Laurie Penny

Laurie Penny (born 28 September 1986) is a British columnist, blogger and author.

Early life and education

Penny was born in London and grew up in Brighton.[1][2] She attended Brighton College.[1] She has written about her hospitalisation at age 17 for anorexia and subsequent recovery.[3]

She studied English at Wadham College, Oxford, graduating in 2007. Whilst a student she joined and performed in a burlesque troupe,[4] and was a committee member[5] and appeared in amateur dramatic productions with the Oxford University Light Entertainment Society.[4] She then completed her NCTJ journalism training certificate in London.

Career

Penny's blog, "Penny Red", was launched in 2007[6] and was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize in 2010.[7] She began her career as a staff writer at One in Four magazine and then worked as a reporter and sub-editor for the socialist newspaper The Morning Star. She has written columns and features for several publications,[8] and is a columnist for the New Statesman [9] and regular contributor to The Guardian.[10] Penny is the author of the Zero Books publication Meat Market: Female Flesh Under Capitalism (2011).[2] In it she mounts an attack on liberal feminism, which sees embracing the consumer choice offered by capitalism as the path to female emancipation.[11]

In January 2011 Penny posted an advertisement on her blog to recruit an intern, expressing preference for a female candidate and offering a salary at or below the minimum wage.[12] Critics such as Paul Staines accused her of sexism and exploitation, arguing that the requirements breached minimum wage and sexual equality legislation, contrasting her conduct with her keen support for others to pay a living wage.[13][14]

In April 2011, Penny presented the Channel 4 Dispatches programme "Cashing In on Degrees", and appeared on the same channel's satirical current affairs programme 10 O'Clock Live.[15] and BBC Two's Newsnight.

In November 2011, Penny was selected by Truthdig as "Truthdigger of the Week" for the week of November 25th.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b "Shut up, little girl, don't you know grown-ups are talking?". Laurie Penny - via Penny Red blogspot. 16 November, 2009. http://pennyred.blogspot.com/2009/11/shut-up-little-girl-dont-you-know-grown.html. Retrieved 13 April, 2011. 
  2. ^ a b "Laurie Penny author profile at Zero Books". Zero books. http://www.zero-books.net/book/detail/1177/Meat-Market. Retrieved 13 April, 2011. 
  3. ^ "Life tastes better than skinny feels". London Evening Standard - Laurie Penny. 24 February, 2010. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/health/article-23809323-life-tastes-better-than-skinny-feels.do. Retrieved 13 April, 2011. 
  4. ^ a b "Burlesque laid bare". Laurie Penny - via The Guardian. May 15, 2009. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/may/15/burlesque-feminism-proud-galleries. Retrieved April 16, 2011. 
  5. ^ "Previous committees - 2006 social secretary (Wadham)". Oxford Light entertainment society. http://oules.lightentertainment.org/comm.php. Retrieved April 16, 2011. 
  6. ^ "We have achieved preambulation. Bring me a sweetie-bag of amphetamines and the head of Margaret Thatcher.". Laurie Penny - via Penny Red blogspot. 23 September 2007. http://pennyred.blogspot.com/2007/11/we-have-acheived-preambulation-bring-me.html. Retrieved 13 April, 2011. 
  7. ^ "Laurie Penny - Student Media Awards judge". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/student-media-awards-2011/judge-laurie-penny. Retrieved 13 April, 2011. 
  8. ^ "Home page on "Penny Red"". Laurie Penny - via Penny Red blogspot. http://pennyred.blogspot.com. Retrieved 13 April 2011. 
  9. ^ "Pop culture and radical politics with a feminist twist". Laurie Penny blog at the New Statesman online. http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/laurie-penny. Retrieved I3 April , 2011. 
  10. ^ "Laurie Penny profile at The Guardian online". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/laurie-penny. Retrieved 13 April 2011. 
  11. ^ "Chocolate, Snuggles, and Straight Hair, review of Meat Market". Oxonian Review. http://www.oxonianreview.org/wp/chocolate-snuggles-and-straight-hair/. Retrieved 4 June 2011. 
  12. ^ Filthy assistant required: please help! | Counterfire
  13. ^ Is Penny Red the creation of a brilliant Right-wing satirist? – Telegraph Blogs
  14. ^ Sexist Laurie Penny Exploits UnemployedPays Staff Below Minimum Wage - Guy Fawkes' blog
  15. ^ "10 O'Clock Live Episode 11 guest listing at Channel 4 online". Channel 4. 31 March 2011. http://www.channel4.com/programmes/10-oclock-live/articles/episode-11-guests. Retrieved 13 April, 2011. 
  16. ^ Truthdigger of the Week: Laurie Penny - Truthdigger of the Week - Truthdig