Earlier this year, Mayfair magazine, a popular British men's lifestyle publication from the 1960s to the early 20000s, reappeared online after being closed for more than a decade. It had previously been well known for featuring high-quality photographs of scantily clad women, along with articles about fashion and music.
Mayfair was famous for its beautiful models, including Cindy Crawford, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Elle Macpherson, Claudia Schiffer, Heidi Klum, Helena Christensen, Stella Tennant, Linda Evangelista, and Karen Mulder. The magazine also featured short stories and poetry that explored themes of love and romance, which were often quite steamy in nature. As such, it played an important role in shaping attitudes towards sex and sexuality in Britain during its time.
One of the most influential writers to appear in Mayfair was Ian McEwan, who wrote several erotic short stories for the magazine. These stories included "First Love, Last Rites", "Enduring Love", and "Atonement". His work helped establish him as one of the leading voices in contemporary British literature, and his writing has been praised for its focus on intimacy and human relationships.
Other notable authors who contributed to Mayfair include William Boyd, Martin Amis, David Hare, John Updike, Tom Wolfe, J. G. Ballard, Michael Bracewell, and John Mortimer. Their contributions helped to shape the literary landscape of postwar Britain, and their works continue to be studied and appreciated by scholars today.
In addition to these prominent writers, Mayfair also published lesser-known authors who specialized in erotica, such as Barbara Cartland, Jacqueline Susann, Harold Robbins, and Judith Krantz. Although their books may not have received critical acclaim, they were popular with readers at the time and helped to create a market for explicit fiction.
Overall, Mayfair's contribution to British adult literature cannot be overstated. Its focus on fashion, music, and art, combined with its willingness to explore taboo topics like sex and sexuality, made it unique among other magazines of its era. Its legacy continues to live on today through the many famous authors who got their start there.