Jason Cowley (journalist)

Jason Cowley was born on 19 June 1965 in Harlow, Essex, where he was brought up.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-250243|title=Cowley, Jason, (born 19 June 1965), journalist, magazine editor and writer; Editor-in-chief, New Statesman, since 2018 (Editor, 2008–18) {{!}} WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO|website=www.ukwhoswho.com|language=en|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U250243|isbn=978-0-19-954088-4|access-date=2019-12-31}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2002/aug/01/urbandesign.architecture|title=Down Town|author=Cowley, Jason|work=The Guardian |date=1 August 2002|access-date=9 November 2014}} His parents were Anthony Cowley and Lilian Cowley.

He was educated at Latton Bush School, a former state comprehensive school in Harlow, followed by the University of Southampton, from which he graduated in 1989 with a first-class degree in English and philosophy.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/apr/27/interview-jason-cowley-editor-new-statesman|title=A new kind of Statesman|author=Robinson, James|date=27 April 2009|work=The Guardian|access-date=9 November 2014}}

In the early 1990s, Cowley began publishing reviews, literary essays and articles in British newspapers and magazines, including writing for The Bookseller from 1992 to 1995. In 1996, he became a staff writer for The Times, during which period he was a judge of the Booker Prize for fiction. In the summer of 1998, he became literary editor of the New Statesman. Later he was a contributing editor of the magazine. In 2001 and 2002 he served as a judge for the Caine Prize, of which he is a council member.{{cite web|url=http://caineprize.com/people|title=About Us|publisher=The AKO Caine Prize}}

In 2003, Cowley joined the staff of The Observer as editor of The Observer Sport Monthly magazine and as a contributor. Under his editorship the magazine won several awards. He left The Observer to become editor of the literary magazine Granta in 2007.{{cite news |first=Joy |last=Lo Dico |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/a-new-statesman-kind-of-guy-just-not-new-labour-833820.html |title=A 'New Statesman' kind of guy. Just not New Labour |newspaper=The Independent |location= London |date=25 May 2008 |access-date=30 November 2009}}

Cowley's novel, Unknown Pleasures,{{cite book |last=Cowley |first=Jason |title=Unknown Pleasures |date=19 June 2000 |publisher=Faber and Faber|location=London| isbn= 0-571-20233-0}} was published by Faber and Faber in 2000 and a second book, a work of narrative non-fiction called The Last Game: Love, Death and Football, was published by Simon & Schuster in spring 2009.{{cite book |first=Jason |last=Cowley |title=The Last Game: Love, Death and Football at the End of the Eighties |publisher=Simon & Schuster |date=6 April 2009 |isbn=978-1-84737-185-0}}

Cowley was appointed editor of the New Statesman on 16 May 2008.{{cite news |first=Stephen |last=Brook |url= https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/may/16/pressandpublishing.media |title=Cowley named as New Statesman editor |newspaper=The Guardian |location= London |date=16 May 2008 |access-date=30 November 2009}} and took up his new position in September 2008.

Under his editorship, the New Statesman{{'}}s print circulation increased from 23,000 to 33,000 by 2015, traffic to the magazine's website reached a new record high in June 2016, with 27 million page views and four million unique users, and the magazine has become profitable.{{cite news |last=Burrell |first=Ian |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/the-media-column-why-the-left-wing-new-statesman-is-stubbornly-resisting-the-lure-of-corbynmania-a6753721.html |title=Why the left-wing New Statesman is stubbornly resisting the lure of Corbynmania |newspaper=The Independent on Sunday |location= London |date=29 November 2015 |access-date=10 June 2017}}

In 2013, he edited The New Statesman Century: 100 Years of the Best and Boldest Writing on Politics and Culture. It was published to celebrate the centenary of the New Statesman. In 2018, Reaching for Utopia: Making Sense of an Age of Upheaval (Salt Publishing), a book of Cowley's political and cultural essays and profiles, was published. In 2019, he edited and wrote the introduction to Statesmanship: The Best of the New Statesman (1913–2019), which was published in hardback by Weidenfeld & Nicolson.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/2020/04/best-new-statesman-essential-reading|title=The Best of the New Statesman: Essential Reading|magazine=New Statesman|date=9 April 2020}}

Cowley stepped down from the editorship of the New Statesman in December 2024 but remains a columnist and contributor.{{Cite web |last=Ponsford |first=Dominic |date=2024-11-22 |title=Jason Cowley bowing out after 16 years as New Statesman editor |url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/the-wire/media-jobs-uk-news/jason-cowley-new-statesman-editor-steps-down/ |access-date=2024-12-24 |website=Press Gazette |language=en-US}}

