After Dinner Speakers: Ian Hislop, Melvin Bragg, John Weston

Ian Hislop may be best known for his appearances on the BBC1 quiz show, Have I Got News For You, but most of his time is devoted to editing Private Eye magazine, a post he has held since 1986. When the former Private Eye editor, Richard Ingrams, appointed Hislop as his successor at the tender age of 26, there was an outcry among more established members of staff. They need not have feared, however, as he has continued in the tradition of Ingrams and changed very little about the layout of the fortnightly satirical magazine. Under Hislop Private Eye recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, becoming Britain's best-selling current affairs magazine. Hislop's influence in the media is threefold - as broadcaster, editor and writer. He is a columnist for the Sunday Telegraph and writes for television in conjunction with his old friend Nick Newman.