Tom Hodgkinson

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Tom Hodgkinson (born 1968) is a British writer and the editor of The Idler magazine, which he established in 1993 with his friend Gavin Pretor-Pinney. His philosophy, in his published books and articles, is of a relaxed approach to life, enjoying it as it comes rather than toiling for an imagined better future. The Idler was named after a series of essays written by Dr Johnson from 1758 to 1760.

Biography

Tom Hodgkinson was born in Newcastle, England. He is the brother of journalist and author Will Hodgkinson; their father is the science and medical writer Neville Hodgkinson and their mother is the prolific non-fiction writer and journalist Liz Hodgkinson.[1][2]

Hodgkinson was educated at Westminster School and Jesus College, Cambridge, during which time he played the bass guitar in the Stupids-influenced thrash band Chopper. He lived in North Devon until 2013. He currently lives in London.[3]

In the early 1990s, he worked at a Rough Trade Records shop in London, where he had the idea for The Idler.[4] In the late 1990s, he became an importer of absinthe.[5]

From 1995 to 1997 he was Joint Head of Creative Development at Guardian Newspapers, where he worked for Carolyn McCall and Alan Rusbridger.Template:Fact

From 1997 to 2002 he and Gavin Pretor-Pinney ran Idle Industries, a creative consultancy with clients such as Channel 4, The Guardian, Sony PlayStation, ad agency Mother, Paramount TV and Oakley. The pair launched the Crap Towns series of books.Template:Fact

Hodgkinson has contributed articles to The Sunday Telegraph, The Guardian and The Sunday Times as well as being the author of the Idler spin-offs, How To Be Idle, How To Be Free and The Idle Parent.

How to Be Idle has been translated into 25 languages and was a best-seller in the UK, US, Italy, Germany and the Czech Republic.Template:Fact

In 2006 he created National Unawareness Day, to be celebrated on 1 November.[6]

In March 2011 he and his partner Victoria Hull launched The Idler Academy in London, a school running courses in philosophy, public speaking, grammar, ukulele, singing, drawing, calligraphy, astronomy, foraging, bread baking, bartitsu and small business.[7][8]

In April 2013 he launched the Idler Academy Bad Grammar Award,[9] and in September 2013 he launched the Ukulele Player of the Year competition. Bloomsbury UK and Bloomsbury US published his and Gavin's book, The Ukulele Handbook.[10]

Bibliography

  • The Idler (periodical: 1993–present)
  • How To Be Idle (2005)
  • How To Be Free (2006)
  • Republished as The Freedom Manifesto (US Release, 2007)
  • The Idle Parent (2009)
  • The Book of Idle Pleasures (May 2010; co-edited with Dan Kieran)
  • Brave Old World (2011)
  • Republished as How to Live in the Country (2021)
  • The Ukulele Handbook (September 2013; co-written with Vampire Weekend)
  • Business for Bohemians (2017)
  • The Idler's Manual (2021)

See also

References

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  1. Review by Mick Brown in The Telegraph of The House Is Full of Yogis by Will Hodgkinson
  2. http://www.lizhodgkinson.com/lh/biography Biography page on Liz Hodgkinson's website
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External links

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