Simon Barnes

Simon Barnes is an English journalist. He was Chief Sports Writer of The Times until 2014, and also wrote a wildlife opinion column in the Saturday edition of the same newspaper.

Barnes was educated at Emanuel School, and studied English Literature at the University of Bristol, which awarded Barnes an honorary Doctorate in 2007.[1]

After beginning his journalism career on local newspapers in Britain, he travelled to Hong Kong, where he wrote for travel magazines and, briefly, the South China Morning Post.[2] After his return to Britain, he became a sports writer for The Times, being promoted in time to the position of Chief Sports Writer. He is the author of 16 books including three novels. His latest book, Birdwatching With your Eyes Closed: An Introduction to Birdsong, was published in 2011. Barnes has also appeared in a number of programmes on BBC Radio 2, including a reading of his book, How to Be a Bad Birdwatcher.

Barnes lives in Norfolk.[3] He was on The Times team at the 2012 London Olympics, the seventh summer Games that he has covered for the newspaper. In March 2009 he was runner-up in the Sports Journalists' Association's 'Sports Columnist of the Year' award, an award he won in 2008.

In June 2014 Barnes was sacked by The Times after 32 years employment, the newspaper having informed him it could no longer afford to pay his salary.[4] Speculation in some sections of the UK media that the real reason may have been Barnes's outspoken views expressed in his wildlife opinion column. The column blamed illegal activity by red grouse shooting interests on the continued persecution and near extinction of the hen harrier in England.[5][6] Writing in his new website and blog which he began after leaving The Times in 2014, Simon Barnes wrote: "Certainly I have annoyed some powerful people." [7]

On 10 March 2016 he called tennis player Maria Sharapova a bimbo champion and a dumb blonde in an article he wrote for The Spectator.[8]

Bibliography

  • Barnes, Simon; Nik Wheeler (1981). China in focus. Hong Kong :: CFW Guidebooks,. pp. 63p. : chiefly col ill. ISBN 962-7031-12-7. 
  • Barnes, Simon (1986). Phil Edmonds a singular man. London :: Kingswood,. pp. xi,179p,[8]p of plates : ill., ports. ; 24cm. ISBN 0-434-98092-7. 
  • Barnes, Simon (1988). Eamonn McCabe, photographer. London :: Kingswood,. pp. xxii, 88 p. : ill., ports. ; 29 cm. ISBN 0-434-98147-8. 
  • Barnes, Simon (1988). Horsesweat and tears a year in John Dunlop's racing stable. London :: Heinemann Kingswood,. pp. xii, 228p, 8p. of plates ; 24cm. ISBN 0-434-98152-4. 
  • Barnes, Simon (1989). A la recherche du cricket perdu. London :: Macmillan London,. pp. v,137p : ill ; 21cm. ISBN 0-333-48722-2. 
  • Barnes, Simon (1989). A Sportswriter's Year. London :: Heinemann London,. pp. v,224p : ill ; 25cm. ISBN 0-434-98180-X. 
  • Barnes, Simon (1992). Flying in the face of nature a year in Minsmere Bird Reserve. London :: Pelham,. pp. xi,227p ; 25cm. ISBN 0-7207-2005-2. 
  • Barnes, Simon; Peter Jackson (1994). Tiger!. London :: Boxtree in association with Tigress Productions and Meridian Broadcasting,. pp. 160p ; 29cm. ISBN 1-85283-931-7. 
  • Barnes, Simon (1997). Rogue Lion Safaris. London :: HarperCollins, London. pp. 320 p. : col. ill.. ; 33cm. ISBN 0-00-649849-3. 
  • Barnes, Simon (1999). Hong Kong Belongers. London :: HarperCollins, London. pp. 320 p. ; 33cm. ISBN 0-00-651195-3. 
  • Barnes, Simon; Alan Marks (2000). Planet zoo one hundred animals we can't afford to lose. London :: Orion Children's,. pp. 264 p. : col. ill.. ; 28 cm. ISBN 1-85881-488-X. 
  • Barnes, Simon (2000). Miss Chance. London :: HarperCollins, London. pp. 288 p. ; 27 cm. ISBN 0-00-651196-1. 
  • Barnes, Simon (2004). How to be a bad birdwatcher: To the greater glory of life. London :: Short,. pp. 198 p. : ill. ; 21 cm. ISBN 1-904095-95-X. 
  • Barnes, Simon (2005). A bad birdwatcher's companion --or a personal introduction to Britain's 50 most obvious birds. London :: Short,. pp. 281 p. : ill. ; 21 cm. ISBN 1-904977-37-5. 
  • Barnes, Simon (2007). The meaning of sport. London :: Short,. pp. 365 p. ; 20 cm. ISBN 1-904977-85-5. 
  • Barnes, Simon; Joseph Barnes (2008). How to be wild. London :: Short,. pp. 1 v. : ill. ; 20 cm. ISBN 1-906021-48-1. 
  • Barnes, Simon (2008). The Horsey Life. London :: Short,. pp. 288 : ill. ; 25 cm. ISBN 1-906021-42-2. 
  • Barnes, Simon (2011). Birdwatching With your Eyes Closed: An Introduction to Birdsong. London :: Short,. p. 288. ISBN 1-907595-47-3. 
  • Barnes, Simon (2014). Ten Million Aliens. London :: Short,. pp. 480 p. ISBN 1780721420. 

References

  1. ↑ "Simon Barnes, Doctor of Letters". University of Bristol.
  2. ↑ "Simon Barnes, author and journalist". Simon Barnes.
  3. ↑ Simon, Barnes. "Wild Notebook: Welcome to my new wet wild home in Norfolk". The Times.
  4. ↑ "Shocked Barnes says Times cannot afford his wages". Sports Journalists' Association.
  5. ↑ Simon Barnes (12 April 2014). "We're going to watch gamekeepers like a hawk". The Times.
  6. ↑ "The curious case of Simon Barnes's departure from The Times". Mark Avery.
  7. ↑ "A clubbable man". Simon Barnes.
  8. ↑ "Why did Maria Sharapova allow herself to get caught?". The Spectator.
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