After an astonishingly brief “career”at the advertising agency J. Walter Thompson, Ben spent most of his twenties as a freelance portrait photographer for a diverse range of editorial and commercial clients. Originality is like charisma. It’s hard to define, but we know it when we findit… Schott’s Original Miscellany is without doubt the oddest, and possiblythemerriest, title you will come across in a long day’s march through theshimmering desert of contemporary publishing.” Somehow Mr Schott turns a collection of trivia intoa window on the world that is hilarious, puzzling, and inspiring.” On my way to pitch this Christmas card idea to a large advertising agency (WPP), I was waylaid by an old friend (Martin) who persuaded me to turn the card into a book.

Ben Schott - Wikipedia

Intelligent entertainment at a high level, timedperfectly for out post-modern, deconstructed, andoverall scatterbrained time of age.” Schott's Original Miscellany was published with little fanfare in 2002, but after an article in the Guardian, in which the book was described as the "publishing sensation of the year", sales increased, and within weeks Schott's Original Miscellany was at No. 1. Robert McCrum said of the book in The Observer: "Originality is like charisma. It's hard to define, but we know it when we find it ... Schott's Original Miscellany is, without doubt, the oldest, and possibly merriest title you will come across in a long day's march through the shimmering desert of contemporary publishing". [6] Grylls, David (24 October 2020). "Jeeves and the Leap of Faith by Ben Schott, review – a 'new' Wodehouse". The Times. Schott went to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he read Social and Political Sciences. He took a double first in 1996. [1]Unusually, Ben designs and typesets virtually all of his work –as well offering design and narrative consultancyto a range of clients. Schott publishes a bespoke Miscellany Diary with the society printers Smythson of Bond Street, and a desk-pad diary with Workman.

Schott MISCELLANIES | Ben Schott

Jeffries, Stuart (6 November 2002). "The bare facts". The Guardian. London . Retrieved 20 April 2010. Schott worked as a photographer from 1996 to 2003, specialising in portraits of politicians and celebrities. He was commissioned by a range of editorial and commercial clients, including The Independent, The Sunday Times, Sunday Business, Reader's Digest, and the Institute of Directors. A profile in The Times said "his subjects included John Prescott, who was rude, and Sir Roy Strong, who had "the most wonderful, doleful eyes" and told him: "You must realise I'm awfully photogenic." Tony Blair asked Schott if he would like to see then-baby Leo; Cherie barked at him not to take too long as they were about to have lunch." [2] His photographic portfolio is online. [3] Schott's Miscellanies [ edit ] Ben was born in London in 1974. He was educated at University College School, Hampstead, and Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge where he read Social & Political Sciences. He graduated in 1996, taking a double First. Ben has written for many of the great British and American titles including The Times, The Telegraph, The New York Times, The Spectator, Private Eye, Bloomberg Opinionand Playboy.

McCrum, Robert (8 December 2002). "God bless you, Mr. Schott". The Guardian. London . Retrieved 20 April 2010. For two years after the publication of the first Miscellany, Schott wrote a weekly miscellany column for The Daily Telegraph, and also produced special miscellany features on Christmas and the Olympics. For over a year he wrote a regular travel miscellany column for the UK edition of Condé Nast Traveler magazine. In 2005 and 2006 the Guardian featured special editions of G2 featuring extracts from Schott's Almanac. The idea for the first book originated in some cards that Schott made to send to friends, which contained booklets of what he considered vital but hard to find information. [4] Schott typeset the book himself and had 50 copies privately printed by the Pear Tree Press in Stevenage. After sending copies out to his friends, he sent one to the CEO of Bloomsbury, Nigel Newton. Newton told The Boston Globe, "I was completely bowled over when it arrived on my desk. It was a work of striking originality, and it was remarkable to receive an unsolicited submission like this in the mail. I immediately passed it to one of our editors, who signed it up." [5]