UCL magazine on Guardian Student Media Award shortlist

Link:

guardian.co.uk/student-media-awards-2009/" target="_self">Guardian Student Media Awards

Pi Magazine, written and published by UCL students, has been shortlisted for 'Magazine of the Year' in the prestigious Guardian Student Media Awards.

Pi Magazine is part of Pi Media Society. It is dedicated to student culture and regularly features high-profile interviews. One of the most recent was with former UCL student and acclaimed film director Christopher Nolan.

This is the first time Pi Media Society has been shortlisted in this category, according to The Guardian's online records, which date back to 2001. UCL student magazine Cheese Grater was shortlisted in the same category in 2007.

The Guardian Student Media Awards have sought out the best student writers, designers, broadcasters, editors and photographers for the past 30 years. The magazine category recognises "an intelligent mix: accurate targeting of the student and local readership; strong ideas; high-quality writing; thoughtful packaging of articles; clear and confident presentation, design, and 'selling' of contents."

Pi Magazine is vying against the University of Leeds, Cardiff University and Oxford University for the first prize of £1,650 in the magazine category and a week's work experience at the Guardian for the winning editor. 


The panel of judges this year includes Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger, Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow, restaurant critic Jay Rayner and Today programme presenter Evan Davis.

Christina Farr and Marina Kolobova, who both graduated from UCL History in 2009 and are returning to take masters degrees this October, edited Pi Magazine during the academic year 2008-2009, the period for which it has been shortlisted.

They said: "We are so excited to be shortlisted and so proud to be part of a sixty-year tradition of student journalism at UCL. The whole of Pi Media Society has worked so hard this year in our Huntley Street hideaway, so it's a real honour to finally be recognised by the Guardian Student Media Awards.

"Our aim was simply to produce something witty, vibrant and truthful for UCL students to enjoy reading between lectures. We really hope this means we've succeeded!"

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in November 2009. To find out more about the Guardian Student Media Awards, follow the link at the top of this article.

Image: Covers of Pi Magazine from the shortlisted period