shows, I don;t think religion should simply be dismissed.
Common Sense (The Guardian 25 March 2006)
An essay on sharing
Time's arrow hangs over us (Observer Sports Monthly, 5 February 2006)
Make the most of the time you have - play darts
Let's call time of quick-fix Britain (The Guardian, 17 August 2005)
In defence of longer drinking hours - at the time many people were against them.
Here's what it really means to be British (The Guardian, 16 March 2005)
Newspapers like bold claims in headlines.
The joy of Christmas (alone) (The Guardian, 28 December 2004)
A personal favourite. Humbug!
Why the left has gained a US accent (The Guardian, 1 December 2004)
This piece earned me the description of "liberal authoritarian".
Who loses in the truth wars? (Butterflies and Wheels, October 2004)
A shorter version of a longer essay.
Revealed - The meaning of life (The Guardian, 20 September 2004)
The digested read of my book on the same subject
Feeling good won't help ther world's poor (The Guardian, 17 August 2004)
In which I coin the phrase "eco-narcissim".
Forget freelance - it's time to me-lance (The Guardian, 3 April 2004)
Decent idea; ropey neologism
Sisyphus and Henman - The perfect partners (The Observer, 6 July 2003)
This is the piece that should have got me into Pseud's Corner.
Wisdom's Folly (The Guardian)
This links to an archive of a weekly series I wrote until the Guardian chnaged its format. It's about looking at old sayings in new ways.