On 10 November 2009, he won the British Society of Magazine Editors' Editor of the Year award in the Special Interest and Current Affairs Magazines category. The judges said that Cowley had transformed the New Statesman and "created issues of the magazine that were the envy of the industry".{{cite news |first=Peter |last=Preston |title=Jason Cowley: big fish at the BSME awards |url= https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/nov/15/jason-cowley-bsme-awards |work=The Observer |location= London |date=15 November 2009 |access-date=30 November 2009}}{{cite news |title=New Statesman editor wins at BSME awards |url= http://www.newstatesman.com/2009/11/current-affairs-editor-cowley |work=New Statesman |location= London |date=11 November 2009 |access-date=30 November 2009}}

In 2010 and 2012, Cowley was shortlisted for the most coveted awards in the magazine industry, as Editor of the Year (consumer magazines) in the PPA Awards.{{cite news |title=New Statesman editor Jason Cowley shortlisted as Editor of the Year in the PPA Awards. |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/magazines/2010/04/ppa-awards-editor-jason-cowley |work=New Statesman |date=26 April 2010 |access-date=27 April 2010}} In 2011, he was named editor of the year in the Newspaper & Current Affairs Magazines category at the British Society of Magazine Editors awards.{{cite news |title=2011 BSME Award Winners |url=http://www.bsme.com/events/2/latest-news/44/bsme-news/ |work=BSME News |date=11 November 2011 |access-date=14 December 2011}}

In January 2013, Cowley was shortlisted for the European Press Prize editing award. The awards committee said: "Cowley has succeeded in revitalising the New Statesman and re-establishing its position as an influential political and cultural weekly. He has given the New Statesman an edge and a relevance to current affairs it hasn't had for years."

He was named among Britain's most influential 500 people by Debrett's in association with The Sunday Times in 2015 and 2016.{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/companies/article/britains-500-most-influential-fxtzx0sg7qd|title=Britain's 500 most influential|newspaper=The Sunday Times|date=24 January 2016}}

At the 2020 British Society of Magazine Editors (BSME) awards, Cowley was named Current Affairs and Politics editor of the year for the fourth time, defeating rivals from The Spectator, The Big Issue and Prospect. "In increasingly tribal times, Jason Cowley continues to champion independence of thought and diversity of opinion, challenging his audience and producing a magazine that’s imaginative, unpredictable and interesting," the BSME judges said upon presenting the award.{{cite news|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/media/2021/02/new-statesman-wins-current-affairs-and-politics-magazine-and-cover-year-bsme|title=New Statesman wins Current Affairs and Politics Magazine and Cover of the Year at BSME Awards |work=New Statesman|date=12 February 2020|access-date=12 February 2020}}

In 2019, Cowley was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Journalism.{{cite web|url=https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-foundation/news-events/news-events/news/orwell-prizes-2019-shortlists-announced/|title=The Orwell Prizes 2019: Shortlists Announced|publisher=The Orwell Foundation|date=10 June 2019|access-date=30 June 2020}} In 2023 he was chair of the judges of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction’s 25th anniversary Winner of Winners Award.

• {{cite book |title=The Last Game: Love, Death and Football |first= |last= |date=6 April 2009 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=978-1847371850}}{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/apr/11/last-game-football-jason-cowley-review |title=When football died |first=Mal |last=Peet |authorlink=Mal Peet |newspaper=The Guardian |date=11 April 2009 |access-date=22 August 2019}}
• Reaching for Utopia: Making Sense of An Age of Upheaval, Salt, 2018.{{Cite web|title=Reaching for Utopia: Making Sense of An Age of Upheaval|url=https://www.saltpublishing.com/products/reaching-for-utopia-making-sense-of-an-age-of-upheaval-9781784631529|last=Salt|website=Salt|language=en|access-date=2020-05-21}}
• Statesmanship: The Best of the New Statesman, 1913–2019, W&N, 2019.{{Cite web|title=Editor's Note: The gift of Statesmanship at Christmas, that election leader and free thinking in dark times|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2019/12/editor-s-note-gift-statesmanship-christmas-election-leader-and-free-thinking|website=www.newstatesman.com|language=en|date=11 December 2019|access-date=2020-05-21}}
• Introduction to Animal Farm: George Orwell (Macmillan Collector's Library, 261) Hardcover – 7 Jan. 2021
• Who Are We Now?: Stories of Modern England, Picador, 2022

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.jasoncowley.net/about Jason Cowley website]
• [http://www.journalisted.com/jason-cowley Journalisted - Articles by Jason Cowley]

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{{succession box | before=Ian Jack | title=Editor of Granta | years=2007–2008 | after=Alex Clark }}

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| title = Editor of the New Statesman

| years = 2008–

| before = John Kampfner

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Category:1966 births

Category:Living people

Category:Alumni of the University of Southampton

Category:English magazine editors

Category:English male journalists

Category:English sportswriters

Category:New Statesman people

Category:People from Harlow