Melissa Benn
Encyclopedia
Melissa Ann Benn is a British
journalist and writer. She is the only daughter of Tony
and Caroline Benn
.
Benn was born in Hammersmith
, London. She has two older brothers, Stephen and Hilary
, and a younger brother, Joshua. She attended Holland Park School
and graduated with a first in History from the London School of Economics
. Benn spent several years working at the National Council for Civil Liberties
, as an assistant to Patricia Hewitt
, later Secretary of State for Health in Tony Blair
's government, and then as a researcher at the Open University
, under Professor Stuart Hall
, working on deaths in custody.
Benn worked as a journalist at the co-operatively run City Limits
magazine. Subsequently she has written for The Guardian
, The London Review of Books, Marxism Today
and many other publications.
Her first novel Public Lives, published by Hamish Hamilton in 1995, was described by the novelist Margaret Forster
as " a lovely novel.....remarkably sophisticated for a first". Other reviewers praised the book's "acute intelligence" and "incredibly subtlety". In 1998 Jonathan Cape published Benn's book Madonna and Child: towards a modern politics of motherhood which caused some controversy. Several reviewers, notably in The Guardian
and The Observer
, attacked Benn's work while the Literary Review
called it "a reflective, rich and rewarding investigation into the ...conditions of mothers' lives". The Guardian featured Benn as one of a number of Britain's leading feminist writers.
In 2004, Benn co-edited, with Clyde Chitty, A Tribute to Caroline Benn: Education and Democracy, collecting various papers relevant to the campaign for comprehensive education. In recent years, Benn has become an outspoken advocate for comprehensives and a critic of many aspects of government policy on education. In 2006, she and Fiona Millar
published an influential pamphlet ' A Comprehensive Future: Quality and Equality for All our Children' which was launched at the House of Commons in January 2006 at a meeting addressed by the former leader of the Labour Party Neil Kinnock
and a former Secretary of State for Education Estelle Morris
.
Her second novel One of Us was published by Chatto and Windus in 2008.
Melissa Benn lives in London with her partner, Paul Gordon, and their two daughters, Hannah and Sarah.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
journalist and writer. She is the only daughter of Tony
Tony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
and Caroline Benn
Caroline Benn
Caroline Middleton DeCamp Benn , formerly Viscountess Stansgate, was an educationalist and writer, and wife of the British Labour politician Tony Benn ....
.
Benn was born in Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
, London. She has two older brothers, Stephen and Hilary
Hilary Benn
Hilary James Wedgwood Benn is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Leeds Central since 1999. He served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development from 2003 to 2007 and as the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs...
, and a younger brother, Joshua. She attended Holland Park School
Holland Park School
Holland Park School was opened in London, UK, in 1958. It became the flagship for comprehensive education, and in its heyday had over 2000 in the student body. It became known as the "socialist Eton", and a number of high-profile socialists sent their children to Holland Park School, adding to its...
and graduated with a first in History from the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
. Benn spent several years working at the National Council for Civil Liberties
Liberty (pressure group)
Liberty is a pressure group based in the United Kingdom. Its formal name is the National Council for Civil Liberties . Founded in 1934 by Ronald Kidd and Sylvia Crowther-Smith , the group campaigns to protect civil liberties and promote human rights...
, as an assistant to Patricia Hewitt
Patricia Hewitt
Patricia Hope Hewitt is an Australian-born British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Leicester West from 1997 until 2010. She served in the Cabinet until 2007, most recently as Health Secretary....
, later Secretary of State for Health in Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
's government, and then as a researcher at the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
, under Professor Stuart Hall
Stuart Hall (cultural theorist)
Stuart Hall is a cultural theorist and sociologist who has lived and worked in the United Kingdom since 1951. Hall, along with Richard Hoggart and Raymond Williams, was one of the founding figures of the school of thought that is now known as British Cultural Studies or The Birmingham School of...
, working on deaths in custody.
Benn worked as a journalist at the co-operatively run City Limits
City Limits (London magazine)
City Limits magazine was founded in 1981 in London by former staff members of the weekly London listings magazine Time Out, after its owner Tony Elliott abandoned running Time Out on co-operative principles....
magazine. Subsequently she has written for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, The London Review of Books, Marxism Today
Marxism Today
Marxism Today was the theoretical journal of the Communist Party of Great Britain and was disestablished in 1991. It was particularly important during the 1980s under the editorship of Martin Jacques...
and many other publications.
Her first novel Public Lives, published by Hamish Hamilton in 1995, was described by the novelist Margaret Forster
Margaret Forster
Margaret Forster is a British author. She was born in Carlisle, England, where she attended Carlisle and County High School for Girls , and then won an Open Scholarship to read modern history at Somerville College, Oxford, from where she graduated in 1960.After a short period as a teacher at...
as " a lovely novel.....remarkably sophisticated for a first". Other reviewers praised the book's "acute intelligence" and "incredibly subtlety". In 1998 Jonathan Cape published Benn's book Madonna and Child: towards a modern politics of motherhood which caused some controversy. Several reviewers, notably in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
and The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
, attacked Benn's work while the Literary Review
Literary Review
Literary Review is a British literary magazine founded in 1979 by Anne Smith, then head of the Department of English at Edinburgh University. Its offices are currently on Lexington Street in Soho, London, and it has a circulation of 44,750. Britain's principal literary monthly, the magazine was...
called it "a reflective, rich and rewarding investigation into the ...conditions of mothers' lives". The Guardian featured Benn as one of a number of Britain's leading feminist writers.
In 2004, Benn co-edited, with Clyde Chitty, A Tribute to Caroline Benn: Education and Democracy, collecting various papers relevant to the campaign for comprehensive education. In recent years, Benn has become an outspoken advocate for comprehensives and a critic of many aspects of government policy on education. In 2006, she and Fiona Millar
Fiona Millar
Fiona Millar is a British journalist and campaigner on education and parenting issues. She was a former adviser to Cherie Blair. She writes a blog, The Truth About Our Schools, on education issues.-Early life:...
published an influential pamphlet ' A Comprehensive Future: Quality and Equality for All our Children' which was launched at the House of Commons in January 2006 at a meeting addressed by the former leader of the Labour Party Neil Kinnock
Neil Kinnock
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock is a Welsh politician belonging to the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995 and as Labour Leader and Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1983 until 1992 - his leadership of the party during nearly nine years making him...
and a former Secretary of State for Education Estelle Morris
Estelle Morris
Estelle Morris, Baroness Morris of Yardley, PC was a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley from 1992 to 2005, and served briefly in the Cabinet as Education Secretary.-Early life:...
.
Her second novel One of Us was published by Chatto and Windus in 2008.
Melissa Benn lives in London with her partner, Paul Gordon, and their two daughters, Hannah and Sarah.