WRITER, BROADCASTER & SALON FOUNDER
My life is all about books—the ones I’m trying to write and the ones I share with you.
I started Salon in 2008 because I wanted to go to a book event that wasn’t stuffy or intimidating. It didn’t exist. So, I started my own, at Shoreditch House.
The room was packed from day one! We had folk queueing in the snow. There was never enough pizza in the breaks and one night we drank the bar dry! So, we then took up residence in a series of hotels including the Mondrian and the Savoy and now we’re at The London Library. Salon back then was just me, but now it’s a brilliant team creating online content and a podcast. Our community has grown from people in the room at one of our events to a global audience engaging with us regularly. We are a place to love books and our audience enjoy sharing this with us.
So, Salon is a big part of my life. The people who trust me to interview them often tell me things they haven’t told anybody else. They can tell I’ve done my research and they feel safe and respected - whether that’s on radio, on stage or in print. Sometimes it’s about asking the questions the audience really want to hear, but really it’s about listening - really listening. Then responding honestly to whoever I’m in conversation with. Whatever the outlet or platform.
I tell stories to help people better understand themselves and others, to ask better questions, not provide easy answers. The Financial Times described me as a ‘literary impresario’. The Guardian says I’m ‘one of the most connected men in publishing’. GQ listed me as one of the 100 Most Connected Men in Britain (My agent made me tell you those things).
In 2019 I helped bring books back to television with The Big Scottish Book Club for BBC Scotland & iPlayer with guests including Lemn Sissay, Neil Gaiman and Denise Mina. We’re now on our fifth series! And there are more books shows on telly than ever! During the first ‘lockdown’ I hosted Shelf Isolation for BBC Scotland & iPlayer where guests including Alan Cumming and Mark Bonnar shared their recommendations on what to watch, read and listen to. That show was a joy to make and a comfort to many and returned for a second series featuring Lorraine Kelly, Ian Rankin and Fern Brady, among others. In 2019, I co-hosted Live from Cheltenham with Andi Oliver for Sky Arts. I’ve got a few new telly projects coming your way. I‘ve made several series for BBC Radio 4 including Guide Books and Whose Truth Is It Anyway?
Since my first story ran in The Guardian in 1996, I’ve written for lots of newspapers and magazines. Most recently, I wrote a books and travel column for High Life magazine called Novel Destinations. I’ve been a columnist for the Times, Sunday Times and Big Issue. Highlights include: revisiting New Orleans a year after hurricane Katrina to discover why one hotel survived while all around perished, getting wet in Venice to understand why it is really sinking and helping fly a tiny plane around New Zealand for a sky safari. In 2016 I was Highly Commended by BSME as Columnist of the Year for my Big Issue column which covered topics as varied as fuel poverty and misogyny in politics. As Drinks Critic for The Sunday Times, I was the magazine's much-loved BarrFly from 2014. For a decade I was Literary Editor of Soho House magazine.
I’ve judged lots of awards, including the very last Costa Prizes
(I didn’t break them, honest), the Wellcome Book Prize and The British Book Awards. I’ve hosted some too, notably the IPG Awards. I really enjoy judging and hosting. It’s lovely indeed if you win and always a bit crushing if you don’t. My memoir Maggie & Me won some big awards: The Political Humour and Satire Book of the Year at The Paddy Power Political Book Awards, Sunday Times Memoir of the Year and Stonewall Writer of the Year. The real reward was getting to write my novel and have it published - You Will Be Safe Here was shortlisted for The Saltire Awards, The Authors' Club Best First Novel Award and The Indie Book Awards. I’ve just sold my second novel, so I better get it finished. I’ll tell you what it’s about later.
Visit my website for more information: damianbarr.com
Twitter: @damian_barr / Instagram: @mrdamianbarr / Facebook: @MrDamianBarr
