Could you land a job at the New Statesman in the 2020s?
We at the New Statesman are no strangers to hard work, but even the most diligent strivers need to take a break sometimes, and recently the New York Times was kind enough to provide us all with some distraction.
'Could you have landed a job at Vogue in the Nineties?' it asked, atop a cultural-literacy quiz, based on one once used to test applicants to the magazine. Once we were done smugly trading our scores, I began dwelling on what such a quiz would look like for this title. So, I present: 'Could you land a job at the New Statesman in the 2020s?' Match the numbers and letters to find out; answers below (don't cheat). Score full marks and I'm told Tom McTague will graciously vacate his office for you*.
Four Shades of Grey
1) 'Great White Male' guest editor
2) Chronicler of Southgateism
3) Tina Brown successor
4) Feline Philosophy author
a) James Graham
b) Graydon Carter
c) John Gray
d) Grayson Perry
Further reading
1) 'Books are the mirrors of the soul'
2) Nicola Six
3) George Smiley
4) 'Only connect'
a) EM Forster
b) John Le Carré
c) Virginia Woolf
d) Martin Amis
Boys George
1) Rhapsody in Blue composer
2) Real name: Eric Blair
3) Austerity posterboy
4) Real name: Mary Ann Evans
Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe
a) George Gershwin
b) George Orwell
c) George Eliot
d) George Osborne
The Kate Mossman interview
1) Old Brightonian
2) Mostly Men author
3) The Pervert's Guide to Cinema writer
4) Joni Mitchell muse
a) Slavoj Žižek
b) Nick Cave
c) Lynn Barber
d) Cary Raditz
Go figure
1) Seven
2) 49
3) 20th Century Women
4) 13
a) Liz Truss
b) David Fincher
c) Blur
d) Greta Gerwig
Life of (B)rian
1) Popular 20th-century philosopher
2) New Statesman illustrator
3) Scarface director
4) Former New Statesman film critic
a) Ryan Gilbey
b) Brian De Palma
c) Ryan McAmis
d) Bryan Magee
Man and boy
1) Scottish satirist
2) Welsh illustrator
3) Fury author
4) Any Human Heart author
a) Ralph Steadman
b) William Boyd
c) Salman Rushdie
d) Armando Iannucci
The Tony Awards
1) Prison Notebooks author
2) The Future of Socialism author
3) Stop the War president
4) Start the War prime minister
a) Tony Crosland
b) Tony Blair
c) Tony Benn
d) Antonio Gramsci
* There is no actual reward for any score in this quiz, nor will taking it in any way influence your prospects of being employed by the New Statesman, and Tom is quite attached to his office, thank you very much.
Answers: 1d, 2a, 3b, 4c; 1c, 2d, 3b, 4a; 1a, 2b, 3d, 4c; 1b, 2c, 3a, 4d; 1b, 2a, 3d, 4c; 1d, 2c, 3b, 4a; 1d, 2a, 3c, 4b; 1d, 2a, 3c, 4b.
[See also: Labour's summer of discontent]
Related
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
30 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Oasis: Liam and Noel Gallagher delivered most 'ground-shaking' performance at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium
The run of three Edinburgh concerts by Oasis at Murrayfield Stadium start from Friday. Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Oasis provided the most 'ground-shaking' performance at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium when they last played there in 2009, according to analysis of seismic data. The Gallagher brothers' last Scottish gig has topped the chart for the most powerful seismic concert at the venue in the past 20 years, the British Geological Survey (BGS) said. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Liam Gallagher, of Oasis, at the concert at Knebworth in Hertfordshire in 1996. Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire | PA The June 2009 Oasis gig beat the Red Hot Chili Peppers in June 2004, Kings of Leon in June 2011 and Taylor Swift in June last year – when measuring the peak earth-shaking power of each event. The measurements were taken from a nearby seismic monitoring station, some 4km from the venue. At peak power of 215.06Kw, the Oasis gig was more than twice as powerful as the next strongest one by the Red Hot Chili Peppers at 106.87Kw. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The rankings were revealed ahead of Oasis's comeback tour arriving in the Scottish capital this weekend, meaning there could be another 'shakermaker'. Oasis are set to return to Wembley Stadium in September for their final Live 25' shows in the capital. | AFP via Getty Images The power output is not related to the volume of the band or the crowd, rather it is the movement of fans jumping and dancing in time to the music, with the height of the jumping and weight of the crowd also potential factors. It means this cohort of Oasis fans' seismic output could perhaps be compared to those of previous years. BGS seismologist Callum Harrison said: 'In 2009, seismic signals generated by Oasis fans were consistent with a crowd energy of 215kW at its peak – enough to power around 30 of the scooters featured on the iconic Be Here Now album cover. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Our network of sensors around the country is sensitive enough to pick up ground movement from a source miles away that may not be detectable to humans – and precise enough to register exact timestamps for when the events occur. 'The peak energy reading was recorded around 8.30pm on that June evening back in 2009, which correlates to the time the band first took the stage and performed Rock 'N' Roll Star, which couldn't be more fitting in terms of topping our seismic music chart.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The BGS keeps an archive of continuous ground motion recordings from seismic sensors around the country, dating back several decades. Mr Harrison said: 'In this instance, we are only looking back over 20 years. However, geological processes occur over vast timescales that can be difficult for humans to comprehend. 'Improving our understanding of historical earthquakes is an important part of BGS research in trying to understand and mitigate the seismic risk around the country.' Ahead of the sold-out gigs at Murrayfield, which start on Friday, Mr Harrison said it was 'certainly possible' they could top the previous gig's output in 2009, adding: 'We'll just have to wait and see.'
