John Beasant

Reporter, troublemaker and writer in general. Specialist in the Middle East and long-term denizen of parts foreign. He'd claim to having been elegaically peregrinating...

The publisher of John's latest: 'Shell Shock'

Writer and political helpmate to good socialists and benign dictators alike, (He wrote Tony Blair's first election win acceptance speech) John was the stuff of editor's nightmares: an eloquent and amusing columnist, John used to submit pieces that were, to young people like myself, and possibly although not probably, others, simply insanely nested and yet, arguably, John loved subclauses more than life itself: even though it has to be admitted his style was appealing beyond belief, because, simply and substantially John has truly lived life to the full and, therefore, happily, is able to recount stories that make GA Henty look like a total prawn.

Albeit a prawn that considers punctuation to be a speedbump on the way to a sub-nested conclusion...

John used to send me notes along the lines of: 'I wouldn't normally allow an editor the liberty of removing that full stop, but you make a compelling case and, besides, I am minded to permit a certain laxity in view of your most proper adulation of the Muse in her context. But I can't let you drop the parrot. It's up to you how you choose to resolve the consequent ambiguity... yours... aye... John.'

This made my life more interesting. And I kid you not.