Welcome
I’ve had a lot of fun compiling cryptic crossword puzzles since 2001, first for 1 Across magazine and since 2008 for the Guardian. I hope you’ve enjoyed solving them, and will enjoy discovering more. I like to hear from my victims, so do keep in touch …
If you want a fiendish crossword, you want the best – which means you want Boatman, because he is the best
Gyles Brandreth
Quick Links
Did you come here to buy a signed copy of one of my books? This button will take you straight to my online shop.
Did you come here to buy tickets for my next music evening in Ditchling? This button will take you straight to the online booking page.
Luminous intelligence … never remotely frustrating
Dirkybee
Learn to set crosswords like the professionals
Now taking bookings for 2025!
They started as a way of celebrating the centenary of the crossword in 2013, and now they’re an institution: they’re my Crossword Masterclasses, in which you’ll join a small group and find out how to make the most of your inner fiendishness.
There’s an intensive class for aspiring setters and advanced solvers run over two afternoons, which will get you creating and appreciating crosswords, and there’s an advanced session for previous masterclass graduates. They’re everything you need to know to follow in the footsteps of alumni like Asp/Basilisk/Jack/Serpent, Bluth/Fed/Django, Carpathian/Vigo, Daedalus, Hudson/Julius/Knut/Magnus, Karla/Prism/Wire, Navy, Soup and dozens more.
Click below for more details, including information about how to apply for the new sponsorship scheme or to book your place on the next class …
Boatman’s puzzles inhabit their own world, and even if I’m stumped by the odd clue I could merrily sit staring at his puzzles every day
bingybong
A completely personal, custom puzzle is a great way to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, wedding, retirement, corporate event or any other occasion … or do it just for fun. To find out how to go about creating the perfect present for the word-lover in your life …
A really lovely puzzle—what initially looks like a manual on how to build an alien spacecraft turns out to be deceptively simple
aztobesed
I offer a half-day class for sixth formers, in which I show small groups of students how cryptic crosswords work and challenge them to create their own. The challenge lasts about 2½ hours, with an opportunity for the group to continue their work after the class, and assumes no prior knowledge of crosswords. To find out more, please get in touch …
Enjoy my first 100 crosswords from the Guardian, then read the stories and ideas behind them. There are two books, and between them they contain 106 puzzles – each volume has bonus puzzles previously only available online, and The Second 50 includes the notorious Referendum Day puzzle that was able to predict the result of the UK’s vote over its membership of the European Union with complete confidence.
It is an extraordinary pleasure to read how Boatman’s unique mind works. The First 50 is a book I never knew I needed in my life. Gift it to yourself and to the word-lovers in yours.
Alan Connor
BBC2 question editor and Guardian Crossword Editor
Click below for more about the books, including sample pages, interviews and press releases. You can buy The First 50 and The Second 50 from all the usual online and national bookshops. If your favourite local bookshop doesn’t stock them, they can order them for you (give them a hint that they should order an extra copy or two for their shelves!) or you can buy signed copies direct from my online shop …
The Mystery of Crosswords
I’m taking bookings for my new talk, intended for general interest groups who may or may not know the first thing about crosswords, which sheds light on the mystery of how they work, where they came from and how they’re made. Get in touch now for more details …
Boatman & Friends in Conversation
I enjoyed talking to a packed house at Waterstones Brighton recently with John Halpern (Paul in the Guardian) and Hugh Stephenson (Guardian Crossword Editor at the time).
If your local Waterstones or other bookshop can cater for a decent crowd and you’d like to see me there talking to other luminaries of the crossword world, let me know – better still, tell your bookshop about these events and ask them to get in touch – or if you’re organising a festival, talk to me about arranging an In-Conversation event tied in with a short public workshop.
