Jeremy Paxman: full-length video

Conversations

A long, rambling and undisciplined conversation between Jeremy Paxman and Tom Hodgkinson

Interview with David Hockney

Tom Hodgkinson | Conversations

“For fifty years, I have done exactly what I wanted to do every day”

Video: Jeremy Paxman says, “Every office should have a hammock”

Idle Talk

The journalist and author reveals a reflective side


Lucy Cooke on the amazing sloth

Lucy Cooke | Zoology

The BBC zoologist defends the much-maligned sloth, the slowest but cutest of animals

News: the lazy live longer, say scientists

Idler staff | News

Study of sparrows finds hard workers die young

Idle Thought for the Day from Robert Louis Stevenson

Idle Thoughts

“PERPETUAL devotion to what a man calls his business, is only to be sustained


Old Word of the Day: Drumble

DRUMBLE: To be sluggish; to be confused in doing anything; to mumble. It was

Michael Palin in Conversation with Tom Hodgkinson

Tom Hodgkinson | Conversations

Tom Hodgkinson writes: “Here is the full-length film of the hour-long interview I did

The Idler No 1, April 1758

Dr Johnson's Idler

Here is Dr Johnson’s first “Idler” column. It was published in the Gentleman’s Magazine.

“Vacui


“To My Enemies” by Bert Meyers

Louis Theroux | Patron's Poem

Louis Theroux chooses our Poem for the Day

Sleeping Dogs: Gouda

From our readers | Sleeping Dogs

We feature your pictures of slumbering canines.

A few of my favourite books: Viv Albertine

Books

The former Slits guitarist and now best-selling writer chooses her top five books of all time


News: Napping Makes You Brainy

Idler staff | News

A nap a day improves your brain power

A sudden rainstorm: ah, is this not happiness?

Jin Shengtan | Comment

The first of 33 happy moments from a 17th century Chinese poet

Online Course: How to be Idle with Tom Hodgkinson

Online course

Anxious, overworked, underpaid? Discover the routes to revolutionising your everyday life


Interview with Terence McKenna from 1993

Tom Hodgkinson | Conversations

An account of a conversation with the magic mushroom guru

Perfect Day: a lie-in, blackberry-picking and some light part-time work

Jason Palmer | Idle Thoughts

Readers describe a great day’s idling

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