Cantab (magazine)

Cantab was the title of a magazine produced by students at the University of Cambridge between 1981 and 1990. It was unusual among British student magazines in being independent of student unions. Operations were self-financed, initially through copy sales and advertising, later through advertising alone.

The title's second claim to fame was its production via an extremely early form of desktop publishing, involving a typesetting program specially written for its BBC Micro computer and Juki daisy wheel printer by Martin Tod and introduced as early as 1984.

In 1985 the magazine launched a spin-off summer title, Cantab's What's On and Where to Go in Cambridge, which gained success in that year's Student Media Awards, run by The Guardian newspaper. Other less successful spin-offs, including Business Matters and Cantab's version of Energy Matters, were produced occasionally as revenue generating vehicles to subsidise the main title.

In 1985/6 the magazine was relaunched, switching from a paid-for circulation to free distribution. Relying solely on advertising sales was an unusual and potentially risky move, but allowed for a massively increased print run, increased pagination and higher production quality. While maintaining a focus on arts coverage, the magazine took an increased interest in politics and current affairs, with a noticeably more left-wing stance.

The magazine was relaunched yet again in 1987/88.

Notable Cantab staff members include

• Paul Abrahams. Director of Corporate Communications for Reed Elsevier, London; triple Gold Medal winner in fencing in the veterans' category at the Commonwealth Games.
• Grace Bradberry. Editor of T2 at The Times.
• Colin Brown. Longtime editor-in-Chief of Screen International and contributing editor for CNBC.
• Roz Carroll. Noted body psychotherapist and lecturer.
• John Crowther. Managing partner, Creston Unlimited
• Mike Dash. Fortean, publisher of Viz, and author of several works of history.
• Paul-Michael Dempsey. Washington correspondent, Engineering & Technology magazine
• Paul Foulkes-Arellano. Design company MD.
• Francis Freisinger. Latin American economist.
• Richard Furlong. Defence barrister specialising in major fraud, money laundering and drugs cartel cases.
• Midge Gillies. Journalist and biographer of Marie Lloyd and Amy Johnson.
• Chris Grayling. Conservative Member of Parliament for Epsom and Ewell.
• Tim Harper. Author and historian.
• Penny Harris. Editorial director of the Attic Futura and H.Bauer magazine publishing companies.
• Wendy Holden. Best-selling chick lit novelist.
• Madeleine Holt. Newsnight culture correspondent
• Paul Horrell. Eminent motoring journalist.
• Sarah Howgate. Contemporary Curator, National Portrait Gallery.
• Nicky Louth-Davies. Director of Corporate Communications, Rolls-Royce.
• Andrew Lownie. Top literary agent.
• Robert Mason. Journalist.
• Ben Mingay. Leading corporate financier.
• Caren Myers. Mafia prosecutor turned academic
• David Owens. Philosophy don at University of Reading.
• Richard Penty. Professor of Photonics at the University of Cambridge.
• Jane Penrose. Educational consultant.
• Nicholas Pyke. Editor, Review section, Mail on Sunday.
• Jim Roberts. London-based maritime solicitor specialising in Franco-Arab cargo disputes.
• Stephen Sackur. BBC TV correspondent in Washington, D.C.
• Alexander Shankland. Development economist
• Ian Shuttleworth. Theatre critic for the Financial Times.
• Simon Silvester. Leading advertising agency strategist and head of planning at a succession of major agencies until his death in September 2012.
• Louise Simpson. Formerly Director of Communications, University of Cambridge.
• Kevin G. Southernwood. Leader of Cambridge city council 1995-98.
• Caroline Thomson. Marketing director, The Link DSG.
• Martin Tod. Interim chief executive of the Men's Health Forum and prospective Liberal Democrats parliamentary candidate for Winchester [1].
• Gideon Todes. Award-winning advertising copywriter responsible for some of the The Economist's successful print advertising campaign.
• Bob Tolliday. Principal Investigative Reporter, Which? magazine.
• Roger Tredre. Editor-in-chief of Stylus, the multi-million pound design trends web site.
• Tim Turner. Magazine editor and novelist.
• Brian Watson Cult industrial designer.
• Annabel Warburg Teacher at St Swithun's School; married to Sir Frederick Hervey-Bathurst, Bt.
• Tessa Watt. BBC Radio 3 producer and influential figure in the World music scene.
• Jo Whelan. Comptroller General of the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt.
• Marina Wheeler. Barrister specialising in European Union law and wife of Boris Johnson, Mayor of London.
• Andy Wilton. Noted Brittany-based computer games programmer and proprietor of the Pazzazz gaming company.
• Cathie Wood. Co-founder/owner of the Frank Research market research agency.