DAN ATKINSON is the co-author, with Larry Elliott, of a series of books on the political economy of Britain: The Age of Insecurity (1998), Fantasy Island (2007), The Gods that Failed (2008), Going South (2012) and Europe Isn’t Working (2016). As an economics journalist, he has worked for the Guardian and the Mail on Sunday. He blogs at This Is Money.
BEN FINLAY is a cultural historian who specializes in post war British history from Clement Attlee to Margaret Thatcher and is currently working on a book about the UK counterculture. An obsessive music fan, he has a particular interest in blues, jazz and folk rock from the 1960s and 1970s — more of his writing can be found on his Substack. In his other guise as a musician, he plays guitar, mandolin and lap steel in the New Forest-based band Clockwork Carousel.
SAM HARRISON is an editor of non-fiction, with a particular interest in modern British history and popular culture. His publishing includes Sonia Purnell’s controversial biography of London mayor Boris Johnson, Just Boris (2011), Graham McCann’s A Very Courageous Decision: The Inside Story of Yes Minister (2014), and several of the titles by Lion & Unicorn’s own Alwyn Turner, listed below.
SIMON MATTHEWS is the author of Psychedelic Celluloid (2016) and its sequel Looking for a New England (2021). He writes regularly for Lobster and Shindig and has a particular interest in UK political and cultural history. His most recent books are Before It Went Rotten (2023), Free Your Mind! (2023), Everything and the Kitchen Sink (2025) and A Study in Failure: Churchill at the Admiralty (2026).
FINLAY McLAREN is a writer. His work focuses on the relationship between British politics and pop culture, and has been spotted at UnHerd, the Daily Sceptic and the Critic. His Substack is called Notes from Behind the Sofa.
PAUL SAFFER is a sports writer, editor and broadcaster, mainly with UEFA.com and its UEFA Champions League radio show Matchday Live and accompanying podcast.
ALWYN TURNER is the author of books about British culture and politics, primarily chronicles of modern Britain: Crisis? What Crisis? (2008), Rejoice! Rejoice! (2010), A Classless Society (2013) and All in It Together (2021). His most recent books are Little Englanders (2024) and A Shellshocked Nation (2026). He lectures at Chichester University.
BEN THOMAS is a former actor, an occasional writer, and Swindon’s foremost psychopomp. His interests include crime fiction, British TV, Doctor Who, the wrestling, and battling kidnapped paedophiles in his underground fight club (W-27, D-2, L-0). He is married. This surprises people. He is currently on a diet and that isn’t helping his general demeanour. Some of his words are available on his blog: The Flog.
