Polly Toynbee

Polly Toynbee
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Name	Polly Toynbee
Birth date	December 27, 1946
Birth place	Yorkshire, England
Occupation	Journalist, writer

Polly Toynbee is a renowned British journalist and writer, known for her work as a columnist for The Guardian and her advocacy for Social Democratic Party and Labour Party policies. She has written extensively on topics such as Inequality, Poverty, and Social Justice, often referencing the work of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and John Maynard Keynes. Toynbee's writing has been influenced by her experiences at St Anne's College, Oxford, where she studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics alongside notable figures like Christopher Hitchens and Martin Amis. Her work has also been shaped by her interactions with prominent thinkers like Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, and George Monbiot.

● Early Life and Education

Toynbee was born in Yorkshire, England, to a family with a strong background in Politics and Social Activism. Her parents, Philip Toynbee and Anne Powell, were both writers and intellectuals who encouraged her to engage with the works of George Orwell, Aldous Huxley, and Virginia Woolf. Toynbee's early education took place at Badminton School in Bristol, where she developed a keen interest in History, Literature, and Philosophy, inspired by the teachings of Isaiah Berlin and Eric Hobsbawm. She later attended St Anne's College, Oxford, where she studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics and was exposed to the ideas of John Rawls, Robert Nozick, and Amartya Sen.

● Career

Toynbee's career in journalism began at the BBC, where she worked as a producer and presenter on programs like Newsnight and The World at One, often featuring guests like Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and David Cameron. She later moved to The Independent, where she became a columnist and wrote about topics such as European Union policies, NHS reforms, and Human Rights issues, frequently referencing the work of Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the European Court of Human Rights. Toynbee has also been a vocal critic of Thatcherism and its impact on British Society, often citing the research of Stuart Hall and Pierre Bourdieu.

● Journalism and Writing

As a columnist for The Guardian, Toynbee has written extensively on topics such as Inequality, Poverty, and Social Justice, often drawing on the work of Joseph Stiglitz, Paul Krugman, and Ha-Joon Chang. Her writing has been influenced by her interactions with prominent thinkers like Slavoj Žižek, Judith Butler, and Cornel West. Toynbee has also written for other publications, including The Observer, The New Statesman, and The London Review of Books, frequently engaging with the ideas of Tariq Ali, John Pilger, and Arundhati Roy. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Orwell Prize and the British Press Awards, which have also honored journalists like Nick Davies, Sarah Kendzior, and Glenn Greenwald.

● Awards and Recognition

Toynbee has received numerous awards for her journalism and writing, including the Orwell Prize for her book Hard Work: Life in Low-Pay Britain, which explored the experiences of low-wage workers in Britain and referenced the research of Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. She has also been recognized with the British Press Awards for her columns in The Guardian, which have tackled topics like Brexit, Austerity, and Climate Change, often citing the work of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Greenpeace, and the World Wildlife Fund. Toynbee's work has been praised by notable figures like Harold Pinter, Salman Rushdie, and Zadie Smith, who have also written for The Guardian and other prominent publications.

● Personal Life

Toynbee is married to David Walker, a journalist and writer who has worked for The Guardian and The Times, and has written about topics like Public Services, Local Government, and Urban Planning, often referencing the work of Jane Jacobs and Richard Florida. Toynbee has two children and lives in London, where she is involved in various Charity and Community organizations, including Oxfam, Save the Children, and the Trussell Trust, which have also been supported by notable figures like Bono, Bob Geldof, and Annie Lennox. Her personal life has been influenced by her experiences as a Feminist and a Socialist, and she has written about topics like Women's Rights, LGBTQ+ Rights, and Racial Justice, often citing the work of Simone de Beauvoir, Angela Davis, and Stuart Hall.