John Diamond (journalist)
Encyclopedia
John Diamond was a British
broadcaster
and journalist
.
and Woodford Green
, he then attended the City of London School
and trained as an English teacher at Trent Park College of Education, now part of Middlesex University
. Later he taught at an all-girls school Dalston Mount Comprehensive, before switching to journalism.
from 1992 onwards called "Something for the Weekend", and worked as a presenter on BBC
radio and television. He met his second wife, journalist Nigella Lawson
, when they were both writing for The Sunday Times
. They married in Venice
in 1992.
. He wrote about his experiences with cancer in his newspaper column, for which he won the prestigious What The Papers Say
award. In 1999 he was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize
for his book C: Because Cowards Get Cancer Too.... A BBC documentary
was filmed for Inside Story which followed him through various treatments, and showed his frustration with his speech difficulties following throat, and later tongue, surgery.
C: Because Cowards Get Cancer Too... was adapted into a play by Victoria Coren
called A Lump In My Throat, which was itself later adapted for television. Diamond's second book, Snake Oil and Other Preoccupations, was edited by his brother-in-law Dominic Lawson
, editor of the Sunday Telegraph
, and published posthumously. It contained the six chapters of his "uncomplimentary look at the world of complementary medicine
" which he had completed before his death, and some of his columns from The Times
and the Jewish Chronicle.
Diamond was the recipient of the "HealthWatch Award" for 2000.
Bandolier
reviewed and recommended his book C: Because Cowards Get Cancer Too...
Diamond died of throat cancer in Westminster
, aged 47. On 3 September 2002, Nigella opened the John Diamond Voice Laboratory at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London
, where he had been treated.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
and 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...
.
Education and training
Diamond was the son of a biochemist and a fashion designer. He grew up in Upper ClaptonUpper Clapton
Upper Clapton is a district in the London Borough of Hackney. It is bounded by the Hackney districts of Stamford Hill to the west, Lower Clapton and Lea Bridge to the south and the Haringey district of South Tottenham to the north...
and Woodford Green
Woodford Green
Woodford Green, formerly in the county of Essex, is part of the North East London suburb of Woodford, on the edge of Epping Forest, mostly within the London Borough of Redbridge with a small part on the western side of the green within the London Borough of Waltham Forest .-History:Woodford Green...
, he then attended the City of London School
City of London School
The City of London School is a boys' independent day school on the banks of the River Thames in the City of London, England. It is the brother school of the City of London School for Girls and the co-educational City of London Freemen's School...
and trained as an English teacher at Trent Park College of Education, now part of Middlesex University
Middlesex University
Middlesex University is a university in north London, England. It is located in the historic county boundaries of Middlesex from which it takes its name. It is one of the post-1992 universities and is a member of Million+ working group...
. Later he taught at an all-girls school Dalston Mount Comprehensive, before switching to journalism.
Journalism
He wrote a regular column for the Saturday edition of The TimesThe 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...
from 1992 onwards called "Something for the Weekend", and worked as a presenter on BBC
BBC
The 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...
radio and television. He met his second wife, journalist Nigella Lawson
Nigella Lawson
Nigella Lucy Lawson is an English food writer, journalist and broadcaster. Lawson is the daughter of Nigel Lawson, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Vanessa Salmon, whose family owned the J. Lyons and Co. empire...
, when they were both writing for 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...
. They married in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
in 1992.
Illness, awards, and death
In 1997, Diamond was diagnosed with throat cancerEsophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the esophagus. There are various subtypes, primarily squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma . Squamous cell cancer arises from the cells that line the upper part of the esophagus...
. He wrote about his experiences with cancer in his newspaper column, for which he won the prestigious What The Papers Say
What the Papers Say
What The Papers Say is a BBC radio programme that originally ran for many years on British television.Its first incarnation was the second longest-running programme on British television after Panorama...
award. In 1999 he was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize
Samuel Johnson Prize
The Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction is one of the most prestigious prizes for non-fiction writing. It was founded in 1999 following the demise of the NCR Book Award and based on an anonymous donation. The prize is named after Samuel Johnson...
for his book C: Because Cowards Get Cancer Too.... A BBC documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
was filmed for Inside Story which followed him through various treatments, and showed his frustration with his speech difficulties following throat, and later tongue, surgery.
C: Because Cowards Get Cancer Too... was adapted into a play by Victoria Coren
Victoria Coren
Victoria Elizabeth Coren is a British writer, presenter and champion poker player. Coren writes weekly columns for The Observer and The Guardian newspapers and hosts the BBC Four television quiz show Only Connect....
called A Lump In My Throat, which was itself later adapted for television. Diamond's second book, Snake Oil and Other Preoccupations, was edited by his brother-in-law Dominic Lawson
Dominic Lawson
Dominic Ralph Campden Lawson is a British journalist.-Background:Educated at Westminster School and then Christ Church, Oxford, he is the elder son of a former Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer Lord Lawson and socialite Vanessa Salmon, heir to the Lyons Corner House empire, who died of...
, editor of the Sunday Telegraph
Sunday Telegraph
The Sunday Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961. It is the sister paper of The Daily Telegraph, but is run separately with a different editorial staff, although there is some cross-usage of stories...
, and published posthumously. It contained the six chapters of his "uncomplimentary look at the world of complementary medicine
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
" which he had completed before his death, and some of his columns from 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...
and the Jewish Chronicle.
Diamond was the recipient of the "HealthWatch Award" for 2000.
Bandolier
Bandolier (journal)
Bandolier is an independent online electronic journal about evidence-based healthcare, written by Oxford University scientists. It was started in 1994 and the National Health Service paid for its distribution to all doctors in the UK until 2002. Publication of the printed version ceased in 2007 and...
reviewed and recommended his book C: Because Cowards Get Cancer Too...
Diamond died of throat cancer in Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
, aged 47. On 3 September 2002, Nigella opened the John Diamond Voice Laboratory at the Royal Marsden Hospital 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...
, where he had been treated.
External links
- Obituary: John Diamond from The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- The Diamond geezer by Victoria CorenVictoria CorenVictoria Elizabeth Coren is a British writer, presenter and champion poker player. Coren writes weekly columns for The Observer and The Guardian newspapers and hosts the BBC Four television quiz show Only Connect....
in The ObserverThe ObserverThe Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,... - John Diamond in his own words from BBC News online
- John Diamond - Oral Cancer Foundation