Many years ago (1986-1993) I produced a series of twelve crosswords for The Listener under the overarching theme of the Labours of Hercules. I suspect it wouldn’t happen now – embarking on the sequence was foolhardy enough then, but the rate of appearance has decreased so that it would be unthinkable to see twelve puzzles by one setter in seven years.
I remain very pleased with the series, and I’d like to make it available again. But the copyright issues are complex, particularly because the first nine puzzles predate the closure of The Listener as a BBC concern, while the final three date from the transfer of the puzzle to The Times. However, I did pile all twelve puzzle ideas into a single puzzle, which appeared in The Magpie crossword magazine, who have given me permission to republish it here.
It’s a big puzzle as a result of having so much thematic material, and I hope I’ve typed it in correctly!
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