Conor Woodman

Conor Woodman
Born 21 March 1974
Galway, Ireland
Residence London
Nationality Irish
Alma mater University of Manchester
Occupation Economist, Author, Television presenter
Employer National Geographic, Channel 4, BBC, Radio 4
Spouse(s) Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Parent(s) Ciaran Woodman
Miriam Woodman
Website
http://www.conorwoodman.com

Conor Woodman (born 21 March 1974) is an Irish director, television presenter, author and public speaker.

Personal life

Conor Woodman was born in Galway, Ireland on 21 March 1974. He is the son of Miriam and Ciaran Woodman and elder brother of Ciaran Woodman, Jr.

Woodman moved to Birmingham, England at the age of eight. His parents, who are doctors, still live there. He attended King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys and King Edward's School, Birmingham.[1]

Woodman is an alumnus of The University of Manchester.

Woodman is a former financial analyst turned investigative journalist. He has written and reported from the four corners of the globe on all manner of issues from gangs and organised crime to slavery and diamond smuggling to forest fires and salmon farming.[2]

He currently resides in London.

Woodman is married to British actress and playwright Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Films

In 2014, Woodman produced and directed his first feature documentary film, True Appaloosa.

The film follows Scott Engstrom, an Appaloosa horse breeder, to Kyrgyzstan as she tries to track down a horse that she thought looked like an Appaloosa while watching the TV show Around the World in 80 Trades. Engstrom was convinced that DNA from the horse might be able to prove that the true source of the North American Appaloosa horse was Asia and not Europe as the history books claim.[3]

In January 2015, a 60 minute version of the film was transmitted on the BBC to critical acclaim.

"Finally, with 10 minutes left, an exhausted, altitude-sick Engstrom spotted the fabled herd and I wanted to gallop round the paddock whinnying with joy myself. Such a strange, specific tale that unexpectedly burrowed into my heart." (The Guardian) [4]

The full feature length documentary film will premiere at the Sun Valley Film Festival in March 2015.[5]

Books

In 2009, he published his first book, The Adventure Capitalist,[6] chronicling his experiences trading his way around the globe.

"This is entertaining and enlightening stuff... at a time when business has never looked so morally bankrupt" (Irish Times).

His second book, Unfair Trade: The Truth Behind Big Business, Politics and Fair Trade[7] was published in 2011.

Unfair Trade was long-listed for the 2012 Orwell Prize.[8]

"Conor Woodman takes the dismal out of the dismal science. He's written an Independent Travel guide to the Global economy" (Liam Halligan, Sunday Telegraph).

Woodman also writes for several magazines including TNT, Wanderlust, Conde Nast and Wexas Traveller.[2]

Television

In 2009, Woodman presented the Channel 4 travel and adventure series Around the World in 80 Trades.[9] The 4-part series is based on his book The Adventure Capitalist.

From 2012 to 2014 Woodman hosted two seasons of the National Geographic Channel show Scam City, in which he travels to various popular cities around the globe and reveals the darker side of tourism.[10] Scam City was nominated for a Broadcast Digital Award in 2014 [11] and in 2015 for Best Factual Series at the Canadian Screen Awards [12]

Woodman presented two-part ITV series Hunting the Doorstep Conmen in 2013. [13]

In October 2013 Woodman presented Exposure: Britain's Booming Cannabis Business for ITV part of ITV's award winning Exposure strand.[14]

Radio

Woodman regularly reports back on his travels for the BBC's flagship current affairs show From Our Own Correspondent and is also a guest presenter on Radio 4's Costing the Earth.

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ "BEATEN BY ROBBERS IN STRIP CLUB SCAM; TV detective tells of ordeal to expose holiday crimes". thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2015-01-23.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Broadcasting Clients | ROAR Broadcasting". roarglobal.com. Retrieved 2015-01-23.
  3. ↑ "New film explores theory around ancient origins of the appaloosa horse". horsetalk.co.nz. Retrieved 2015-01-23.
  4. ↑ "Up the Women review – could it be the Dad’s Army of the suffragette movement?".
  5. ↑ "True Appaloosa".
  6. ↑ Woodman, C. (2009). Around the World in 80 Trades. Pan Macmillan UK. ISBN 9781743034712. Retrieved 2015-01-23.
  7. ↑ Woodman, C. (2012). Unfair Trade: The shocking truth behind ‘ethical’ business. Random House. ISBN 9781446473016. Retrieved 2015-01-23.
  8. ↑ "Long Lists | The Orwell Prize". theorwellprize.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-01-23.
  9. ↑ "Around the World in 80 Trades (TV Mini-Series 2009) - IMDb". imdb.com. Retrieved 2015-01-23.
  10. ↑ "Scam City (TV Series 2012– ) - IMDb". imdb.com. Retrieved 2015-01-23.
  11. ↑ "Broadcast Digital Awards 2014". broadcastdigitalawards.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-01-23.
  12. ↑ "http://www.academy.ca/getmedia/eebf59d3-3966-4172-973d-ca194be6c13e/2015_CSA_-Television_-Nominations.aspx?ext=.pdf/" (PDF). academy.ca. Retrieved 2015-01-23.
  13. ↑ "Current Affairs | Commissioning". itv.com. Retrieved 2015-01-23.
  14. ↑ "ITV Exposure finds torture and coercion in Britain's home-grown cannabis industry - ITV News". itv.com. Retrieved 2015-01-23.

External links