About us

What is Erasmus?

Erasmus is a magazine that encourages readers and writers to think deeply about any written subject, from literature and philosophy to history and politics, sciences, law… 

News and magazines these days often deliver short bursts of extreme events, without giving us the time or space to truly think about what is really going on. 
Erasmus slows down the pace, giving writers the time to fully express themselves, and readers the time to think through what the writer is saying. At the heart of Erasmus is an uncompromising belief in the value of deep reading – and deeper thinking. 

Is it really a magazine?

Not really. It’s less formal than a journal, but more formal than a newspaper. Think of it as a catalogue or collection of essays. 

What does this mean for readers?

When you open an edition of Erasmus, you will notice two things. 

First, there are no page numbers or table of contents. This was designed to give you a seamless and surprising reading experience. The point is not to skip to whatever interests you but to learn about the world through various lens, guided by witty and wonderful writers. 
Second, you will realise you are reading essais, not articles – deep dives into ideas and events, not short bursts of superficial news. This is the philosophy at the heart of Erasmus, and our promise to you.

What does this mean for writers?

For writers, you get the space and freedom to write unreservedly about your passion without a word limit, topic constraint, or even a deadline. The only requirement is to think deeply and write deeply.

Why ‘Erasmus’?

Erasmus was a key founder of humanist education. Slay.

How can there be no deadlines?

The model for Erasmus works thus: 

  1. Ideas occur at anytime, anywhere
  2. When you get your eureka, write it down 
  3. When you finish your essai, contact us
  4. You will receive an email back – usually resembling a fan letter – with a little editorial feedback
  5. You essai will published in the symposium, and will then potentially be featured in the upcoming monthly edition

Why is each article called an ‘essai’, not an essay?

Because ‘essay’ comes from the french, ‘essayer’ or ‘essai’, meaning ‘an attempt’. Each article in Erasmus is an essai because I want to lift the burden off writers to produce perfection every time, by removing the notion of perfection.

What are the three founding principles of Erasmus?

  1. Think deeper, write deeper – ask more WHYs 
  2. Write worry-free – not only are there no deadlines or word limits or topic constraints, but Chenrui the Publisher will handle all the practical chaos, so you can just focus on writing
  3.  Follow your intellectual heart – write about something that truly fascinates you.

What are the three rules of style for Erasmus?

  1. Write for the educated reader – assume no specific degree background 
  2. No bibliography or citations – you can quote scholars, just make it readable 
  3. Own your words – we will support you editorially, but your words are always your own

What unique support does Erasmus offer writers?

  1. Complete freedom – no word, topic or time limits  
  2. Intellectual property rights – Erasmus does not own your intellectual property, meaning you can publish your work elsewhere which the vast majority of publishers do not allow
  3. Guaranteed publication – whatever you write will be read, whatever you say will be heard 

Give me some inspiration…What are current writers writing about?

Well, the decision is entirely yours, but here are some upcoming essais I am very excited to read: 

  • How to measure infinity 
  • Justifying the reading of poetry 
  • How the concept of a ‘teenager’ was shaped by the English language
  • Ideas worth fighting for
  • What if utilitarianism worked? 
  • Why Spike is objectively the best character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer 
  • Why do we find things funny?
  • Explaining the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis 
  • Why hypocrisy is necessary in politics
  • The cyclical nature of the internet
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