Simon Hattenstone


Simon Hattenstone is a British journalist and writer. He is a features writer and interviewer for The Guardian. He has also written or ghost-written a number of biographical books.

Life

Hattenstone was severely ill with encephalitis for three years as a child and is now an Ambassador for the Encephalitis Society. He studied English at Leeds University and trained to be a teacher before moving to London to work as a journalist. On The Guardian he wrote a sports column for three years, in which he described the vicissitudes of being a die-hard Manchester City supporter. He also became assistant arts editor and film editor.

Works

Journalism

Hattenstone is among the few journalists to have interviewed the anonymous graffiti artist Banksy. Other interview subjects have included George Michael, Paul McCartney, Dolly Parton, Debbie McGee, Tom Jones, Stevie Wonder, Serena Williams, Katie Price, Desmond Tutu, and Penélope Cruz. His interview by mobile phone with Judi Dench has been quoted as an example of entertaining feature writing, yielding "an unconventional but, ultimately, satisfying profile". He also writes about crime and justice, and has covered many miscarriages of justice. He was highly commended in the Interviewer of the Year category in The Press Awards for 2014.

Other works

Books by Hattenstone include, Out of it, about his childhood illness, and The Best of Times, about the lives of members of England's 1966 football world cup team. He has ghost-written books for the snooker player Ronnie O'Sullivan and for Duwayne Brooks, who was attacked with Stephen Lawrence on the night Lawrence was murdered.

Film and television

Hattenstone co-wrote the television documentary series Brits Abroad.