Craig Brown (satirist)
Encyclopedia
Craig Edward Moncrieff Brown (born 23 May 1957, Hayes
, Middlesex
) is a British
critic
and satirist from England
, probably best known for his work in Private Eye
.
and Bristol University and then became a freelance journalist
in London
, contributing to The Tatler, The Spectator
, The Times Literary Supplement
, Literary Review
, the Evening Standard
(as a regular columnist), The Times
(notably as parliamentary sketchwriter; these columns were compiled into a book called A Life Inside) and The Sunday Times
(as TV and restaurant critic). He later continued his restaurant column in The Sunday Telegraph and has contributed a weekly book review to The Mail on Sunday
.
He created the characters of Bel Littlejohn, an ultra-trendy New Labour type, in The Guardian
, and Wallace Arnold, an extremely reactionary conservative
, in The Independent on Sunday. In 2001, he took over Auberon Waugh
's "Way of the World" in The Daily Telegraph
following Waugh's death. He lost that column in December 2008. However, he is probably best known for his Diary in the fortnightly satirical magazine Private Eye
, in which he adopts the persona of a celebrity or other public figure. His targets have included the Queen
, Jackie Collins
, Bill Clinton
, Martin Amis
, Harold Pinter
(numerous times) and the publicist Max Clifford
. A typical reference, characteristically combining viciousness and honesty, came in the purported entry for Mary Archer, married to convicted perjurer Jeffrey Archer: "I am the chairman of the Ethics Committee at Addenbrookes Hospital, and well used to coming down hard on those who lie incompetently." Another typical Eye Diary mocks Martin Amis
's pretensions: "Why pray, is it necessary to point out at this post-millennial juncture that Iosef Stalin is no mate of this 52-year-old novelist? Why, indeed?"
Brown also writes comedy shows such as Norman Ormal
for TV (in which he appeared as a returning officer), and his radio show This Is Craig Brown was broadcast on BBC Radio 4
in 2004. It featured comics Rory Bremner
and Harry Enfield
and other media personalities. He has appeared on television as a critic on BBC2's Late Review
as well as in documentaries such a Russell Davies's
life of Ronald Searle
.
His book 1966 and All That
takes its title, and some other elements, from 1066 and All That
. A BBC Radio 4
adaptation
followed in September 2006, in similar vein to This Is Craig Brown. The Tony Years is a comic overview of the years of Tony Blair's
government, published in paperback by Ebury Press in June 2007.
Brown's niece is Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine
fame. Brown also has a column in the Daily Mail
Hayes, Hillingdon
Hayes is a town in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. It is a suburban development situated west of Charing Cross. Hayes was developed in the late 19th and 20th centuries as an industrial locality to which residential districts were later added in order to house factory workers...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
and satirist from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, probably best known for his work in Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
.
Biography
Brown was educated at EtonEton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Bristol University and then became a freelance journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, contributing to The Tatler, The Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
, The Times Literary Supplement
The Times Literary Supplement
The Times Literary Supplement is a weekly literary review published in London by News International, a subsidiary of News Corporation.-History:...
, Literary Review
Literary Review
Literary Review is a British literary magazine founded in 1979 by Anne Smith, then head of the Department of English at Edinburgh University. Its offices are currently on Lexington Street in Soho, London, and it has a circulation of 44,750. Britain's principal literary monthly, the magazine was...
, the Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
(as a regular columnist), The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
(notably as parliamentary sketchwriter; these columns were compiled into a book called A Life Inside) and The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
(as TV and restaurant critic). He later continued his restaurant column in The Sunday Telegraph and has contributed a weekly book review to The Mail on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday is a British conservative newspaper, currently published in a tabloid format. First published in 1982 by Lord Rothermere, it became Britain's biggest-selling Sunday newspaper following the closing of The News of the World in July 2011...
.
He created the characters of Bel Littlejohn, an ultra-trendy New Labour type, in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, and Wallace Arnold, an extremely reactionary conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
, in The Independent on Sunday. In 2001, he took over Auberon Waugh
Auberon Waugh
Auberon Alexander Waugh was a British author and journalist, son of the novelist Evelyn Waugh. He was known to his family and friends as Bron Waugh.-Life and career:...
