Photo of Tom by Rick Morris Pushinsky

Tom Hodgkinson is  founder of The Idler Academy of Philosophy, Husbandry and Merriment; a bookshop, café and centre of learning in West London. When he's not busy being idle, Tom has also written a number of books such as How to be Idle, How to be Free, The Idle Parent and Brave Old World, as well as editing many other publications. We managed to get his attention for long enough to ask him a few questions about his new book club and idling in the digital age.

RR: Tell us about how you perfected the art of idling.

TH: Ha! I'm afraid I'm a long way from perfecting it as I have been very busy with our shop over the last two years. Before opening the Idler Academy, I had it pretty much down: four hours of writing work every morning in our Devon cottage, followed by walks, naps and gardening. We cut our expesnes right down and managed to live within our means. That is the trick, I think. I am now working on how to run a business in an idle way. The trick here is to work with good people and share the work out. The word is "delegation". But the first two or three years were always going to be tough and I think you have to live with that. However, I do still manage to have a nap and a brisk walk most days, and I read in the evenings rather than watching telly. Idling to me is really about doing work that you enjoy and creating a "life system" which allows plenty of time for reflection of one sort or another

RR: Your book club will focus on classics rather than modern publications- are there many books that you re-read over and over?

TH: I do love to read books by William Cobbett, the great radical of the early 19th century. He published books on grammar, husbandry, the money system, the Protestant Reformation and also produced a weekly magazine called Cobbett's Register which was the Private Eye of its day and sold 70,000 copies a week.

Photo by Dirk Lindner

RR: The Idler Academy teaches all sorts of subjects, from Latin to the Ukelele; are there any skills you still long to learn?

TH: Yes, I long to learn how to sing and how to dance properly. I think these skills need to be taught rather than just picked up by osmosis. We are planning singing and dancing lessons for next year.

RR: What have your children taught you?

TH: They are experts at having fun and playing. They teach me how to be silly which is an important skill.

RR: In your book Brave Old World you guide the reader through activities of self sufficiency peculiar to each month of the year- what is it we should be doing at the moment? How much harder is it to indulge in the Idle life if you live in an urban environment?

TH: Well, November was traditionally the month for killing the pig. Clearly that is not always possible in the urban environment (although city farms are starting to come back). But anyone can buy half a pig from the butcher and make bacon and ham at home. That is great fun and saves money. You can also easily make bread and jam at home. Bread-baking is a very worthwhile skill to learn. And you can grow food in the urban environment: even a windowsill can be made into a mini-greenhouse, and the tinest patch of earth can be turned into a growing site.

RR: Do you think the digital age is a danger to the Idler?

TH: I used to worry about this issue. Digital devices eat into idling time. However, I recognise that there is no getting away from it. And there is plenty of fun to be had on Youtube and all the rest of it. To take the ukulele as an example, there are fantastic teaching resources out there on the Internet. But I also think that we all need to be reminded of the pleasures of the old ways: writing letters, lighting fires, making merry. The old ways and the new ways must be at peace with each other.

RR: What are the best ways to remain idle in the lead up to Christmas?

TH: Very difficult! The lead-up to Christmas is generally a busy time. However, Christmas itself can be given over to idling: it is a time for feasting, playing games, for music and singing.

RR: What books would you like in your Christmas stocking this year?

TH: I would like to read Anna Karenina. Also Philip Hensher's book about handwriting. 

The Idler Book Club launches on 22nd November.