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Jonathan Self

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jonathan Otter Self[1] (born 11 March 1959 in Hammersmith, London)[2] is an English author and journalist.

Early life

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Self was raised in Hampstead, London. His father was the British journalist and academic Peter Self. His mother, Elaine (born Rosenbloom), was American and worked in publishing.[3] His brother, Will Self, is a novelist and broadcaster.[4]

Career

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Self began his career as an advertising copywriter and in 1982 founded Self Direct, a direct-marketing agency. He sold the business in 1993.

In 2001, Self published an autobiography, Self Abuse. The Times stated that Self "is a talented writer with an extraordinary family history to relate. He catalogues the failings of a family so dysfunctional and cruel that even with his talent for sardonic one-liners the tone is one of unrelenting despair."[5] In a humour column of The Guardian, a one-line summary of the book states, "The brother of the more famous Will ODs in therapy and splurges the results over 247 pages".[6]

Self has since written a number of other books, including The Teenagers Guide to Money which was ranked as the #5 best investing book for teens by a UK financial education website.[7] He has contributed regularly to the British media including Country Life, The Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Mail on Sunday. In 2009 he collaborated with Arabella Lennox-Boyd on "Welcome to Dream Acres", a Country Life series about landscape gardening.[8]

He is one of the founders of Honey's, an ethical dog food company, which is the subject of one of his books.[9]

Self acts as a Special Adviser to the World Land Trust, an environmental charity.[10]

In 2016, he made a Radio 4 Charity Appeal on behalf of Room to Read.[11]

Self is now a trustee of the Rainforest Trust.[12]

Personal life

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Self is married. He and his wife Rose have seven children between them.[13][14][15]

Works

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  • Self Abuse (John Murray, 2001), a memoir[16]
  • The Teenager's Guide to Money (Quercus, 2007), a personal finance guide for teenagers[17]
  • Honey's Natural Feeding Handbook for Dogs (Mammoth, 2012), a guide to diets for dogs[18]
  • Emerald (Thames & Hudson, 2013), a guide to the world's emerald trade[19]
  • Good Money (Head of Zeus, 2017), a guide on how to become an ethical entrepreneur[20]

References

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  1. ^ "Self News". Archived from the original on 10 April 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Search Results for England & Wales Births 1837-2006".
  3. ^ Hayes, M. Hunter (2007). Understanding Will Self. Univ of South Carolina Press. pp. 9–. ISBN 9781570036750. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  4. ^ Neustatter, Angela (18 October 2007). "Relative Values: Jonathan Self and his brother Will". The Sunday Times. http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/style/fashion/trends/article73672.ece Archived 2 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Bad memories". The Times. 23 November 2002. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  6. ^ "Self Abuse by Jonathan Self". The Guardian. 20 July 2001. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  7. ^ "Best Investing Books for Teens". financial-expert.co.uk. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  8. ^ "Welcome to Dream Acres". 5 May 2009. http://www.countrylife.co.uk/countryside/article/322342/Welcome-to-Dream-Acres.html
  9. ^ "About our book". Honey's Real Dog Food. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  10. ^ "Jonathan Self". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  11. ^ "BBC Sounds Radio 4 Appeal". BBC. 3 January 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  12. ^ "RAINFOREST TRUST UK". Rainforest Trust Saves Rainforest. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  13. ^ Jonathan Self (29 November 2005). "Visions of loveliness". The Times. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  14. ^ "Biog". January 2009.
  15. ^ Jonathan Self (15 January 2005). "All my sons". The Times. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  16. ^ Self, Jonathan (2002). Self Abuse. UK: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0743230973.
  17. ^ Self, Jonathan (2007). The Teenager's Guide to Money. Quercus. ISBN 978-1847242020.
  18. ^ Self, Jonathan (2012). Honey's Natural Feeding Handbook for Dogs. Mammoth. ISBN 978-0957075306.
  19. ^ Self, Jonathan (2013). Emerald, Twenty-one centuries of Jewelled Opulence and Power. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 9780500517208.
  20. ^ Self, Jonathan (2017). Good Money: Become an Ethical Entrepreneur. House of Zeus.