Jonathan Self

{{Short description|British journalist (born 1959)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}} {{Use British English|date=May 2013}}

'''Jonathan Otter Self'''<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.selfnews.co.uk/ |title=Self News |access-date=4 May 2017 |archive-date=10 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170410161924/http://selfnews.co.uk/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> (born 11 March 1959 in Hammersmith, London)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://search.findmypast.co.uk/results/world-records/england-and-wales-births-1837-2006?lastname=self&mothersmaidenname=rosenbloom%20|title = Search Results for England & Wales Births 1837-2006}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Hayes2007">{{cite book|last=Hayes|first=M. Hunter|title=Understanding Will Self|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jRVfQI82hx8C&pg=PA9|access-date=18 March 2014|year=2007|publisher=Univ of South Carolina Press|isbn=9781570036750|pages=9–}}</ref> His brother, Will Self, is a novelist and broadcaster.<ref>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 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202120012/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/style/fashion/trends/article73672.ece |date=2 February 2014 }}</ref>

==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."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/bad-memories-shqdsxpdg6t|title=Bad memories|date=23 November 2002|work=The Times|access-date=18 March 2014}}</ref> A humour column in ''The Guardian'' offered a one-line summary of the book: "The brother of the more famous Will ODs in therapy and splurges the results over 247 pages".<ref name="The Guardian">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/jul/21/digestedread|title=Self Abuse by Jonathan Self|date=20 July 2001|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 March 2014}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{Cite web|date=13 January 2021|title=Best Investing Books for Teens|url=https://www.financial-expert.co.uk/best-investing-books-for-teens-uk/|access-date=2020-02-13|website=financial-expert.co.uk}}</ref> 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.<ref>"Welcome to Dream Acres". 5 May 2009. http://www.countrylife.co.uk/countryside/article/322342/Welcome-to-Dream-Acres.html</ref>

He is one of the founders of Honey's, an ethical dog food company, which is the subject of one of his books.<ref name="About our book">{{cite web|url=http://honeysrealdogfood.com/book.php|title=About our book|publisher=Honey's Real Dog Food|access-date=14 April 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223051019/http://honeysrealdogfood.com/book.php|archive-date=23 February 2014}}</ref>

Self acts as a Special Adviser to the World Land Trust, an environmental charity.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jonathan Self|url=https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Jonathan-Self/20037253|access-date=2020-09-25|website=Simon & Schuster|language=en}}</ref>

In 2016, he made a Radio 4 Charity Appeal on behalf of Room to Read.<ref>{{Cite web|date=3 January 2016|title=BBC Sounds Radio 4 Appeal|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06tpxwp|access-date=2020-09-25|publisher=BBC}}</ref>

Self is now a trustee of the Rainforest Trust.<ref>{{Cite web|title=RAINFOREST TRUST UK|url=https://www.rainforesttrust.org/about-us/uk/|access-date=2020-09-26|website=Rainforest Trust Saves Rainforest|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Personal life== Self is married. He and his wife Rose have seven children between them.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/asia-travel/india/visions-of-loveliness-tkkfs9bw3l7|title=Visions of loveliness|last=Jonathan Self|date=29 November 2005|work=The Times|access-date=18 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sevenmilepress.wordpress.com/about/|title=Biog|date=January 2009}}</ref><ref name="AMS">{{cite news|url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/property/article1767085.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318144357/http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/property/article1767085.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 March 2014|title=All my sons|last=Jonathan Self|date=15 January 2005|work=The Times|access-date=18 March 2014}}</ref>

== Works == *''Self Abuse'' (John Murray, 2001), a memoir<ref>{{Cite book|last=Self|first=Jonathan|title=Self Abuse|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=2002|isbn=0743230973|location=UK}}</ref> *''The Teenager's Guide to Money'' (Quercus, 2007), a personal finance guide for teenagers<ref>{{Cite book|last=Self|first=Jonathan|title=The Teenager's Guide to Money|publisher=Quercus|year=2007|isbn=978-1847242020}}</ref> *''Honey's Natural Feeding Handbook for Dogs'' (Mammoth, 2012), a guide to diets for dogs<ref>{{Cite book|last=Self|first=Jonathan|title=Honey's Natural Feeding Handbook for Dogs|publisher=Mammoth|year=2012|isbn=978-0957075306}}</ref> *''Emerald'' (Thames & Hudson, 2013), a guide to the world's emerald trade<ref>{{Cite book|last=Self|first=Jonathan|title=Emerald, Twenty-one centuries of Jewelled Opulence and Power|publisher=Thames & Hudson|year=2013|isbn=9780500517208}}</ref> *''Good Money'' (Head of Zeus, 2017), a guide on how to become an ethical entrepreneur<ref>{{Cite book|last=Self|first=Jonathan|title=Good Money: Become an Ethical Entrepreneur|publisher=House of Zeus|year=2017}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Self, Jonathan}} Category:Living people Category:1959 births Category:English male journalists Jonathan