Scotsman
30 minutes ago
- Scotsman
UK ministers sign new partnership with Edinburgh Festival Fringe to promote 'Brand Scotland' overseas
Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A new partnership with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society will help sell 'Brand Scotland' around the world, the Scottish Secretary has said. Ian Murray said the landmark agreement would encourage investment and growth and 'put more money in people's pockets'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The talented members of La Clique put on a mesmerising show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Picture: Lisa Ferguson It is the third such deal to be signed, following on from agreements with the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and Scottish Chambers of Commerce. The Scotland Office hopes the schemes will help promote Scottish produce and talent overseas. The Tattoo, for example, will support 'Brand Scotland' in trade missions to Japan and Australia. Scottish Secretary Ian Murray | PA Speaking today during the first week of Edinburgh's summer festivals, at the newly-refurbished Filmhouse, Mr Murray will say the arts sector is an important part of the UK's soft power, building links and relationships around the world. 'For some, art and culture is a tool of power, of wealth,' he will say. 'For others it is a tool of nation building, of defining who we are and who we are not. For me, it is something which transcends states and systems, and teaches us something about the human condition which other experiences simply cannot do. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'But that value, that treasure, that ability for our cultural pursuits to let us see into our souls and those around us is something we cannot take for granted.' Commenting ahead of his speech, Mr Murray said: "Scotland's excellent arts and culture sector opens doors right around the world. From the global stage of the Edinburgh Fringe to the pageantry of the Military Tattoo, our arts and creativity don't just entertain - they build the relationships and showcase the innovation that drives real economic returns for communities across Scotland. 'Our partnership deal with the Edinburgh Fringe will help us sell Brand Scotland around the world, helping us deliver the economic growth that will put more money in people's pockets." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Tony Lankester, chief executive at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: 'The Edinburgh Fringe is arguably one of the UK's finest cultural exports and, in recognising that, this partnership gives us the opportunity to proudly put it at the heart of a global conversation. 'We're proud of the artists and audiences who make the Fringe possible and who create this joyous celebration of creativity each year. Putting the Fringe at the centre of Brand Scotland recognises that work, and opens up a world of new platforms for participants.' The Scottish Secretary will also announce the first round of successful bids from the overseas Brand Scotland fund, which is investing £250,000 this financial year to 'promote Scottish soft power, culture and trade opportunities worldwide'. Funding has also been provided for initiatives including supporting an event in Berlin with the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, a 'Travelling Museum of Whisky' in Bolivia, a celebration of Scottish heritage and craftsmanship in Switzerland, and St Andrew's Day events to promote Scottish exports and cultural engagement. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The UK Government said the Brand Scotland programme complemented the work it was doing 'to strike trade deals around the world, and to reset relationships with our European neighbours'.
