Genii Magazine April 2026

In this issue…

We kick off April with many celebrations. First, we offer our heartiest wishes to the one and only Mary Naylor Kodell. On April 2, Mary joins the special ranks of the centenarian club! Happy Birthday, Mary! By the time Mary joined the magic community in 1953, when she married magician Jack Kodell, she was already a successful and popular British entertainer performing on West End stages, radio, and television, working as a singer and pianist. Genii’s associate editor, Vanessa Armstrong, shares a charming and enchanting look back at Mary’s impressive career through a delightful conversation with Mary Naylor Kodell and Lance Burton.

We also look back, fondly, to celebrate Argentine magician René Lavand’s contribution to magic through the lens of an enigmatic prop: the color-changing knives. Genii columnist Roberto Mansilla details the rich and fascinating journey of René’s history with the knives and their importance to his magic.

Oh yes, and another celebration to mention: We welcome Benjamin Barnes in his first issue as magic editor for Genii! As you will read in this month’s The Genii Speak by Will Houstoun, our two magic editors, Benjamin and Lorenz Schär (who you will meet in our next issue), are reinstating our popular Magicana column. Benjamin has curated a wonderful collection for this month, including Luis Carreon’s Los Bailarines, Alex Linian’s The Miracle Fold, and Danny Orleans’ version of Paper Balls Over the Head. And, of course, our regular columnists return with Roberto Mansilla combining two classic routines to form more than the sum of its parts; and Blake Vogt inviting Michael Carbonaro to join him on Inventing Magic.

All this, and so much more! Enjoy this issue of Genii!