Jack Monroe

For other people named Jack Monroe, see Jack Monroe (disambiguation).
Jack Monroe in 2013

Jack Monroe (born 17 March 1988) is an English writer, journalist and campaigner on poverty issues, particularly food and hunger relief.

Journalism

Monroe gained a profile in the British press for her recipes for ultra-affordable meals, which she created after she left her job at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and was forced to find cheap ways to feed herself and her son.[1] Monroe says that she could not negotiate flexible working and so caring for her son and working at her previous job became impractical. She started blogging at A Girl Called Jack, sharing the recipes she made for herself and her son. The blog quickly became popular for Monroe's 'austerity recipes', and Monroe herself became a recognisable figure in the media. A Girl Called Jack is part of the Mumsnet Bloggers' Network, and has been featured on the site.

In 2012 Monroe became a weekly columnist for The Echo,[2] and was praised in the British media for her grit in the face of severe financial hardship. She was later retained as an unpaid columnist for The Huffington Post, and signed a publishing deal with Penguin Group.[3]

Since 2013 Monroe has written a monthly food and recipe column for The Guardian.[4]

Campaigning and politics

In October 2013, as a Labour Party member, Monroe appeared in a Labour party political broadcast on the cost of living crisis. In 2015 Monroe joined the Green Party of England and Wales.[5]

In 2014 Monroe courted controversy when she suggested on twitter that the Prime Minister "uses stories about his dead son as misty-eyed rhetoric to legitimise selling our NHS," referencing the death of David Cameron's disabled son Ivan.[6]

Personal life

In 2014 it was reported that Monroe and her son were living with her girlfriend Allegra McEvedy and her daughter in London.[7]

In 2013, she was ranked No. 19 in The Independent on Sunday's Pink List of influential LGBT people in the United Kingdom.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Monroe, Jack (23 August 2012). "Unemployed Mum Sells Off Belongings – Essex Enquirer". A Girl Called Jack. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "Jack is Essex girl at her best". Essex Echo. 1 November 2012. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  3. ↑ Owen, Pamela (19 May 2013). "Mum who fed son on £10 a week lands book deal for her breadline recipes". Daily Mirror.
  4. ↑ Jack Monroe. "Austerity bites". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  5. ↑ "Reaction to Jack Monroe Demonstrates How Women's Political Views are Still Dismissed". The Huffington Post UK. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "Jack Monroe Tweet About David Cameron's Son Ivan Hits A Very Raw Nerve". huffington post. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  7. ↑ Lamont, Tom (19 October 2014). "OFM awards 2014 best food blog: Jack Monroe". The Guardian. The Guardian. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  8. ↑ "The Independent on Sunday's Pink List 2013". The Independent on Sunday. 13 October 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2013.

External links