Setters

Last updated: 24 August 2026

This is a list of setters whose work has appeared in the three main daily blogs featured on Fifteensquared since the start of 2024, including known aliases. Please let us know via site feedback of any errors or omissions. Further information about many of these setters can be found in the Crossword Who’s Who on the Best for Puzzles website, created and run by the late Michael Curl (aka Orlando/Cincinnus) – but note that the site has not been updated for some time.

Financial Times | Guardian | Independent


Financial Times

Name 2026 2025 2024 Also known as…
Aardvark • • Scorpion (Independent)
Arrietty •
Artexlen • • • eXternal (Independent)
Basilisk • Jack (Guardian), Serpent (Independent)
Bobcat • • •
Bradman • Pasquale (Guardian)
Buccaneer • • Picaroon (Guardian), Rodriguez (Independent)
Falcon • •
Flimsy • • Nitsy (Independent)
Gaff • • •
Goliath • • • Philistine (Guardian)
Gozo • • • Maskarade (Guardian)
Gurney • • • Raich (Independent)
Guy • • • Filbert (Independent)
Hamilton •
Io • • • Enigmatist (Guardian), Nimrod (Independent)
Jason • • •
Julius • • • Hat (Guardian), Knut (Independent)
Leonidas • • • Wire (Independent)
Monk • • • Harpo (Guardian), Monk (Independent)
Moo • • •
Mudd • • • Paul (Guardian), Punk (Independent)
Neo • • • Tees (Independent)
Peto • • • Poins (Independent)
Phsstpok • • •
Rosa Klebb • • • Arachne (Guardian)
Sleuth • • Hypnos (Independent)
Slormgorm • • • Hoskins (Independent)
Solomon • • • Bluebird (Independent)
Steerpike • • • Italicus (Independent)
Velia • • Matilda (Guardian)
Xela • • •
Zamorca • • • Hectence (Guardian Quiptic)

back to top


Guardian

Name 2026 2025 2024 Also known as…
Alia • •
Anto • • •
Arachne • • • Rosa Klebb (FT)
Ariel •
Boatman • • •
Brendan • • •
Brockwell • • • Grecian (Independent)
Brummie • • • Cyclops (Private Eye)
Budmo •
Caius •
Carpathian • • • Vigo (Independent)
Chandler • • •
Dice • Guinevere (Independent)
Dynamo • •
Enigmatist • • • Io (FT), Nimrod (Independent)
Fed • • • Bluth (Independent)
Harpo • • • Monk (FT, Independent)
Hat • Julius (FT), Knut (Independent)
Hugo •
Imogen • • • Vulcan (Guardian)
Ix •
Jack • Basilisk (FT), Serpent (Independent)
Kite • • •
Ludwig • • •
Maskarade • • • Gozo (FT)
Matilda • • • Velia (FT)
Omnibus • • •
Pangakupu • • • Kcit (EV), Phi (Independent)
Pasquale • • • Bradman (FT)
Paul • • • Mudd (FT), Punk (Independent)
Pavo • Liari (Independent)
Philistine • • • Goliath (FT)
Picaroon • • Buccaneer (FT), Rodriguez (Independent)
Qaos • • •
Ramsay • •
Serenos • •
Soup • •
Sphinx •
Tramp • • •
Turnstone •
Vlad • • • Tyrus (Independent)
Vulcan • • • Imogen (Guardian)
Yank • • •

back to top


Independent / Independent on Sunday

Name 2026 2025 2024 Also known as…
Amoeba • • •
Angel • •
Atrica • • •
Bard • • •
Bluebird • • • Solomon (FT)
Bluejacket • •
Bluth • • Fed (Guardian)
Brunel • • •
Coot • • •
Crosophile • • •
Dalibor • •
Deri • • •
Dill •
Dutch •
Eccles • • •
Filbert • • • Guy (FT)
Flush •
Gila • • •
Grecian • • Brockwell (Guardian)
Guinevere • Dice (Guardian)
Hippogryph • • •
Hoskins • • • Slormgorm (FT)
Hubble •
Italicus • • •
Jeemz •
Kairos • • •
Knut • • • Julius (FT)
Laccaria •
Lark • • •
Lette • •
Liari • • • Pavo (Guardian)
Longitude •
Madcap • • •
Magus • •
Maize •
Major • •
Math • •
Methuselah • • •
Mev • • •
Mog • • •
Monk • Harpo (Guardian), Monk (FT)
Moriarty •
Nepeta •
Nimrod • • Io (FT), Enigmatist (Guardian)
Nitsy • • Flimsy (FT)
Norman •
Ouroboros •
Penelope •
Phi • • • Pangakupu (Guardian)
Poat •
Punk • • •
Quince • • •
Raich • • Gurney (FT)
Raider • • •
Ringoe •
Rodriguez • Buccaneer (FT), Picaroon (Guardian)
Salty • •
Samsa •
Serpent • Basilisk (FT), Jack (Guardian)
Skinny • • Gumm (FT)
Stamp • • •
Stetson • •
Tack • • •
Tees • • Neo (FT)
Twin • •
Tyrus • • • Vlad (Guardian)
Umpire • • •
Vernon •
Vigo • Carpathian (Guardian)
Wiglaf • • •
Wire • • Leonidas (FT)

back to top


4 comments on “Setters”

  1. William F P's avatar
    William F P

    I thought Don Manley also sets as Quixote in the Independent …..
    (I mostly stopped doing the Indy not long after its paper version’s demise – perhaps the Quixotic Don hasn’t appeared since before 2021, in which case my apologies)

  2. William F P's avatar
    William F P

    Just realised I’m the first to comment and it was remiss of me not to say what a super, useful list has been produced….. Many thanks to the compiler, and for being so generous with their time

  3. Rudolf's avatar
    Rudolf

    Neil Shepherd (Alberich/Klingsor) died in April 2022.
    Should the headings for the columns be 2025, 2024 and 2023?

  4. Admin's avatar
    Admin

    Good point, Rudolf. Done now.

Comments are closed.