The UK’s No 1 crossword setter – bringing wordplay lovers together.

“Halpern creates waves of love among wordplay fans” – The Guardian

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Hi I’m John Halpern

The UK’s Number 1 Crossword Setter

Who is John Halpern (aka. Paul)?

Meet the Guardian’s Cryptic Crossword Setter

Hi, I'm John Halpern!

I’m the UK's Number 1 crossword setter, writing for The Times, Telegraph, FT, Independent and perhaps most famously for The Guardian under the pseudonym ‘Paul'.

I am passionate about having everyone fall in love with the fun of wordplay, and believe that honing wordplay skills can contribute to keeping your brain healthy and active.

This is why I have created my masterclasses, workshops and public speaking events to help fans unlock the mysteries of the crossword.

As well as this I offer personal tuition, bespoke gifts and books for all lovers of wordplay and puzzles.