Cantab

Cantab was the title of a magazine produced by students at the University of Cambridge between 1981 and 1988. It was unusual amongst British student magazines in being independent of student unions. Operations were self-financed through copy sales and advertising.

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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.

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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.

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Several members of the Cantab staff have gone on to enjoy successful careers in the media and elsewhere. The magazine's alumni include:

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• Paul Abrahams. Managing Director of Waggener Edstrom, a major PR company.
• Grace Bradberry. Journalist with The Times.
• Colin Brown. Editor-in-Chief of Screen International.
• Mike Dash. Fortean, publisher of Viz, and author of several noted works of history.
• Richard Furlong. Defence barrister specialising in major fraud 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, shadow leader of the House of Commons.
• Penny Harris. Editorial director of the Attic Futura and H.Bauer magazine publishing companies.
• Wendy Holden. Best-selling chick lit novelist.
• Paul Horrell. Eminent motoring journalist.
• David Owens. Philosophy don at the University of Sheffield.
• Stephen Sackur. BBC TV correspondent in Washington DC.
• Simon Silvester. Leading advertising agency strategist and head of planning at a succession of major agencies.
• Louise Simpson. Director of Communications, University of Cambridge.
• Kevin R. Southernwood. Former leader of Cambridge city council.
• Roger Tredre. Editor-in-chief of WGSN, the multi-million pound fashion trends web site
• Tessa Watt. BBC Radio 3 producer and influential figure in the World music scene.
• Jo Whelan. Deputy managing director of the Debt Management Office, part of the Bank of England.
• Andy Wilton. Noted computer games programmer and proprietor of the Pazzazz gaming company.

University of Cambridge: The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world, with one of the most selective sets of entry requirements in the United Kingdom....

1981: 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar....

1988: 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar....