Peter Stothard

Career Evolution: From Newsrooms to Classical Scholarship

• The Times Era (1981–2002): As editor during pivotal moments like the Iraq War and "price wars" against rival broadsheets, Stothard elevated investigative political reporting while maintaining classical references in editorial commentary[1][4].
• TLS Leadership (2002–2016): Transformed the literary supplement into a platform for blending historical scholarship with contemporary critique, exemplified by his regular columns analyzing modern politics through Greco-Roman lenses[4][8].
• Authorial Phase (2010–present): Books like The Last Assassin and Palatine established his signature style of intertwining memoir with ancient history, later reflected in his Spectator essays dissecting political rhetoric through classical frameworks[1][6].

Defining Works: Three Pillars of Historical Analysis

• The vicious and violent rhetoric of Cicero (The Spectator, January 2025)

This 5,000-word examination of Cicero's forensic techniques draws direct parallels to modern political discourse, particularly the weaponization of legal language in contemporary populism. Stothard employs comparative textual analysis of Cicero's In Verrem speeches and 21st-century parliamentary debates, revealing how ancient strategies of character assassination persist in today's "post-truth" environment. His access to unpublished Oxford papyri adds new dimensions to understanding Cicero's influence on Western legal theatrics.

• The Roman Empire’s years of glory (The Spectator, October 2023)

Through military campaign maps and economic data visualization, this piece deconstructs Hadrian's consolidation strategies as metaphors for modern nation-building. Stothard contrasts the empire's "soft power" cultural assimilation with its brutal suppression of dissent—a duality he links to contemporary debates about globalization. The article’s novel use of lead pollution studies to track imperial trade routes demonstrates his interdisciplinary approach to historical storytelling.

• Alexandria (Granta, 2010)

Blending memoir with Cleopatra scholarship, this experimental narrative uses the 2010 Arab Spring as a lens to examine ancient power transitions. Stothard’s ground-level reporting from Tahrir Square intersects with archival research into Ptolemaic bureaucracy, creating a multivalent portrait of revolution’s cyclical nature. The work’s non-linear structure, shifting between 48 BC and 2011 AD, has influenced contemporary historical journalism’s temporal experimentation.

Strategic Pitching Guidance

Leverage Understudied Classical-Era Figures

Stothard’s TLS essays on lesser-known Stoic philosophers[4] and Spectator pieces rehabilitating figures like Crassus[1] reveal appetite for re-examinating "villains" of antiquity. Pitches should identify modern parallels—e.g., a proposal comparing Seneca’s exile to contemporary whistleblower protections, supported by newly translated Epictetus fragments.

Intersect Ancient Military Strategy With Tech Ethics

His analysis of Roman siege engineering in Palatine[1] provides template for examining AI governance through historical lenses. Successful angles might explore Hadrian’s Wall as metaphor for cyber borders, or grain supply algorithms in imperial Rome versus modern blockchain systems.

Biographical Pitches Require Primary Source Anchors

The Cicero article’s use of unpublished manuscripts[6] demonstrates Stothard’s preference for original documents. Effective pitches might propose examining newly digitized Vatican scrolls or private correspondence from 19th-century classicists to reframe familiar historical narratives.

Avoid Presentism in Historical Comparisons

While open to modern parallels, his critique of "Gladiator" revisionism in a 2022 TLS column[8] shows disdain for forced contemporary analogies. Pitches must demonstrate nuanced understanding of historical context before drawing modern connections.

Leverage Interdisciplinary Research Methods

His synthesis of archaeological chemistry data in the Hadrian article[6] illustrates preferred integration of STEM fields. Competitive pitches might combine literary analysis with climate science (e.g., volcanic eruptions shaping Augustan poetry) or medical anthropology studies of ancient pandemics.

Awards and Industry Recognition

• 1999 Granada TV Editor of the Year: Awarded during The Times’ circulation peak (900,000+), recognizing Stothard’s balance of investigative rigor and literary quality[1][4]. This dual focus became his career hallmark.
• 2013 Criticos Prize: For Alexandria, celebrating innovative fusion of memoir and classical scholarship[1]. The judging panel noted its influence on New Historicism in journalism.
• Man Booker Chairmanship (2012): His jury’s selection of Hilary Mantel’s Bring Up the Bodies reinforced his preference for historically grounded fiction with political acuity[1].