''Notes from the Underground'' is a creative writing

free newspaper Free newspapers are distributed free of charge, often in central places in cities and towns, on public transport, with other newspapers, or separately door-to-door. The revenues of such newspapers are based on advertising. They are published at d ...

. Its first issue was distributed on the

London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent ceremonial counties of England, counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and He ...

and in shops and libraries throughout

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 ...

on 17 December 2007. It aims to function as a quality alternative

to those on the tube. It was inspired by the success of ''

The London Paper ''The London Paper'' (stylised as ''thelondonpaper'') was a free daily newspaper, published by NI Free Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International (who also own the companies that publish '' The Sun'' and ''The Times''). It was available fr ...

'', but aims to be an entertaining and accessible platform for up-and-coming writers and illustrators.

Content

Stories

Most of the stories are by new writers, though several more famous authors have written new stories for the paper. These include ''The Dreams of Bethany Mellmoth'' by

William Boyd William, Willie, Will or Bill Boyd may refer to: Academics * William Alexander Jenyns Boyd (1842–1928), Australian journalist and schoolmaster * William Boyd (educator) (1874–1962), Scottish educator * William Boyd (pathologist) (1885–1979), ...

, ''Feed Me'' by

Russell Brand Russell Edward Brand (born 4 June 1975) is an English comedian and actor known for his flamboyant, loquacious style and manner. Brand has received three British Comedy Awards: Best Newcomer (2006), Best Live Stand-Up (2008), and the award for ...

, ''The Changeover'' by

Mark Watson Mark Andrew Watson (born 13 February 1980) is a British comedian and novelist. Early life Watson was born in Bristol to a Welsh mother and English father. He has younger twin sisters and a brother, Paul. He attended Bristol Grammar School, wh ...

, ''The Grand Mal'' by

Richard Milward Richard Milward (born 26 October 1984 in Middlesbrough) is an English novelist. His debut novel ''Apples'' was published by Faber in 2007. He has also written ''Ten Storey Love Song'' and most recently ''Kimberly's Capital Punishment''. Raise ...

. There are also stories of one sentence, including one by crime writer Peter James.

Illustration

There are several cartoon strips, stand-alone cartoons as well as a new illustration for each story.

Distribution

''Notes from the Underground'' was distributed outside 35 central London tube stations as well as in branches of

Foyles W & G Foyle Ltd. (usually called simply Foyles) is a bookseller with a chain of seven stores in England. It is best known for its flagship store in Charing Cross Road, London. Foyles was once listed in the ''Guinness Book of Records'' as the ...

, selected branches of

HMV Sunrise Records and Entertainment, trading as HMV (for His Master's Voice), is a British music and entertainment retailer, currently operating exclusively in the United Kingdom. The first HMV-branded store was opened by the Gramophone Company ...

and

Waterstone's Waterstones, formerly Waterstone's, is a British book retailer that operates 311 shops, mainly in the United Kingdom and also other nearby countries. As of February 2014, it employs around 3,500 staff in the UK and Europe. An average-sized Wa ...

, public libraries and independent bookshops.

Criticism

''Today'' programme report

''Notes from the Underground'' was discussed on the BBC '' Today'' programme by John Sutherland and Peter James on 17 December 2007. Sutherland agreed with James that "everything in the paper is worth reading", but felt the newspaper was pitched too highly compared to other free newspapers. "It might work, but I think the title is an allusion to the

Dostoevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...

book ''

Notes from Underground ''Notes from Underground'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform Russian: ; also translated as ''Notes from the Underground'' or ''Letters from the Underworld'') is a novella by Fyodor Dostoevsky, first published in the journal ''Epoch'' in 1864. ...

'', which I suspect would probably go over the heads of most commuters." However he did add that "this is a very good platform for new literature, and I am all in favour of it. More power to it, I say."

References

External links

Official website

Video showing the design process
{{Newspapers in London London newspapers Free daily newspapers London Underground in popular culture