Jason Steger
Encyclopedia
Jason Steger is a British-born Australia
n journalist
, working in both print and film media. He is currently the literary editor of the Melbourne
broadsheet The Age
and one of three regular commentators on ABC TV
's First Tuesday Book Club
.
, England
, in 1956. He attended the University of Kent
where he earned a Bachelor of Arts with Honours, before beginning his career as a journalist on London
's Financial Times
in 1980.
In 2006, Steger joined Marieke Hardy
and Jennifer Byrne
as one of the three original commentators on the First Tuesday Book Club, a monthly television series broadcast on Australia's national network, the ABC. Because the series allows for discussion of classic books as well as more recent releases, Steger has seized the opportunity to express his love of literature from a personal, even sentimental perspective that the Ages focus on contemporary literature does not generally allow: for example, when he was asked to select a novel for the group to discuss, he chose Alain-Fournier
's classic Le Grand Meaulnes
— not because of its literary merit or contemporary relevance, but because it is one of the books that has been most influential on his development as a person.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, working in both print and film media. He is currently the literary editor of the Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
broadsheet The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
and one of three regular commentators on ABC TV
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
's First Tuesday Book Club
First Tuesday Book Club
First Tuesday Book Club is an Australian television show that discusses books ostensibly in the style of a domestic book club. Hosted by journalist Jennifer Byrne, it uses the panel format made popular in The Glass House with two regular members–book reviewer Jason Steger and author/blogger Marieke...
.
Life in England
Steger was born in Wimbledon, LondonWimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in 1956. He attended the University of Kent
University of Kent
The University of Kent, previously the University of Kent at Canterbury, is a public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom...
where he earned a Bachelor of Arts with Honours, before beginning his career as a journalist on London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Financial Times
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
in 1980.
Life in Australia
Steger relocated to Melbourne, Australia, in 1987, where he worked as a journalist for the Melbourne Herald before moving to The Sunday Age in 1990. He became literary editor of both The Age and The Sunday Age in 2000, as part of which he contributes a weekly column to the "A2" section of The Age each Saturday, summarising the latest news from both the local and international literary communities.In 2006, Steger joined Marieke Hardy
Marieke Hardy
Marieke Josephine Hardy is an Australian writer, broadcaster, television producer and former television actress.-Early life and family:...
and Jennifer Byrne
Jennifer Byrne
-Early life:Byrne attended St Margaret's School, Melbourne as a boarding student, and began her career in journalism at age 16 as a cadet at Melbourne's The Age newspaper. At age 23 she became the paper's San Francisco correspondent, and later a feature writer....
as one of the three original commentators on the First Tuesday Book Club, a monthly television series broadcast on Australia's national network, the ABC. Because the series allows for discussion of classic books as well as more recent releases, Steger has seized the opportunity to express his love of literature from a personal, even sentimental perspective that the Ages focus on contemporary literature does not generally allow: for example, when he was asked to select a novel for the group to discuss, he chose Alain-Fournier
Alain-Fournier
Alain-Fournier was the pseudonym of Henri Alban-Fournier , a French author and soldier. He was the author of a single novel, Le Grand Meaulnes , which has been twice filmed and is considered a classic of French literature.-Biography:Alain-Fournier was born in La Chapelle-d'Angillon, in the Cher...
's classic Le Grand Meaulnes
Le Grand Meaulnes
Le Grand Meaulnes is the only novel by French author Alain-Fournier. Fifteen-year-old François Seurel narrates the story of his relationship with seventeen-year-old Augustin Meaulnes as Meaulnes searches for his lost love. Impulsive, reckless and heroic, Meaulnes embodies the romantic ideal, the...
— not because of its literary merit or contemporary relevance, but because it is one of the books that has been most influential on his development as a person.
External links
- Literary news and reviews at The Age online.
- Staff profile at The Age online.
- Staff profile at the First Tuesday Book Club website.
- First Tuesday Book Club video archive, collecting a number of video clips from past episodes featuring Jason Steger as a commentator.
- Jason Steger interviews Christopher Koch, two-time Miles Franklin Award-winning author.
- Review of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by Jason Steger.