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What is it?

Founded in 1979 during the lockout at the Times, the London Review of Books is now acknowledged to be the most lively and challenging forum for intellectual debate in Europe. Twice a month for more than twenty years, the London Review of Books has surprised, delighted and exasperated readers with an astonishing range of articles on literature, history, politics, philosophy, science and the arts.

The London Review of Books is the only publication in the UK to devote its pages entirely to that most speculative of literary forms - the essay. In articles never less than 3,000 words long, contributors and readers alike have the freedom to explore subjects to a depth far beyond the range of the mainstream press. A platform for genuinely independent thought, the London Review of Books exists not to satisfy literary fashions, coteries or cliques, but for the general reader who is happy to enter an unashamedly highbrow world of serious and sophisticated discussion.

The London Review of Books specialises in adventures for the mind. In recent issues, our readers have stood beside Jeremy Harding among rebel soldiers on a hillside in Kosovo as he has demolished the romantic image of the KLA fighter struggling for independence. They have sat with philosopher Jerry Fodor cringing through the Elton John and Tim Rice pop version of Aida, and they have run the ancient corrida with Lorna Scott Fox through the streets of modern Spain. Wherever the London Review of Books takes you, its analysis will always be exacting but never pedantic or obscure. This is a magazine that resists being skimmed as much as it resists the easy platitudes of modern publishing.

Who reads it?

Readers of the London Review of Books are the intellectual élite of the world. They are a sophisticated audience, critical of sweeping put-downs, distrustful of easy praise and sceptical of all but the most carefully reasoned argument. The essays of this uncompromising magazine are eagerly discussed at the dinner tables of people who get a kick out of ideas, and fiercely debated at the seminars, meetings and conferences of the world's most analytical thinkers.

A badge of allegiance for the world's intellectuals, the London Review of Books is an involved and demanding read. Its readers enjoy the benefits of excellent education, affluence and social influence.

Highly Educated

  • 84% hold a first degree, 48% hold a higher degree.

Influential

  • 61% hold senior positions in their work place.

Opinion Forming

  • 40% have had work published in the last two years.
  • 25% have been interviewed on radio or TV.

Affluent

  • 40% of all readers earn more than £40,000 a year.

Gender

  • 64% are men, 36% women.

Average Age

  • 52.

[Statistics taken from MORI readership survey, 2000]

Books

The London Review of Books commands authority and influence throughout the literary and intellectual world.

Publishers who advertise in the London Review of Books know that they are speaking to an exceptionally well-educated audience who will appreciate books that carry genuine intellectual prestige and gravitas.

  • 79% of LRB readers read more than half of every issue.
  • Each LRB reader spends an average of two and a half hours reading each issue.
  • Each LRB reader buys an average of 17 hardbacks and 33 paperbacks a year.
  • That's a market of 5 million books annually, worth around £60 million.
  • London Review of Books readers are amazingly eclectic in their tastes, purchasing books in all the major categories. They have a particular penchant for biographies, fiction, history, philosophy, politics, poetry and literary criticism.
  • Nowhere else can publishers find such a vibrant and active market for serious books.

[Statistics taken from MORI readership survey, 2000]

Lifestyle

Holidays in Tuscany, evenings of fine wine and cognac, frequent trips to the theatre and classical concerts – readers of the London Review of Books enjoy an elegant lifestyle of high living and high culture.

With 61% holding a senior position in their workplace and earning more than £40,000 a year, London Review of Books readers have the resources, time and affluence to make well-informed decisions about their social, cultural and working lives.

Independence of thought is the essence of the London Review of Books, and a guiding principle for our readers, who are as discerning in their purchases as they are in their choice of reading material.

  • 33% have taken two or more business trips abroad in the past two years.
  • 62% regularly holiday abroad.
  • 77% own at least one car.
  • 70% frequently listen to Radio 4.
  • 23% eat at restaurants at least once a week.
  • 39% go to the cinema at least once a month.
  • 40% go to the theatre at least once every two or three months.
  • 33% go to a classical music concert at least once every two or three months.
  • 49% go to an art exhibition at least once every two or three months.
  • 46% drink malt whisky regularly.
  • 47% drink gin regularly.
  • 23% drink champagne regularly.

[Statistics taken from MORI readership survey, 2000]

Circulation

There are 121 literary magazines available in the UK. There is only one London Review of Books. The biggest-selling literary title in Europe, the London Review of Books is delighted to offer advertisers an ABC audited circulation of 45,905.

The London Review of Books has the largest circulation of any literary magazine in the UK. Its circulation outside the UK gives it worldwide reach and an unparalleled international reputation.

Each copy of the London Review of Books is read by at least three people.

Average circulation per issue from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2007: 45,905

Contact us for further information by phone (+44 (0)20 7209 1131), fax (+44 (0)20 7209 1151) or email (ads@lrb.co.uk) or write to Advertising, London Review of Books, 28 Little Russell Street, London WC1A 2HN, United Kingdom.