Magazine journalist and author. Co-host @takenotesalways. “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World’s Greatest Writers” available now.
Joined October 2009
- Tweets 5,377
- Following 4,845
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219 Photos and videos
Pinned Tweet
3 Dec 2025
A big piece of mine has just run @NewYorker, about the decades of strife - ranging from death threats to Nazi comparisons - that ensued when reformers tried to standardise Romansh, Switzerland’s little known fourth language.
1 Dec 2025
.@simonakam reports on how an attempt to standardize Switzerland’s least known national language ignited quarrels that engulfed classrooms, newspapers, and eventually local politics.
newyorkermag.visitlink.me/lZ…
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8 Dec 2025
Check out this week's SLR featuring @gauveyherbert, @jjvincent, @simonakam, @TimAlberta, @npenzenstadler, @joshlpeter11, @TimBontemps, @Baxter & more! mailchi.mp/sundaylongread.co…
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2 Dec 2025
Switzerland’s least known national language, Romansh, is spoken by less than one per cent of the population and splintered into five major “idioms.” Attempts at standardization were met with hostility. newyorkermag.visitlink.me/Sa…
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28 Jul 2025
We are Britain's most innovative magazine according to @simonakam, which is a very nice thing to hear
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8 Jul 2025
NEW EPISODE: Novelist and academic Viet Thanh Nguyen talks about his Pulitzer prize-winning novel “The Sympathizer”, his politics and the literary representations of Vietnamese people he encountered growing up as a refugee in the US.
alwaystakenotes.com/episodes…
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10 Jun 2025
New episode of @takenotesalways featuring @BenMacintyre1
10 Jun 2025
NEW EPISODE: Journalist and non-fiction author @BenMacintyre1 talks to Simon and Rachel about writing “SAS Rogue Heroes”, the best types of source material and how Agent Zigzag taught him to no longer have a “black and white” view of WW2.
alwaystakenotes.com/episodes…
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18 May 2025
While researching his novel “Caledonian Road”, Andrew O'Hagan spoke to nearly every kind of Londoner – from oligarchs to the young people caught up in gang violence.
In our latest episode, he tells us how he gains the trust of his sources.
alwaystakenotes.com/episodes…
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13 May 2025
New @takenotesalways with Andrew O'Hagan
13 May 2025
NEW EPISODE: Non-fiction writer and novelist Andrew O’Hagan talks to Simon and Rachel about how he approaches challenging sources, nailing the narrative voice of the @LRB and why it’s important to be surprised by your writing.
alwaystakenotes.com/episodes…
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15 Apr 2025
NEW EPISODE: Founder of @millmediauk @joshi Herrmann speaks to Simon and Rachel about how and why we can save local journalism, learning to call people’s bluff, what he learnt from his years as editor-in-chief of the @TheTab and more.
alwaystakenotes.com/episodes…
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7 Mar 2025
Congratulations @SophieElmhirst!
It was our pleasure to interview Sophie in 2020 about her magazine writing, managing multiple commissions at once and covering subjects as diverse as millenial culture and the tampon business: alwaystakenotes.com/episodes…
5 Mar 2025
Congratulations once more to Nero Gold Prize winner @SophieElmhirst, pictured here with Bill Bryson, our chair of judges 🎉
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5 Mar 2025
New episode of @takenotesalways with author and @englishunicam academic Clair Wills
4 Mar 2025
NEW EPISODE: Author and academic Clair Wills tells us how literature gives us a kaleidoscopic view of history, her insider/outsider perspective on Irish culture, and writing about her family and Ireland's Mother and Baby Homes in "Missing Persons".
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5 Mar 2025
I wrote for @unherd on how different a possible Ukraine deployment may look from inside - as opposed to outside - the British army. Opportunity v. Obligation etc.
‘A big deployment does not just mean troops on the ground. It would mean resources, equipment, budgets, promotions, perhaps equally a sense of renewed mission.’
Read @simonakam on the allure of a Ukraine peacekeeping force 👇
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18 Feb 2025
NEW EPISODE: Novelist Tim Winton shares his wisdom about editing, language and character from an acclaimed writing career that’s ranged from children’s fiction to his latest novel, “Juice", set in a post-apocalyptic future ravaged by climate change.
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4 Feb 2025
NEW EPISODE: Journalist and author Hannah Barnes (@hannahsbee) speaks to Simon and Rachel about her book “Time to Think” about the Tavistock’s gender clinic, her work as an investigative journalist at the BBC, and not caring what people think about you.
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16 Jan 2025
Nice to see my book "The Changing of the Guard" brought up in parliament - thankyou Mark Francois
hansard.parliament.uk/Common…
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13 Jan 2025
Late to this one but nice to see @takenotesalways in @TimesDiary again, this time via our interview with Frederick Forsyth. Thanks for the mention @patrick_kidd ...
thetimes.com/uk/society/arti…
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10 Jan 2025
Sage advice from Clare Alexander here @takenotesalways
10 Jan 2025
Do you have an agent who rarely replies to your emails and gives you little of their time?
In our latest episode, literary agent Clare Alexander tells us what you should do:
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7 Jan 2025
Fascinating new episode of @takenotesalways with top literary agent Clare Alexander... lots of useful advice here as well as some hilarious anecdotes.
7 Jan 2025
NEW EPISODE: Literary agent Clare Alexander reflects on high points from a 50-year-long career in books, from editing Booker Prize winners to becoming an agent. Plus, she offers advice to new writers and speaks about her knack for spotting a great debut.
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6 Jan 2025
Thanks John, that's gracious of you and I'm glad you found the book meaningful. Happy new year. S
6 Jan 2025
Just finished The Changing of the Guard by @simonakam a really excellent, challenging book about the modern British Army and what went wrong in the last 20 years.
Lots to think about for all institutions.
I also enjoyed the cameo appearances of friends and ex-colleagues!
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