New marker

John Green is retiring from marking and record-keeping for the Listener Crossword and we are looking for a successor to start in January 2025. Please contact marker@listenercrossword.com if interested.

The main tasks involved are:

• Receiving all Listener Crossword entries by post at a United Kingdom address (which will be published with the Listener Crossword in The Times).
• Checking all entries for errors and cataloguing the individual errors made.
• For every solver who submits an entry, recording the solver’s entries for the year and which errors they made on each puzzle.
• After the closing date for each puzzle, randomly selecting three correct entries to win prizes.
• Sending each week’s results (winners’ names and addresses, number of correct/incorrect entries, list of errors and names of the solvers who made each error), along with all comments that solvers have included with their entries, to the setter of the crossword, with copies to the Listener vetters.
• At the end of each year, preparing statistics on the year’s crosswords. For each solver who requests it, sending them a copy of the report along with their personal solving record for the year (entries received and errors made).

The number of entries varies each week but is currently averaging around 400. The new marker may want to consider enabling entries by email as well as by post.

The marker will be provided with the correct solutions to the crosswords in advance, but may occasionally need to discuss with the vetters whether alternative solutions should be allowed. They may submit entries as a solver — provided they haven’t seen the answer, of course — and their own entries should be marked and recorded like any other solver’s submissions.

The position is unpaid, but reasonable expenses (eg for stationery or postage) may be claimed. Communication by email is preferred, to save time and costs.