Mark Lawson

Writer and lecturer

Chair , 2012

Mark is a journalist, broadcaster and author.

He presents BBC Radio 4's arts magazine programme 'Front Row', is a columnist for the 'Guardian' and is also the theatre critic of the 'Tablet'.

Mark studied English at University College London and has been a freelance contributor to numerous publications since 1984. In the mid-1990s he presented 'The Late Show' on BBC 2 and also presented 'The Late Review'. Since 2006, he has hosted a number of in-depth, one-to-one interviews for BBC Four, entitled 'Mark Lawson Talks To'.

Mark has published four works of fiction: 'Bloody Margaret' (1991), 'Idlewild' (1995), 'Going Out Live' (2001) and 'Enough is Enough' (2005). He has written several radio plays for the BBC, including 'The Third Soldier Holds His Thighs' (2005) and 'The Man Who Had 10 000 Women' (2002). He has also written episodes of the television version of the BBC sitcom 'Absolute Power' and a television play, 'The Vision Thing'.

He has twice been voted TV Critic of the Year and has won numerous awards for arts journalism.