''Ambit'' is a quarterly literary periodical published in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. The magazine was founded in 1959 by

Martin Bax Martin Bax is a British consultant paediatrician, who, in addition to his medical career, founded the Arts magazine '' Ambit'' in 1959. He lives in London. Since he created it, ''Ambit'' has published poetry, prose and artwork from the likes of Fl ...

, a

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

novelist and consultant

paediatrician Pediatrics (American and British English differences, also spelled ''paediatrics'' or ''pædiatrics'') is the branch of medicine that involves the medical care of infants, children, Adolescence, adolescents, and young adults. In the United King ...

. The office of the magazine is in London, and the HQ is registered in Norfolk. Uniting art, prose, poetry and reviews, the magazine appears quarterly and is distributed internationally. Notable ''Ambit'' contributors have included

J. G. Ballard James Graham Ballard (15 November 193019 April 2009) was an English novelist, short story writer, satirist, and essayist known for provocative works of fiction which explored the relations between human psychology, technology, sex, and mass medi ...

Eduardo Paolozzi Sir Eduardo Luigi Paolozzi (, ; 7 March 1924 – 22 April 2005) was a Scottish artist, known for his sculpture and graphic works. He is widely considered to be one of the pioneers of pop art. Early years Eduardo Paolozzi was born on 7 March 1 ...

Ralph Steadman Ralph Idris Steadman (born 15 May 1936) is a British illustrator best known for his collaboration and friendship with the American writer Hunter S. Thompson. Steadman is renowned for his political and social caricatures, cartoons and picture ...

Carol Ann Duffy Dame Carol Ann Duffy (born 23 December 1955) is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is a professor of contemporary poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Poet Laureate in May 2009, resigning in 2019. She was the first ...

Fleur Adcock Fleur Adcock (born 10 February 1934) is a New Zealand poet and editor, of English and Northern Irish ancestry, who has lived much of her life in England. She is well-represented in New Zealand poetry anthologies, was awarded an honorary doc ...

, Peter Blake and

David Hockney David Hockney (born 9 July 1937) is an English painter, draftsman, printmaker, stage designer, and photographer. As an important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considered one of the most influential British artists o ...

. Michael Foreman was art director for 50 years.

Derek Birdsall Derek Birdsall, (born 1 August 1934) is an internationally renowned British graphic designer. Early life Birdsall was born in Wakefield, Yorkshire, in 1934 and attended The King's School, Pontefract, Wakefield College of Art and Central Schoo ...

, Alan Kitching and John Morgan Studio are notable designers. Despite the wealth of recognisable names, ''Ambit'' also features the work of new, unpublished writers. In the sixties ''Ambit'' became well known for testing the boundaries and social conventions and published many anti-establishment pieces, including an issue with works written under the influence of drugs. Ballard became fiction editor alongside Geoff Nicholson, and Duffy joined Henry Graham as Poetry Editor. In 2013, poe
Briony Bax
(and daughter of the poet

Adrian Mitchell Adrian Mitchell FRSL (24 October 1932 – 20 December 2008) was an English poet, novelist and playwright. A former journalist, he became a noted figure on the British Left. For almost half a century he was the foremost poet of the country's Cam ...

) became editor, successfully transitioning Ambit to gain charitable status, with the intention to continue Ambit's mission of using art and literature to expand upon the times. Kate Pemberton became fiction editor, with various poetry editors, and sculptor
Olivia Bax
as art editor. The magazine held launches at the Tate Gallery and is a regular in Soho, although much of the legacy of Ambit began at the

Chelsea Arts Club The Chelsea Arts Club is a private members' club at 143 Old Church Street in Chelsea, London with a membership of over 3,800, including artists, sculptors, architects, writers, designers, actors, musicians, photographers, and filmmakers. The club ...

. After 7 years, Briony Bax stepped up as editor emeritus, after recruiting author, poet and performer,

Kirsty Allison Kirsty or Kirstie is a feminine given name and nickname. It is a Scottish diminutive of Christine in English-speaking countries and is also linked to Kirsten — the Scandinavian version of Christine. People * Kirstie Alley (1951–2022), Ame ...

(who was first published in Ambit in 2007) first as managing editor, then as editor. Kirsty Allison introduced Lias Saoudi (

Fat White Family Fat White Family are an English rock band, formed in 2011 in Peckham, South London. History The band, fronted by Southampton-born and Cookstown-raised Lias Kaci Saoudi, formed in 2011. Lead guitarist Saul Adamczewski was previously the frontma ...

) as a guest editor for the first Ambit Pop issue, Ambit 243, which invited him to commission and expand on the Poems, Stories and Art legacy of Ambit. This issue published Rob Doyle,

Jenni Fagan Dr Jenni Fagan (born 1977) is a Scottish novelist and poet. She has written several books including fiction novel '' The Panopticon,'' screenplays and several books of poetry. She was named Scottish writer of the year 2016 by ''The Glasgow Her ...

Ben Myers Benjamin Myers (born January 1976) is an English writer and journalist. Early life Myers grew up in Belmont, County Durham, and was a pupil at the estate's local comprehensive school where he become interested in reading and skateboarding. M ...

, Wayne Horse, Neal Fox (Le Gun), Zaffar Kunial and more. After an introduction by illustration editor, Dr Mireille Fauchon, Ambit is now designed by Stephen Barrett (who also designe
Kirsty Allison
s debut novel, Psychomachia (

Wrecking Ball Press Wrecking Ball Press is an independent poetry & prose publishing company, based in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Wrecking Ball Press was established and is edited by Shane Rhodes; it was born in the back of a café. Wrecking Ball Pres ...

Review

''Ambit'' magazine was described by artist

as "a surreptitious peek inside a private world. Without it such vital sparks of inspiration could well be lost forever.". The magazine professes not to include in its publication criticisms, essays, articles and lengthy reviews but prefers including real work, the likes and dislikes associated with the readers, creating never a dull moment and always sparking off feedbacks. To quote

, "Ambit continues to surprise, exasperate and delight". Two issues of ''Ambit a year are'' put together entirely from unsolicited, previously unpublished poetry and short fiction submissions. One is now a Pop issue, with a guest editor. The other issue is created from winners of the Annual Ambit Awards for Poems, Stories and Art.

References

{{Reflist

External links

''Ambit'' website''Ambit'' statistics website''Ambit'' about website
1959 establishments in the United Kingdom Literary magazines published in the United Kingdom Quarterly magazines published in the United Kingdom Magazines published in London Magazines established in 1959 Poetry magazines published in the United Kingdom