's "Way of the World" in The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
following Waugh's death. He lost that column in December 2008. However, he is probably best known for his Diary in the fortnightly satirical magazine Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
, in which he adopts the persona of a celebrity or other public figure. His targets have included the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, Jackie Collins
Jackie Collins
Jacqueline Jill "Jackie" Collins is an English novelist and former actress. She is the younger sister of actress Joan Collins. She has written 28 novels, all of which have appeared on the New York Times bestsellers list. In total, her books have sold over 400 million copies and have been...
, Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, Martin Amis
Martin Amis
Martin Louis Amis is a British novelist, the author of many novels including Money and London Fields . He is currently Professor of Creative Writing at the Centre for New Writing at the University of Manchester, but will step down at the end of the 2010/11 academic year...
, Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter, CH, CBE was a Nobel Prize–winning English playwright and screenwriter. One of the most influential modern British dramatists, his writing career spanned more than 50 years. His best-known plays include The Birthday Party , The Homecoming , and Betrayal , each of which he adapted to...
(numerous times) and the publicist Max Clifford
Max Clifford
Maxwell Frank Clifford is an English publicist, considered the highest-profile and best-known publicist in the United Kingdom...
. A typical reference, characteristically combining viciousness and honesty, came in the purported entry for Mary Archer, married to convicted perjurer Jeffrey Archer: "I am the chairman of the Ethics Committee at Addenbrookes Hospital, and well used to coming down hard on those who lie incompetently." Another typical Eye Diary mocks Martin Amis
Martin Amis
Martin Louis Amis is a British novelist, the author of many novels including Money and London Fields . He is currently Professor of Creative Writing at the Centre for New Writing at the University of Manchester, but will step down at the end of the 2010/11 academic year...
's pretensions: "Why pray, is it necessary to point out at this post-millennial juncture that Iosef Stalin is no mate of this 52-year-old novelist? Why, indeed?"
Brown also writes comedy shows such as Norman Ormal
Norman Ormal
Norman Ormal was a 1998 political satire scripted by Craig Brown in which Harry Enfield played a former Conservative MP who became a Blair advisor....
for TV (in which he appeared as a returning officer), and his radio show This Is Craig Brown was broadcast on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
in 2004. It featured comics Rory Bremner
Rory Bremner
Roderick "Rory" Keith Ogilvy Bremner, FKC is a Scottish impressionist, playwright and comedian, noted for his work in political satire...
and Harry Enfield
Harry Enfield
Henry Richard "Harry" Enfield is a BAFTA-winning English comedian, actor, writer and director.-Early life:...
and other media personalities. He has appeared on television as a critic on BBC2's Late Review
Newsnight
Newsnight is a BBC Television current affairs programme noted for its in-depth analysis and often robust cross-examination of senior politicians. Jeremy Paxman has been its main presenter for over two decades....
as well as in documentaries such a Russell Davies's
Russell Davies
Robert Russell Davies , known as Russell Davies, is a British journalist and broadcaster. He presents a Sunday radio programme on BBC Radio 2 which spotlights popular song, as well as Brain of Britain on Radio 4.-Background:...
life of Ronald Searle
Ronald Searle
Ronald William Fordham Searle, CBE, RDI, is a British artist and cartoonist, best known as the creator of St Trinian's School. He is also the co-author of the Molesworth series....
.
His book 1966 and All That
1966 and All That (book)
1966 and All That is a 2005 book by British satirist Craig Brown, in the same style as 1066 and All That. The book is a humorous look at British history since 1920. It has been adapted for radio, and there is an audio book version of the work which is narrated by Craig Brown, Hugh Massingberd...
takes its title, and some other elements, from 1066 and All That
1066 and All That
1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England, comprising all the parts you can remember, including 103 Good Things, 5 Bad Kings and 2 Genuine Dates is a tongue-in-cheek reworking of the history of England. Written by W. C. Sellar and R. J. Yeatman and illustrated by John Reynolds, it first...
. A BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
adaptation
1966 and All That (radio)
1966 and All That is a radio adaptation of the book of the same name in four episodes, broadcast between 8 September and 29 September 2006. The series was narrated by Eleanor Bron, Joss Ackland, Ewan Bailey and Margaret Cabourn-Smith. In 2007, it won a Gold Sony Radio Academy Award...
followed in September 2006, in similar vein to This Is Craig Brown. The Tony Years is a comic overview of the years of Tony Blair's
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
government, published in paperback by Ebury Press in June 2007.
Brown's niece is Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine
Florence and the Machine is the recording name of English musician Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide music for her voice. Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul...
fame. Brown also has a column in the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
External links
- This Is Craig Brown - BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
page - Craig Brown at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...