Jeremy Paxman – Keynote Speaker

Jeremy Paxman was born in Yorkshire in 1950, educated at Malvern College in Worcestershire and received his degree (in English) from St Catharines College, Cambridge.

For three years in the mid-seventies, Jeremy Paxman was based in Northern Ireland, where he covered the Troubles for the BBC. In 1977, he joined the ‘Tonight’ programme, for which he was a roving reporter. This was followed by five years as a reporter on ‘Panorama’, where assignments took him frequently to Africa, the Americas and the Middle East.

Since 1989 he has anchored Newsnight (nightly, BBC2). For several years, he also presented Start The Week on BBC Radio Four. He became chairman of University Challenge in 1994. He has written widely for newspapers and magazines.

Documentaries include Wilfred Owen: A Remembrance Tale. A documentary series on Victorian painting is in preparation for transmission in 2009.

His books include ‘a higher form of killing’ (with Robert Harris), ‘Through the volcanoes: a central aAmerican journey’; ‘Friends in high places: who runs Bbritain?’; ‘Fish and the meaning of life’; and the best-sellers ‘The english: a portrait of a people and the political animal: an anatomy’. His latest book, ‘On royalty’, was published in Autumn 2006.

His charitable interests include homelessness, mental health and education. In his spare time, he goes fly-fishing.

He is an honorary fellow of St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, and a Fellow by Special Election of St Edmund Hall, Oxford

Awards include:
Royal Television Society: Award for International Current Affairs, 1985.
Voice of the Viewer and Listener: Award for best contribution to Television, 1993 and 1997.
BAFTA: Richard Dimbleby Award, 1996 and 1999.
Royal Television Society: Interview/Presenter of the Year 1997, 1998, 2001 and 2008
Broadcasting Press Guild: Award for best TV Performer in a non-acting role 1997.
Variety club: Media Personality of the Year, 1999.