Jonathan Self
Jonathan Otter Self[1] (born 11 March 1959 in Hammersmith, London)[2] is an English author and journalist.
Early life
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
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 notably 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]
Works
- 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
- "Self News". Archived from the original on 10 April 2017. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
- "Search Results for England & Wales Births 1837-2006".
- Hayes, M. Hunter (2007). Understanding Will Self. Univ of South Carolina Press. pp. 9–. ISBN 9781570036750. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
- 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
- "Bad memories". The Times. 23 November 2002. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
- "Self Abuse by Jonathan Self". The Guardian. 20 July 2001. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
- "Best Investing Books for Teens". financial-expert.co.uk. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
- "Welcome to Dream Acres". 5 May 2009. http://www.countrylife.co.uk/countryside/article/322342/Welcome-to-Dream-Acres.html
- "About our book". Honey's Real Dog Food. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
- "Jonathan Self". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- "BBC Sounds Radio 4 Appeal". BBC. 3 January 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- "RAINFOREST TRUST UK". Rainforest Trust Saves Rainforest. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- Jonathan Self (29 November 2005). "Visions of loveliness". The Times. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
- "Biog". January 2009.
- Jonathan Self (15 January 2005). "All my sons". The Times. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
- Self, Jonathan (2002). Self Abuse. UK: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0743230973.
- Self, Jonathan (2007). The Teenager's Guide to Money. Quercus. ISBN 978-1847242020.
- Self, Jonathan (2012). Honey's Natural Feeding Handbook for Dogs. Mammoth. ISBN 978-0957075306.
- Self, Jonathan (2013). Emerald, Twenty-one centuries of Jewelled Opulence and Power. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 9780500517208.
- Self, Jonathan (2017). Good Money: Become an Ethical Entrepreneur. House of Zeus.