The Editor of the Times Literary Supplement

The Premio on the island of old Nestor’s Cup

It has been an honour to take part in such debates about the media, its morality and its language

Before I became a winner of the Premio Ischia I knew the island only for the writing on its famous 'Cup of Nestor', the oldest surviving words written in the alphabet of classical Greek. According to a visitor to Ischia in around 750 BC, "Whoever drinks the contents, straightaway he will be seized by the goddess of Love": and this prize-winning visitor of 2002 maintained that tradition, falling in love with the island as so many have done over 3000 years Those seemingly clear ancient words are, in truth, as open to as many different interpretations as the words we read in the newspapers today and the subjects we discuss during the Premio. It has been an honour to take part in such debates about the media, its morality and its language - as well as to have been recognised by a jury headed by Biagio Agnes and to have followed in the footsteps of Arrigo Levi, a friend of The Times of London for so long. As editor now of the Times Literary Supplement, and writing as much about the ancient world as the modern, I will always look forward to taking part in the Premio, and to sharing a drink and a talk with great journalists in the island of old Nestor's Cup