An Interview with Graham Powell on Editorial Leadership Transition and a New Tone for WIN ONE (Part Five)
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2019/08/01
Abstract
His Lordship of Roscelines, Graham Powell, earned the “best mark ever given for acting during his” B.A. (Hons.) degree in “Drama and Theatre Studies at Middlesex University in 1990” and the “Best Dissertation Prize” for an M.A. in Human Resource Management from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England in 1994. Powell is an Honorary Member of STHIQ Society, Former President of sPIqr Society, Vice President of Atlantiq Society, and a member ofBritish Mensa, IHIQS, Ingenium, Mysterium, High Potentials Society, Elateneos, Milenija, Logiq, and Epida. He is the Full-Time Co-Editor of WIN ONE (WIN-ON-line Edition) since 2010 or nearly a decade. He represents World Intelligence Network Italia. He is the Public Relations Co-Supervisor, Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, and a Member of the European Council for High Ability. He discusses: debut as an editor with the publication on October 10, 2010; content of the fifth issue; most popular points of the publications; and setting a new tone for the leadership of the publication.
Keywords: AtlantIQ Society, editor, fifth issue, Graham Powell, WIN ONE, World Intelligence Network.
An Interview with Graham Powell on Editorial Leadership Transition and a New Tone for WIN ONE: Editor, WIN ONE & Vice President, AtlantIQ Society (Part Five)[1],[2]
*Please see the footnotes, bibliography, and citation style listing after the interview.*
1. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Your first editorial production debut was on October 10, 2010, with the fifth issue of WIN ONE, if including Genius 2 Genius Manifest. You characterized this issue as a “bumper issue” at the time, correctly, especially with the massive increase in the size of this particular issue. The largest chunk of the material belongs to the statistical analysis of Dr. Evangelos Katsioulis of the first decade of the World Intelligence Network. What was behind the selection of the particular colour of blue and design of the border, and picture of the village of Oios (Oia) on the island of Santorini, Greece? The border of the issue and the colouring appear decidedly Greek. It sets a tone. The famous picture of Oios may be the giveaway hint.
Graham Powell: I approached Beatrice Rescazzi early in the preparation process of this Edition and asked if she would mind illustrating it. In the end, she reformatted all of it, and, I think under the influence of Evangelos being Greek, chose the font which dominates this issue. Evangelos was the last to submit his huge analysis, after which the edition went to Beatrice – this being within a few days of the publication date. She was suddenly taken ill and the magazine was uploaded a few days after the 10th, with an appropriate note going on the WIN website. When Beatrice sent back the finished copy, the size of the file was immense and covered as many pages as all the previous editions put together. I decided to label it a ‘bumper edition’ at that point. It marked a grand return to the arena and the next few magazines had people eagerly contributing, the feedback about the format being positive. I think the blue and white obviously reflected not only the colours in the Greek flag, but the dominant colours within the photo of Santorini. I also like to have a background colour to the magazine pages, plus a watermark, and often the watermark reflects a deep theme within the edition.
2. Jacobsen: The entrance into the fifth issue includes some work on, appropriately, an invitation to a new IQ test, some things to consider for systematizing the construction of a meaningful life, the ways in which religion may play a role in public life and the formation of the individual citizens’ political and personal choices in the public sphere (long think piece), on divisibility and the number 3, a nice puzzle set, a consideration of the application of the Socratic method – as opposed to rhetoric – to political concerns (with a nice separation between “first-order philosophical knowledge,” “second-order philosophical knowledge,” and “third-order philosophical knowledge”), and the representation of the truly bold vision-in-action for WIN Dr. Katsioulis harbors. If you can recall, granted it has been almost another decade since its publication, what articles took the most negotiation with the authors, e.g., Marco Ripa and the translation from Italian into English?
Powell: As previously inferred, Marco’s was the most complex composition to interpret and of course translate. I had to liaise with him to make sure it was accurate and indeed I made a slight correction to it, if I remember correctly. (And to be fair to Marco, it was just a typo.) Anyway, the other notable challenge was breaking down the long articles via the addition of illustrative photos and subtitles. I conferred with Paul Edgeworth, though he trusted my judgement from the beginning and after the edition came out, he said how pleased he was with the result. It is also quite noticeable how many errors appear in some essays, so I read them very carefully and researched anything I thought awry. This was also appreciated after the publication date. Rich Stock was particularly thankful for my contribution to his essay, which he wrote specifically for the magazine. It certainly forged our friendship which, as you mentioned, goes back over a decade now.
3. Jacobsen: Within the previous question’s framing, what were the most popular points of the publications in the bumper issue, the fifth issue?
Powell: Evangelos Katsioulis loved the cover design. He also appreciated the font, which was reassuring. Furthermore, with a huge interest, 2010 was, indeed, the pinnacle of interest and participation, that ‘high curve’ of participation being bolstered by the fact that only a few magazines from the member societies existed at that point in time, plus people were not so interested in writing for cash. That has changed now, as far as I can surmise, the plethora of blogs and magazines created with the raison d’être of earning money, resulting in, I think, the demise of magazines like the WIN ONE. Also, the increase in Asian interest in high IQ societies, from new members without the English skills or easy access to western societies’ discussions, means that the participation in magazines which predominantly promote western culture is considered unwise, or, at least, is not openly encouraged. Additionally, the WIN ONE was a sounding board used by people to show off their skills and talents, which the World Genius Directory “Genius of the Year” award also encouraged in the early years of my tenure as editor. What is more, people expressed their appreciation of the simplicity of design coupled with the large variety of content. The bumper edition set a standard for the way the magazine was now going to be presented and it was liked by most. I also enjoyed creating the puzzles that have become a regular feature. I think, through all of what I have just mentioned, people identified with the person predominantly creating each edition, and they appreciated the guidance given too.
4. Jacobsen: As the publication went on a slight hiatus over time between the fourth and the fifth issues, what were the important points about setting a tone for the new editorial leadership here?
Powell: The Plain English books have long been an influence on me, going back to Sir Ernest Gowers at Oxford. The Critical Sense: Practical Criticism of Prose and Poetry by James Reeves, has also been at the core of how I present myself in writing, resulting in, fundamentally, an ability to adapt and present work that is as easy as possible to access, whilst being fun to experience as well. Going by the feedback I have received over the years, I think I have achieved that goal, that balance between the complexity of content and the clarity of presentation.
[1] Editor, WIN ONE; Text Editor, Leonardo (AtlantIQ Society); Joint Public Relations Officer, World Intelligence Network; Vice President, AtlantIQ Society.
[2] Individual Publication Date: August 1, 2019: http://www.in-sightjournal.com/powell-five; Full Issue Publication Date: September 1, 2019: https://in-sightjournal.com/insight-issues/.
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