Launched in 1981 by the AA's then chairman Alvin Boyarsky, the journal appears twice a year and is sent out to members of the Architectural Association and individual subscribers, and is distributed to a global network of bookshops. Currently under the editorship of Maria Shéhérazade Giudici, AA Files looks to promote original and engaging writing on architecture. It does this by drawing both on the AA's own academic research, public program, exhibitions and events, as well as by a rich and eclectic mix of architectural scholarship from all over the world.