Amelia Lester has been appointed
Editor of Good Weekend, the premier destination for long-form journalism in Australia.
Ms Lester is currently the Executive Online Editor of The New Yorker, where she has
worked for nine years. She has been a key driver of digital innovation at the prestigious
title, renowned globally for quality writing, criticism and investigative journalism.
In a joint statement, Darren Goodsir, the Editor-in-Chief of The Sydney Morning Herald,
and Andrew Holden, the Editor-in-Chief of The Age, said: “Amelia secured the position
after a highly competitive selection process, with the quality and high number of applicants
underscoring Good Weekend’s marketplace credentials.
“Amelia demonstrated an impeccable understanding of long-form and feature writing –
together with delivering a compelling vision of how to translate a traditional print product
into a digital environment.
“This is a thrilling appointment, and Amelia has the skills and the vision to continue Good
Weekend’s fine tradition of quality journalism.
“Her pedigree and career success speak for themselves, and we are very excited about
her ambitions for the magazine – and the type of stories she will be pursuing.”
Ms Lester, who attended North Sydney Girls High School, graduated from Harvard
University before joining The New Yorker as a fact-checker. Later, she was the
magazine’s Managing Editor. She has spent the past year rolling out the magazine’s
digital strategy.
Ms Lester said: “Independent journalism is more important than ever in Australia. I look
forward to continuing Good Weekend’s long tradition of rigorous reporting and enthralling
storytelling.”
Mr Goodsir and Mr Holden thanked Greg Callaghan, who has been the magazine’s Acting
Editor in the months since Ben Naparstek departed the position earlier in the year.
Ms Lester steps into the role in February 2016.
Good Weekend magazine is published on Saturdays inside The Age and The Sydney
Morning Herald.