Fortnight (magazine)

Fortnight was a monthly political and cultural magazine published in Belfast, Northern Ireland.[1] The magazine was founded in 1970 with the aim of providing analysis and criticism of politics, culture, and the arts from those from both inside and outside the local mainstream. Fortnight was read by and contributed to by people from all over the spectrum. Gerry Adams is credited as saying "A month without Fortnight would be twice as long."[2]

Not to be confused with The Fortnightly Review.
Fortnight
CategoriesPolitics and culture
Frequencymonthly
Year founded1970
Final issue2012
CountryUnited Kingdom
Based inBelfast, Northern Ireland
LanguageEnglish
ISSN0141-7762

Previous contributors include politicians and journalists. Most notably, David Trimble - ex-leader of the Ulster Unionists [3] and Mary Robinson, later President of Ireland - contributed material to Fortnight. Other politicians who wrote for the magazine included Peter Robinson.[1]

Other notable contributors include: Newton Emerson (who spawned the popular satirical website Portadown News), Ed Moloney, Eamonn McCann, Fionnula O'Connor, Brian Trench, Gene Kerrigan, Mary Holland, Douglas Gageby (the former editor of The Irish Times),[4] Barry White of The Belfast Telegraph, Conor O'Clery, John Cooney, Dick Walsh and Nell McCafferty.[4]

Editors have included Tom Hadden, Andy Pollak (1981-1985), Leslie Van Slyke, Robin Wilson (later to found the Democratic Dialogue thinktank), John O'Farrell and Malachi O'Doherty. Literary editors have included the poets James Simmons and Medbh McGuckian. Cartoonist Martyn Turner has been a regular contributor since the magazine was founded, and also edited the magazine for a number of years.

Fortnight was supported by grants from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. It won the Christopher Ewart-Biggs Memorial Prize for 1982.

In late 2011, it was announced Fortnight would cease publication. A 50th Anniversary edition is planned for autumn 2020.[5] The final issue was published in 2012.[1]

References
  1. "Fortnight:A Chapter Closes".
  2. Columbia Journalism Review, January 1996
  3. Godson, Dean. Himself Alone: David Trimble and the ordeal of Unionism. HarperCollins, 2004 ISBN 000257098X (p.311).
  4. "Editor's Thanks", Fortnight, December 2, 1985 p. 27.
  5. "The Fortnight’s reading that lasted 40 years" Malachi O'Doherty, Belfast Telegraph, 19 December 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  • [ Fortnight website]


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