The Herald Scotland
39 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Fringe chiefs agree deal to work with UK Government overseas
It will take centre stage in efforts to promote "the best of Scotland" overseas around the world. The Fringe Society, which oversees the 78-year-old festival, will be working with the Scotland Office on future trade missions, ministerial visits and other overseas events under the agreement, the first of its kind with the Government. Read more: The Fringe will become part an official 'Brand Scotland' campaign, which was instigated by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray in the wake of Labour's General Election victory to help secure new investment in Scotland. He has described the initiative as "a fantastic opportunity to promote all that is great about Scotland around the world, and show investors the opportunities of Scotland". Tony Lankester is chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. (Image: Gordon Terris) In a keynote speech today, Mr Murray is expected to highlight the role played by arts and culture in the UK's "soft power" and how the Scottish cultural sector "opens doors right around the world". The Fringe Society said the agreement would help put the festival "at the heart of a global conversation". The new deal has been announced by Mr Murray months after it was revealed that the Government and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo had agreed to work together for the first time. Ukrainian performer Nina Khyzhna is appearing in the Fringe show Someone Like Me. (Image: Supplied) The Government said official Brand Scotland visits were planned to India, Japan, France, Canada, Spain, New Zealand, Australia, Germany and Sweden over the next few months. Speaking at the Filmhouse during the first week of the Edinburgh International Festival, Fringe and Tattoo, Mr Murray will warn of the risk of the benefits of arts and culture being 'taken for granted". Scottish Secretary Ian Murray is launching a new partnership with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society at the Filmhouse cinema in Edinburgh today. (Image: Ian Georgeson) The Fringe Society has agreed to work with the UK Government following a prolonged campaign to secure more support from the Scottish Government, its agencies and the council. Shona McCarthy, the Fringe Society's chief executive, last year claimed the level of support for the event in Scotland was a 'national embarrassment' and warned the event was becoming 'almost impossible' to deliver. She was left furious after the Fringe Society was turned down for long-term Scottish Government funding by its arts agency Creative Scotland without making the final stage of decision-making. A subsequent open letter by Ms McCarthy, published as the 2025 festival drew to a close, warned that artistic risk and ambitions were being 'hamstrung' at the Fringe, and admitted emerging artists were being 'squeezed out' of the event. She announced she would be leaving her role in September. In a keynote speech in Edinburgh today, Mr Murray is expected to praise the key role played by the Fringe in widening access to the arts. He will pledge that the new partnership with the Fringe Society will deliver 'economic growth that will put more money in people's pockets." However it is not yet known if the Government will keep supporting a 'Keep It Fringe Fund,' launched by Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge to helps artists and companies from across the UK to meet the costs of putting on Fringe shows. When the Conservatives were in power, the Government committed £7m for a long-awaited project to create a permanent new headquarters for the Fringe Society. The Fringe Society last year secured permission from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to use £1m of the £7m it had been allocated for 360 Keep It Fringe bursaries for the 2024 and 2025 festivals. Tony Lankester, who took over as Fringe chief executive in April, said: 'The Fringe is arguably one of the UK's finest cultural exports. "In recognising that, this partnership gives us the opportunity to proudly put it at the heart of a global conversation. 'We're proud of the artists and audiences who make the Fringe possible and who create this joyous celebration of creativity each year. 'Putting the Fringe at the centre of 'Brand Scotland' recognises that work, and opens up a world of new platforms for participants.' Mr Murray is due to speak at the Filmhouse cinema, which recently reopened with the help of £1.5m in Government funding, which was also signed off by the Conservatives. Mr Murray said: 'Scotland's excellent arts and culture sector opens doors right around the world. 'From the global stage of the Edinburgh Fringe to the pageantry of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, our arts and creativity don't just entertain - they build the relationships and showcase the innovation that drives real economic returns for communities across Scotland. 'Our partnership deal with the Fringe will help us sell Brand Scotland around the world, helping us deliver the economic growth that will put more money in people's pockets." Mr Murray was speaking at the Filmhouse days after First Minister John Swinney pledged place to the arts "at the heart of Scotland's future" and said the cultural sector was "absolutely essential" to Scotland's economic prosperity. He told a gathering of cultural leaders: "There is so much more that you do to enrich our nation that can't be measured in pounds or pence. Those wider benefits ripple throughout our society. Culture gets to the very heart of our shared history and our national identity. It shapes our public spaces and our environments. It contributes to education, to social dialogue, and to social justice." In his speech at the Filmhouse, Mr Murray is expected to say: 'For some, culture is a tool of power, of wealth. For others, it is a tool of nation building, of defining who we are and who we are not. 'For me, it is something which transcends states and systems, and teaches us something about the human condition which other experiences simply cannot do. 'But that value, that treasure, that ability for our cultural pursuits to let us see into our souls and those around us is something we cannot take for granted.'
