Articles
Book of the Week: Monolithic Undertow
Harry Sword | Books
The music of the drone frees the spirit, says Harry Sword… Read more
Idle wild: grizzly bears are nature’s slackers
Florence Read | Comment
Florence Read on revolutionary idling in the animal kingdom… Read more
Book of the Week: The Secret World of Weather
Tristan Gooley | Books
Tristan Gooley gives the power of prediction to the people… Read more
Reading a heartwarming tale: ah, is this not happiness?
Jin Shengtan | Idle Thoughts
The final happy moment from our 17th-century Chinese scholar… Read more
Charles Handy: Into the valley
Charles Handy | Comment
Charles Handy on preparing for life’s final journey… Read more
Easter Sermon: How Dante teaches us the power of now
Mark Vernon | Comment
Live in the moment, says Mark Vernon… Read more
Book of the Week: The Nightingale
Sam Lee | Books
Sam Lee meets the songbird for the first time… Read more
Money sorted: ah, is this not happiness?
Jin Shengtan | Idle Thoughts
Another happy moment from Jin Shengtan… Read more
Tea with Jarvis
Tom Hodgkinson | Interview
“Falling out of a third floor window was a major turning point in my life”… Read more
Dante in love
Mark Vernon | Books
Insights into The Divine Comedy from philosopher Mark Vernon… Read more
Book of the Week: The Life of Solitude
Petrarch | Books
Renaissance poet Petrarch on the benefits of leisure… Read more
Witnessing the power of nature: ah, is this not happiness?
Jin Shengtan | Idle Thoughts
Another happy moment from our 17th-century Chinese scholar… Read more
Who remembers the chill out room?
Tom Hodgkinson | Letter from the Editor
Tom Hodgkinson on the KLF and the meditative zones of nineties raves… Read more
Book of the Week: How to Live. What to Do.
Josh Cohen | Books
Josh Cohen on money, greed and Gatsby… Read more
Flying free: ah, is this not happiness?
Jin Shengtan | Idle Thoughts
Another happy moment from our 17th-century Chinese scholar… Read more
Are you nervous about life after lockdown?
Tom Hodgkinson | Letter from the Editor
A lot of us have enjoyed the slow down, says Tom Hodgkinson… Read more
Charles Handy: the bishop, the Stoics and me
Charles Handy | Comment
The value of learning when to act – and when to keep your mouth shut!… Read more
A brief history of melancholy
Jonathan Sadowsky | Essays
Historian Jonathan Sadowsky on misery through the ages… Read more
A little knowledge is an excellent thing
Sandy Burnett | Classical music
Sandy Burnett on why he made a classical music course for the Idler… Read more
Book of the Week: Some Fantastic Place
Chris Difford | Books
Enticing excerpts from Squeeze lyricist Chris Difford’s autobiography… Read more
Why is catching a train so stressful when you’re middle-aged?
Tom Hodgkinson | Letter from the Editor
Tom Hodgkinson goes off the rails… Read more
Charles Handy: Rethinking the working week
Charles Handy | Comment
It’s time to get chunking… Read more