Mark Lawson
Encyclopedia
Mark Gerard Lawson is an English journalist, broadcaster and author.
and is a Leeds United fan. He was educated at St Columba's College
in St Albans
and took a degree in English at University College London
, where his lecturers included John Sutherland and A. S. Byatt
. He currently lives near Towcester
.
Lawson has been a freelance contributor to numerous publications since 1984, beginning on The Universe
in that year, and for The Times
from 1984 to 1986. He has written a column for The Guardian
since 1995, having previously written for The Independent
(1986–95), and has twice been TV Critic of the Year as well as winning many other journalism awards. However, his Guardian journalism has not been universally admired and Richard Gott
, a former colleague, has commented that the "prevalence of the bland and the obsequious" on The Guardian
is typified by Lawson's "embedded presence".
Lawson presented The Late Show on BBC2 in the 1990s and presented its offshoot The Late Review (later Sunday Review and from 2000 Newsnight Review
) until the 2005 'review of the year' edition of Newsnight Review, broadcast on 16 December, which marked the end of his association with the format. In 2004, Lawson made a documentary for BBC Four
called The Truth About Sixties TV, criticising what he called "golden ageists" who, he claimed, have a rose-tinted view of television's past.
Mark Lawson is one of the regular presenters of BBC Radio 4
's daily arts programme, Front Row
. He has written several radio plays for the network, including St Graham and St Evelyn (2003) on the friendship between the Catholic novelists Graham Greene
and Evelyn Waugh
and The Third Soldier Holds His Thighs (2005) on Mary Whitehouse's
campaign against the Howard Brenton
play The Romans in Britain
. He has also written episodes of the television version of the BBC sitcom Absolute Power appearing as himself in the series 1 episode 2, Pope Idol, and is one of many celebrities impersonated by the Dead Ringers
team, referred to as "Britain's brainiest potato" and "the thinking woman's potato" because of his baldness. In 2002, Viz ran a spoof of his Newsnight Review programme, featuring Mr Lawson engaged in a desperate search for hard-core pornography, entitled "The Artful Podger".
Since 2006, he has hosted a number of in-depth, one-to-one interviews for BBC Four, entitled Mark Lawson Talks to... .
Since 2010, Lawson has been a spokesman for the Robin Hood tax campaign
.
Life and career
Born in Hendon, London, Lawson was raised in YorkshireYorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
and is a Leeds United fan. He was educated at St Columba's College
St Columba's College, St Albans
St Columba's College is a British fee-paying independent school for boys aged 4-19. The college, founded in 1939 by Philip O’Neill and acquired in 1955 by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, is Roman Catholic, and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference of leading independent...
in St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
and took a degree in English at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, where his lecturers included John Sutherland and A. S. Byatt
A. S. Byatt
Dame Antonia Susan Duffy, DBE is an English novelist, poet and Booker Prize winner...
. He currently lives near Towcester
Towcester
Towcester , the Roman town of Lactodorum, is a small town in south Northamptonshire, England.-Etymology:Towcester comes from the Old English Tófe-ceaster. Tófe refers to the River Tove; Bosworth and Toller compare it to the "Scandinavian proper names" Tófi and Tófa...
.
Lawson has been a freelance contributor to numerous publications since 1984, beginning on The Universe
The Universe (newspaper)
The Universe is a newspaper for Roman Catholics in Britain and Ireland. It was founded on 8th December 1860 and has been in continuous publication since...
in that year, and for 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...
from 1984 to 1986. He has written a column for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
since 1995, having previously written for The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
(1986–95), and has twice been TV Critic of the Year as well as winning many other journalism awards. However, his Guardian journalism has not been universally admired and Richard Gott
Richard Gott
Richard Willoughby Gott is a British journalist and historian, who has written extensively on Latin America...
, a former colleague, has commented that the "prevalence of the bland and the obsequious" on The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
is typified by Lawson's "embedded presence".
Lawson presented The Late Show on BBC2 in the 1990s and presented its offshoot The Late Review (later Sunday Review and from 2000 Newsnight 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....
) until the 2005 'review of the year' edition of Newsnight Review, broadcast on 16 December, which marked the end of his association with the format. In 2004, Lawson made a documentary for BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
called The Truth About Sixties TV, criticising what he called "golden ageists" who, he claimed, have a rose-tinted view of television's past.
Mark Lawson is one of the regular presenters of 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...
's daily arts programme, Front Row
Front Row (radio)
Front Row is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. The BBC describes the programme as a "live magazine programme on the world of arts, literature, film, media and music." It is broadcast each week day between 7.15 and 7.45 and has a of highlights available for download. Shows usually include...
. He has written several radio plays for the network, including St Graham and St Evelyn (2003) on the friendship between the Catholic novelists Graham Greene
Graham Greene
Henry Graham Greene, OM, CH was an English author, playwright and literary critic. His works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world...
and Evelyn Waugh
Evelyn Waugh
Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh , known as Evelyn Waugh, was an English writer of novels, travel books and biographies. He was also a prolific journalist and reviewer...
and The Third Soldier Holds His Thighs (2005) on Mary Whitehouse's
Mary Whitehouse
Mary Whitehouse, CBE was a British campaigner against the permissive society particularly as the media portrayed and reflected it...
campaign against the Howard Brenton
Howard Brenton
-Early years:Brenton was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, son of Methodist minister Donald Henry Brenton and his wife Rose Lilian . He was educated at Chichester High School For Boys and read English Literature at St Catharine's College, Cambridge. In 1964 he was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal...
play The Romans in Britain
The Romans in Britain
The Romans in Britain is a stage play by Howard Brenton that comments upon imperialism and the abuse of power.A cast of thirty actors play sixty roles.- Stage history :...
. He has also written episodes of the television version of the BBC sitcom Absolute Power appearing as himself in the series 1 episode 2, Pope Idol, and is one of many celebrities impersonated by the Dead Ringers
Dead Ringers (comedy)
Dead Ringers is a UK radio and television comedy impressions broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and later BBC Two. The programme was devised by producer Bill Dare and developed with Jon Holmes, Andy Hurst and Simon Blackwell. It starred Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Phil Cornwell, Kevin Connelly and Mark Perry...
team, referred to as "Britain's brainiest potato" and "the thinking woman's potato" because of his baldness. In 2002, Viz ran a spoof of his Newsnight Review programme, featuring Mr Lawson engaged in a desperate search for hard-core pornography, entitled "The Artful Podger".
Since 2006, he has hosted a number of in-depth, one-to-one interviews for BBC Four, entitled Mark Lawson Talks to... .
Since 2010, Lawson has been a spokesman for the Robin Hood tax campaign
Robin Hood tax
The Robin Hood tax commonly refers to a package of financial transaction taxes , proposed by a campaigning group of civil society NGOs. Campaigners have suggested the tax could be implemented globally, regionally or unilaterally by individual nations...
.