Hayes also took part in the BBC Radio 4 series David Baddiel Tries to Understand..., setting a beginner's crossword for the show and putting together a guide to solving cryptics.
[7] Hayes describes herself as an "anarcho-horizontalist" and her crosswords often reflect her political leanings – one of her most often cited clues reads "Throw shoe!
[1][3][8] Her other political crosswords have commented on current affairs, such as a puzzle in The Independent during the Leveson inquiry that referenced many of the main players in the case,[1] or drawn attention to injustices: one puzzle included hidden messages "JUSTICE NOT DONE" and "DANIEL MORGAN" in the form of ninas as part of a campaign against police corruption,[1] while another included the names of undercover police officers from the Special Demonstration Squad who had deceived protesters into sexual relationships.
[1] Her Guardian pseudonym, also used in The Listener and other puzzles, is drawn from the mythical Greek weaver Arachne, and references her hobby of amateur weaving.
"Rosa Klebb", used in the Financial Times, is taken from the James Bond villain, and references Hayes's background in Russian and her politics – the name is itself a pun on the Soviet feminist slogan khleb i rozy.