Miranda Sawyer
Encyclopedia
Miranda Sawyer is an English
journalist and broadcaster.
She grew up in Wilmslow
, Cheshire
with her brother Toby
, who is an actor. She has a degree in Jurisprudence
from Pembroke College, Oxford
. She moved to London
in 1988 to begin her career as a journalist
on the magazine Smash Hits
.
In 1993, she became the youngest winner of the Periodical Publishers Association Magazine Writer of the Year award for her work on Select magazine. She formerly wrote columns for Time Out (1993–96) and The Mirror (2000-3), and was a frequent contributor to Mixmag
and The Face
during the 1990s. She is now a feature writer for The Observer
and its radio critic. Her writing appears in GQ, Vogue
and The Guardian
and she is a regular arts critic in print, on television and on radio. She was a member of the judging panel for the 2007 Turner Prize
and the panel that awarded Liverpool its Capital of Culture status.
In 2004, Sawyer wrote, researched and presented an hour-long documentary for Channel 4
about the age of consent entitled, Sex Before 16: How the Law Is Failing. In 2006, she made a highly personal documentary for More 4 on abortion rights in the US, A Matter of Life and Death, as part of its Travels With My Camera strand.
She also took part in a celebrity edition of BBC 2's afternoon quiz show, The Weakest Link
.
Her first book Park and Ride, a travel book on the Great British suburbs, was published by Little, Brown
in 1999.
She is also an occasional guest on the UK arts programme Newsnight Review on BBC2, The Culture Show
(BBC 2) and also BBC Radio 2
's Radcliffe and Maconie Show
.
She is married to Belfast born comedian Michael Smiley
.
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...
journalist and broadcaster.
She grew up in Wilmslow
Wilmslow
-Economy:Wilmslow is well known, like Alderley Edge, for having many famous residents, notably footballers, stars of Coronation Street and rich North West businessmen. The town is part of the so-called Golden Triangle in the north west together with Alderley Edge and Prestbury...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
with her brother Toby
Toby Sawyer
Toby Sawyer is a British actor.He has appeared in a number of British television dramas, including Born and Bred, Crossroads, Rosemary and Thyme, Casualty, Keen Eddie, The Royal, Elizabeth and for three years was one of the original, main cast in top British teen drama Hollyoaks...
, who is an actor. She has a degree in Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
from Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College, Oxford
Pembroke College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England, located in Pembroke Square. As of 2009, Pembroke had an estimated financial endowment of £44.9 million.-History:...
. She moved to 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...
in 1988 to begin her career as a 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...
on the magazine Smash Hits
Smash Hits
Smash Hits was a pop music based magazine, aimed at teenagers and young adults and originally published in the United Kingdom by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006 and was issued fortnightly for most of that time...
.
In 1993, she became the youngest winner of the Periodical Publishers Association Magazine Writer of the Year award for her work on Select magazine. She formerly wrote columns for Time Out (1993–96) and The Mirror (2000-3), and was a frequent contributor to Mixmag
Mixmag
Mixmag is a British dance music and clubbing magazine. It styles itself as "the world's biggest selling dance music magazine", with an Audit Bureau of Circulations audited circulation of approximately 21,250...
and The Face
The Face (magazine)
The Face was a British music, fashion and culture monthly magazine started in May 1980 by Nick Logan.-1980s:Logan had previously created the teen pop magazine Smash Hits, and had been an editor at the New Musical Express in the 1970s before launching The Face in 1980.The magazine was influential in...
during the 1990s. She is now a feature writer for The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
and its radio critic. Her writing appears in GQ, Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
and The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
and she is a regular arts critic in print, on television and on radio. She was a member of the judging panel for the 2007 Turner Prize
Turner Prize
The Turner Prize, named after the painter J. M. W. Turner, is an annual prize presented to a British visual artist under the age of 50. Awarding the prize is organised by the Tate gallery and staged at Tate Britain. Since its beginnings in 1984 it has become the United Kingdom's most publicised...
and the panel that awarded Liverpool its Capital of Culture status.
In 2004, Sawyer wrote, researched and presented an hour-long documentary for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
about the age of consent entitled, Sex Before 16: How the Law Is Failing. In 2006, she made a highly personal documentary for More 4 on abortion rights in the US, A Matter of Life and Death, as part of its Travels With My Camera strand.
She also took part in a celebrity edition of BBC 2's afternoon quiz show, The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link
The Weakest Link is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and will end its run in 2012 when its host Anne Robinson ends her contract. The original British version of the show airs around the world on BBC Entertainment...
.
Her first book Park and Ride, a travel book on the Great British suburbs, was published by Little, Brown
Little, Brown and Company
Little, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. Since 2006 it has been a constituent unit of Hachette Book Group USA.-19th century:...
in 1999.
She is also an occasional guest on the UK arts programme Newsnight Review on BBC2, The Culture Show
The Culture Show
The Culture Show is a weekly BBC Two Arts magazine programme. It is broadcast in the UK on Thursday nights at 7pm, focusing on the best of the week's arts and culture news, covering books, art, film, architecture, music, visual fashion and the performing arts...
(BBC 2) and also BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
's Radcliffe and Maconie Show
Radcliffe and Maconie Show
Radcliffe & Maconie is a weekday radio programme that is broadcast on BBC 6 Music in the United Kingdom. It runs from 1 pm–4 pm on Monday to Friday afternoon, and is presented by Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie...
.
She is married to Belfast born comedian Michael Smiley
Michael Smiley
Michael Smiley is a British comic and actor currently living in England.-Biography:Smiley was born in 1963 in Belfast, and moved to London in his 20s with his wife...
.