Owen Jones

Owen Jones grew up in Stockport. He read History at Oxford University, graduating in 2005, and in 2007 completed a Masters there focusing on the rise of the US neocons. He began work in Parliament as a trade union lobbyist and helped plan Labour backbench rebellions on issues ranging from civil liberties to workers' rights.

His first book, Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class, was published by Verso in June 2011 to considerable acclaim and attention, and was the bestselling political book of 2011. Chavs was longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award and picked by the New York Times as one of their Top 10 Non-fiction Books of 2011.

Owen has been named one of the Daily Telegraph's 'Top 100 Most Influential People on the Left' for 2011, and won Left Foot Forward's poll for Most Influential Left-Wing Thinker of the Year. He lives in London, and is now working on his second book, for Allen Lane / Penguin Press.