Dear Diary: On the rise and fall of the party reporter
The diary writer has long been a cornerstone of the British press. Might now be the perfect moment for its glorious renaissance?
- Words by: Joseph Bullmore
The diary writer has long been a cornerstone of the British press. Might now be the perfect moment for its glorious renaissance?
The diary writer has long been a cornerstone of the British press. Might now be the perfect moment for its glorious renaissance?
In 2008, at the age of 18, I wrote an email to the editors of Tatler that makes me nauseous to look at now. I had just read Evelyn Waugh’s novel Vile Bodies, which stars a party reporter called Adam Fenwick-Symes who jollies about London writing about its Bright Young Things. It ends up with everyone either dead or mad, and it sounded like the life for me. And so I pitched a party column called ‘Mr Chatterbox’ to a lady named Fiona Kent, using phrases (oh God) like “dapperly dressed” and “Wildean wit”. Remarkably, she replied. Unremarkably, she turned me down. Perhaps I would have stood a slightly better chance had I known that what I was so ingeniously and “cheekily” (oh wow) pitching already existed – and was, in fact, a longtime cornerstone of the British press. At the age of 18, I invented the diary column. Exactly 18 years later, I wonder: won’t someone invent it all over again?
In 2008, at the age of 18, I wrote an email to the editors of Tatler that makes me nauseous to look at now. I had just read Evelyn Waugh’s novel Vile Bodies, which stars a party reporter called Adam Fenwick-Symes who jollies about London writing about its Bright Young Things. It ends up with everyone either dead or mad, and it sounded like the life for me. And so I pitched a party column called ‘Mr Chatterbox’ to a lady named Fiona Kent, using phrases (oh God) like “dapperly dressed” and “Wildean wit”. Remarkably, she replied. Unremarkably, she turned me down. Perhaps I would have stood a slightly better chance had I known that what I was so ingeniously and “cheekily” (oh wow) pitching already existed – and was, in fact, a longtime cornerstone of the British press. At the age of 18, I invented the diary column. Exactly 18 years later, I wonder: won’t someone invent it all over again?
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| Clubhouse Membership | |
|---|---|
| Two Magazines per yearDelivered to your door | |
| Full Access to Paywall contentAccess to all member-only online features | |
| Membership Cardto redeem all the perks. | |
| Members Invites to Exclusive Eventsto private Clubhouse events | |
| Weekly newsletter Straight to your inbox | |
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