London Review of Books rounds off 40th anniversary

The London Review of Books has launched a new website, rounding off its 40th anniversary celebrations with a comprehensive overhaul of the paper’s online presence, with its archive freely accessible for a month.

The new website launched on Monday (16th December) with the entire LRB archive of almost 17,500 pieces—including writers such as Frank Kermode, Hilary Mantel, Oliver Sacks and Angela Carter—available to read for free until 15th January.

The refreshed site makes it easier navigate the archive and find articles, the literary journal said, with a "subjects" search function and curated "best of" lists featuring favourite pieces selected by the LRB editorial team, initially in the areas of Arts & Culture, Biography & Memoir, History & Classics, Literature & Criticism, Philosophy & Law, Politics & Economics, Psychology & Anthropology, and Science & Technology. Contributor pages now include articles about the contributor, as well as all pieces written by them.

Audio and video content produced by the LRB and the London Review Bookshop in Bloomsbury, London, is showcased more prominently, providing an unparalleled selection of interesting things to watch and listen to. This includes 10 seasons of LRB Winter Lectures; recordings of events at the London Review Bookshop; films about the meaning of God and the lost art of paste-up; the first series of Mark Ford and Seamus Perry on 20th-century poets; and podcast partner Talking Politics.

A new events page showcases the London Review Bookshop’s wide-ranging programme of events, which has recently included evenings with Paul Auster, Karl Ove Knausgård, Édouard Louis, Alice Oswald and Sally Rooney.

Mary-Kay Wilmers, editor of the London Review of Books, said: “Generally I don’t like reading pieces online but even I would consider doing so on our new website, which feels like a digital reflection of what’s best about the paper—right down to the drop caps.”

Sam Kinchin-Smith, the LRB’s digital editor, added: “Fundamentally, we’ve tried to make it easier to find, and nicer to read, the best pieces from the latest issue, our incredible 40-year archive, and the LRB blog—whether you know what you’re looking for or not. And if you’re inspired to watch a film, download a podcast, book tickets for an event or buy an LRB book in a break between essays, then so much the better.”