Martin Rowson

Martin Rowson /ˈroʊsən/ ROH-sən (born 15 February 1959) is a British editorial cartoonist and writer. His genre is political satire and his style is scathing and graphic. He characterises his work as "visual journalism".[1] His cartoons appear frequently in The Guardian and the Daily Mirror. He also contributes freelance cartoons to other publications, such as Tribune, Index on Censorship and the Morning Star. He is chair of the British Cartoonists' Association[2].

Martin Rowson
Martin Rowson at a BCA event in May 2018
Born
England
NationalityBritish
Known forSatirical cartoons
Websitehttps://www.martinrowson.com

Early life

Rowson was adopted as a child,[3] and educated at the independent Merchant Taylors' School in Northwood in north-west London, followed by Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he read English Literature.

Career
Cover of Tristram Shandy by Martin Rowson

Rowson's books include graphic adaptations of The Waste Land and Tristram Shandy. Snatches, his novel, was published in 2006 (ISBN 0-224-07604-3). It is a comic journey through history, focusing on the "stories of the worst decisions the human race has ever made". Stuff (2007), his next novel, is part autobiography, part history of his family and upbringing. He also drew original cartoons for the title sequence of the film Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.[4]

Horace I know... – Detail from page 7 of Rowson's Tristram Shandy

In 2008 he published The Dog Allusion: Gods, Pets and How to Be Human, arguing that religion is a complete waste of time and money — much like keeping pets. (The title is itself an allusion to the Richard Dawkins book The God Delusion.) In 2014 'The Coalition Book' containing a collection of cartoons, and a written account, of the four years of the coalition government was published by Self Made Hero. He is an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society[5] and a distinguished supporter and board member of Humanists UK.[6]

Rowson was appointed 'Cartoonist Laureate' of London when Ken Livingstone was Mayor, and his cartoons appeared in the Mayor's newsletter, The Londoner. In 2006 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Journalism from the University of Westminster. In 2014 he was appointed to an Honorary Fellowship by Goldsmiths, University of London.

On 15 September 2010, Rowson, along with 54 other public figures, signed an open letter published in The Guardian, stating his opposition to Pope Benedict XVI's state visit to the UK.[7]

In June 2013, Rowson became the fifth trustee for People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), a wildlife conservation charity based in Battersea, south-west London.[8]

Personal life

Rowson is married and has two children. Who's Who lists his interests as "cooking, drinking, ranting, atheism, zoos, collecting taxidermy".[9]

Political views

In December 2019, along with 42 other leading cultural figures, Rowson signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership in the 2019 general election. The letter stated that "Labour's election manifesto under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership offers a transformative plan that prioritises the needs of people and the planet over private profit and the vested interests of a few."[10][11]

Bibliography
  • Rowson, Martin (1983). Scenes From The Lives of the Great Socialists. Grapheme Publications. ISBN 978-0946459025.
  • Rowson, Martin (1990). The Waste Land. Harper Collins. ISBN 978-0060964764.
  • Rowson, Martin (2005). Mugshots. Politico's Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1842750650.
  • Rowson, Martin (2007). Snatches. Vintage. ISBN 978-0099485247.
  • Rowson, Martin (2008). The Dog Allusion: Pets, Gods and How to be Human. Random House. ISBN 978-0099521334.
  • Rowson, Martin (2008). Stuff: A Memoir of Death and Life. Vintage. ISBN 978-0099502654.
  • Rowson, Martin (2008). Fuck: The Human Odyssey. Jonathan Cape. ISBN 978-0224084413.
  • Rowson, Martin (2009). Giving Offence. Seagull Books. ISBN 978-1906497019.
  • Rowson, Martin (May 2010). The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman. SELFMADEHERO. ISBN 978-1906838133.
  • Rowson, Martin (November 2011). The Limerickiad Volume 1 – From Gilgamesh to Shakespeare. Smokestack Books. ISBN 978-0956814425.
  • Rowson, Martin (March 2012). Gulliver's Travels. Atlantic Books. ISBN 978-1848872820.[12]
  • Rowson, Martin (November 2012). The Limerickiad Volume II – From Donne to Austen. Smokestack Books. ISBN 978-0956814494.
  • Rowson, Martin (November 2013). The Limerickiad Volume III – From Byron to Baudelaire. Smokestack Books. ASIN B01HCA15MC.

References
  1. Per Martin Rowson's remarks during appearance on BBC Radio 3's Essential Classics program. (30 July 2013)
  2. BCA Official site. Retrieved 16 May 2018
  3. Thinking Allowed, BBC Radio 4, 19 May /2010
  4. "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies". Art of the Title. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  5. "National Secular Society Honorary Associates". National Secular Society. Retrieved 27 July 2019
  6. Humanism.org distinguished supporters
  7. "Letters: Harsh judgments on the pope and religion". The Guardian. London. 15 September 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
  8. "List of trustees", PTES website
  9. 'ROWSON, Martin George Edmund', Who's Who 2008, A & C Black, 2008; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2007.
  10. "Vote for hope and a decent future". The Guardian. 3 December 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  11. Proctor, Kate (3 December 2019). "Coogan and Klein lead cultural figures backing Corbyn and Labour". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  12. "Review in the Morning Star". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
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