''Bent'' is a free

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

that targets gay men and is distributed to 400 gay bars, clubs and saunas around 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 ...

. Published monthly by All Points North UK in

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

, it largely focuses on

entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...

, celebrities, film, DVD and music as well as television, comedy and

scene Scene (from Ancient Greek, Greek σκηνή ''skēnḗ'') may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music *Scene (subculture), a youth subculture from the early 2000s characterized by a distinct music and style. Groups and performers * The S ...

news.

Description

''Bent''s editor is Gordon Hopps; his involvement with the magazine began in the late 1980s when its earliest incarnation, ''All Points North'', was launched. Since then, the magazine has undergone many changes. It was relaunched in the mid-1990s as ''North of Watford'' (NOW) but the logo was challenged by

IPC Media TI Media (formerly International Publishing Company, IPC Magazines Ltd, IPC Media and Time Inc. UK) was a consumer magazine and digital publisher in the United Kingdom, with a portfolio selling over 350 million copies each year. Most of its tit ...

who also have a title called '' NOW''. After a number of years, and to prevent a costly court case, ''North Of Watford'' underwent another format change and became ''Bent''. Hopps has been involved in all areas of the magazine at different times being Editor in Chief at all the major changes. Regular columnists Adam Lowe and Simon Savidge provide the main body of features. Features editor Adam 'Beyonce' Lowe conducts celebrity interviews, writes the music reviews and the "Beauty & the Freaks" column. Simon Savidge is the London Editor whose interviewing technique has garnered a host of new fans to his work. He is also the author of Simon Says the problem page, with a witty edge.

Terry George Terence George (born 20 December 1952) is an Irish screenwriter and director. Much of his film work (e.g. ''The Boxer'', ''Some Mother's Son'', and ''In the Name of the Father'') involves "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland. He was nominated fo ...

, the magazine's

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

, also writes a column in ''Bent''. At its peak the circulation reaches 60,000 copies (equal to that of ''

Gay Times ''Gay Times'' (stylized in all caps), also known as ''Gay Times Magazine'' and as ''GT'', is a UK-based LGBTQ+ media brand established in 1975. Originally a magazine for gay and bisexual men, the company now includes content for the LGBTQ+ commu ...

'') and perhaps as high as 100,000 copies across the UK. This reflects a circulation of 1–1.7% of the entire UK population and up to 10–17% of the

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

community. Estimated readership is said to be 150,000 in the magazine's online media pack. Big-name cover stars and non-traditional subject matter have seen Bent's popularity rise, particularly with its often striking covers that tend to feature minimal text and attention-grabbing images. The magazine acquired a slightly different and 'greener' look when it began to get its paper from a sustainable source. As a gay lifestyle magazine ''Bent'' also carries items on fitness, beauty, travel, health advice, gadgets and fashion but also includes features, interviews with up-and-coming porn stars and illustrated

erotic Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, scul ...

short stories. As a free sheet, advertising provides the revenue for the production and distribution of the magazine. It is also available on subscription for a charge and can be downloaded online for free.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bent (Magazine) 2004 establishments in the United Kingdom Free magazines Gay men's magazines published in the United Kingdom Magazines established in 2004 Mass media in Leeds Monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom