Richard benson author biography for book

In the late 1980s Richard became a freelance writer, and ended up working at The Face. For those who aren't old enough to remember, The Face was a zeitgeist-setting culture magazine with writers including Julie Burchill and the late Gavin Hills. 

Richard made his mark during the publication's legal battle with Jason Donovan over an article that made claims about his sexuality.

'I got my break on the magazine during the case. They needed some junior people to get the magazine out while the staff were in court.'

Reflecting on that time, Richard says, 'I can actually see Donovan's point of view to be honest but people felt it was heavy-handed to force damages on an independent magazine that didn't make a lot of money. 

'I think that induced a lot of people to support us and in the long run it benefited us.' Richard was Editor of The Face from 1995, overseeing its peak circulation and leaving in 2000 when it was bought by a multinational (four years later, it folded).