Matthew d'Ancona
Matthew d'Ancona | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 27, 1968 United Kingdom |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, editor, author |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Known for | Editor of The Spectator (2006–2009), deputy editor of The Sunday Telegraph, editor-at-large for The New European |
| Notable work | The Jesus Papyrus, The Quest for the True Cross, Going East, Tabatha's Code, Nothing to Fear, In It Together, Post-Truth, Identity, Ignorance, Innovation |
Matthew Robert Ralph d'Ancona (born 27 January 1968) is a British journalist currently serving as editor-at-large for The New European. He previously held the position of deputy editor at The Sunday Telegraph and was editor of The Spectator from February 2006 until August 2009.
Early life and education
D'Ancona's father, who had Maltese-Italian roots, was a tennis champion before relocating to England, where he played youth football with Newcastle United and later worked as a civil servant. His mother was employed as an English language instructor. Matthew attended St Dunstan's College, an independent boys' school located in south London, and pursued Modern History at Magdalen College, Oxford. During his time there, he was also elected a fellow at All Souls College.
Life and career
Following his academic focus on medieval confession, d'Ancona began his career at Index on Censorship before undertaking training at The Times. By the age of 26, he had advanced to roles including education correspondent and assistant editor. In 1996, he joined The Sunday Telegraph as deputy comment editor and columnist, eventually rising to deputy editor. His weekly political commentary was viewed by Conservative MPs as providing significant insight into Cameronism. He took over as editor of The Spectator succeeding Boris Johnson and remained in that role until Fraser Nelson succeeded him in 2009.
Although not personally religious, d'Ancona co-wrote two works on early Christian theology: The Jesus Papyrus and The Quest for the True Cross. He has also written three novels: Going East, Tabatha's Code, and Nothing to Fear. Additionally, he has contributed articles to the political publication Prospect.
In January 2015, d'Ancona became a weekly columnist for The Guardian, a role he held until 2019. His writings have appeared in the Evening Standard, GQ, and The New York Times. He is also a former editor of Tortoise Media.
Bibliography
- The Jesus Papyrus (1997), co-authored with Carsten Thiede, Phoenix, ISBN 978-1857999587
- The Quest For The True Cross (2000), co-authored with Carsten Thiede, Phoenix, ISBN 978-0753810828
- Going East (2004), Sceptre, ISBN 978-0340828472
- Tabatha's Code (2006), Alma Books Ltd, ISBN 978-1846880124
- Nothing to Fear (2009), Hodder & Stoughton, ISBN 978-0340828496
- In It Together: The Inside Story of the Coalition Government (2014), Penguin, ISBN 978-0670919956
- Post-Truth: The New War on Truth and How to Fight Back (2017), Ebury Press, ISBN 978-1785036873
- Identity, Ignorance, Innovation: Why the old politics is useless - and what to do about it (2021), Hodder & Stoughton, ISBN 978-1785036873
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- Living people
- 1968 births
- Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford
- English male journalists
- English magazine editors
- Fellows of All Souls College, Oxford
- People educated at St Dunstan's College
- The Spectator editors
- British people of Maltese descent