Simon Hoggart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Simon Hoggart
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Hoggart in 2006
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Simon David Hoggart
26 May 1946 Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England
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| Died | 5 January 2014 (aged 67) Chelsea, London, England
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| Education | King's College, Cambridge |
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| Years active | 1968–2013 |
| Spouse(s) | Alyson |
| Children | 2, including Amy |
| Relatives | Richard Hoggart (father) |
Simon David Hoggart (born May 26, 1946 – died January 5, 2014) was an English journalist and broadcaster. A journalist writes for newspapers or magazines, and a broadcaster works on radio or TV. Simon Hoggart wrote about politics for The Guardian newspaper. He also wrote about wine for The Spectator magazine. For many years, he hosted The News Quiz on BBC Radio 4. His funny writings about politics were collected and published in several books.
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Simon Hoggart's Early Life and Family
Simon Hoggart was born on May 26, 1946, in Ashton-under-Lyne, a town in Lancashire, England. He went to different schools, including Hymers College and Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys. Later, he studied at King's College, Cambridge, a famous university. He was very good at history and English.
His father was Richard Hoggart, a well-known writer and expert on society. His mother was Mary Holt Hoggart. Simon also had a brother, Paul Hoggart, who became a TV critic for The Times newspaper. Simon lived in South London with his wife, Alyson. She was a psychologist, which means she helped people with their thoughts and feelings. They had two children, Amy and Richard. Simon Hoggart passed away on January 5, 2014, after being ill.
Simon Hoggart's Career in Media
Simon Hoggart started working at The Guardian newspaper in 1968. He later became a reporter in America for The Observer newspaper. He also sometimes appeared as a guest on a radio show called Weekend Edition Saturday in the United States.
For many years, he wrote about politics for Punch magazine. In 1993, he became the "Parliamentary sketch writer" for The Guardian. This meant he wrote funny and clever reports about what happened in the British Parliament. He also wrote a column about wine for The Spectator magazine. People really liked his political writing. For example, he often made jokes about the Prime Minister, David Cameron.
In the early 1980s, Simon Hoggart hosted a funny radio show called The News Quiz. He came back to host the show again in 1996 and stayed for another ten years. In 2006, he decided to leave the show, saying he felt a bit tired.
He also took part in other radio and TV shows. In 1998, he was part of a political comedy show on BBC Radio 4. He also appeared on Grumpy Old Men and wrote for New Humanist magazine. Sometimes, he was a guest on the antiques quiz show Going, Going, Gone on BBC Two.
Simon Hoggart wrote many different kinds of books. Some of his books explored strange beliefs, while others shared funny stories about Parliament. He also wrote a book about his experiences living in the United States. He even wrote books that collected funny Christmas letters. He created a saying called "the law of the ridiculous reverse." This idea means that if the opposite of what someone says is clearly silly, then what they said wasn't worth saying in the first place.
Simon Hoggart's Published Works
Books by Simon Hoggart
- Simon Hoggart, House of Fun, Guardian Books (2012) ISBN: 978-1-78335-028-5, funny writings about Parliament
- Simon Hoggart, Send Up the Clowns, Guardian Books (2011) ISBN: 978-0-85265-243-5
- Simon Hoggart, A Long Lunch: My Stories and I'm Sticking to Them John Murray (2010) ISBN: 978-1-84854-397-3
- Simon Hoggart, Life's Too Short to Drink Bad Wine Quadrille Publishing Ltd (2009) ISBN: 978-1-84400-742-4
- Simon Hoggart, The Hands of History: Parliamentary Sketches 1997–2007 (2007) ISBN: 1-84354-679-5
- Simon Hoggart and Emily Monk, Don't Tell Mum: Hair-raising Messages Home from Gap-year Travellers by Atlantic Books (2006) ISBN: 978-1-84354-539-2
- Simon Hoggart, The Hamster That Loved Puccini: The Seven Modern Sins of Christmas Round-Robin Letters (2005) ISBN: 1-84354-474-1
- Simon Hoggart, The Cat That Could Open the Fridge: A Curmudgeon's Guide to Christmas Round-Robin Letters (2004) ISBN: 1-84354-357-5
- Simon Hoggart, Punchlines: A Crash Course in English with John Prescott (2003) ISBN: 0-7434-8397-9, about the language of politician John Prescott
- Simon Hoggart, Playing to the Gallery: Parliamentary Sketches from Blair Year Zero (2002) ISBN: 1-903809-66-5, funny writings about Parliament
- Simon Hoggart and Steve Bell, Live Briefs: A Political Sketch Book (1996) ISBN: 0-413-70970-1, funny writings about Parliament, with a cartoonist
- Simon Hoggart, House of Correction (1995) ISBN: 0-86051-998-8, funny writings about Parliament
- Simon Hoggart and Mike Hutchinson, Bizarre Beliefs (1995) ISBN: 1-86066-021-5, about why people believe strange things
- Simon Hoggart, America: A User's Guide (1991) ISBN: 0-00-637602-9, about his time in the United States
- Simon Hoggart (editor), House of Cards: A Selection of Modern Political Humour (1988) ISBN: 0-241-12451-4
- Simon Hoggart, House of Ill Fame (1985) ISBN: 0-86051-350-5, funny writings about Parliament
- Simon Hoggart, Back On the House (1982) ISBN: 0-330-28148-8, funny writings about Parliament
- Simon Hoggart, On the House: The Personalities and the Politics From the Irreverent "Punch" Column (1981) ISBN: 0-330-26883-X, funny writings about Parliament
- Simon Hoggart and David Leigh, Michael Foot: A Portrait (1981) ISBN: 0-340-27600-2, a book about politician Michael Foot
- Simon Hoggart and Alistair Michie,The Pact: The Inside Story of the Lib-Lab Government, 1977-8 (1978) ISBN: 0-7043-3236-1
- Bryan McAllister and Simon Hoggart, Little Boxes: A Selection of Bryan McAllister Cartoons From "The Guardian" (1977) ISBN: 0-85265-024-8
Audiobooks by Simon Hoggart
