Damian Barr

Current

• World's First Reader-in-Residence in a Hotel at Andaz Hotel part of Hyatt Group
• journalist and presenter at BBC, BBC Scotland, The Times...the three media outlets I do most for right now.

Past

• Co-Presenter and Co-Producer at Cool In Your Code - Times Online
• Big Brother Blogger at Times Online
• content manager at revolver - The Times

• Online Journalist at The Independent Online
• Editor at Times 4-D

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2 more...

Education

• Lancaster University
• The University of Texas at Austin

Recommended

2 people have recommended Damian

Connections

63 connections

Industry

Writing and Editing

Damian Barr’s Summary

Damian Barr, 30, is a journalist, writer, playwright and presenter. And insatiably curious. He is represented by William Morris and PFD.

Writing features for The Times, Damian has talked design with Sir Terence Conran, cooked a roast with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and had a manicure with Paris Hilton’s mother. He has been diving for scallops and star-gazing in Chile. He has reported on post-Katrina New Orleans and the ever-flooding state of Venice. He also writes for The Independent, The Financial Times, Harpers Bazaar and Country Life.

He writes plays for BBC Radio Four, presents a radio series for BBC Scotland and fronts the UK’s first WebTV series for The Times. His first book made the quarterlife crisis a household term. Julie Burchill describes him as ‘the new ringmaster for the Jerry Springer Generation’. Manolo Blahnik says he is a ‘gorgeous anachronism’. Who knows?

Damian took on Texas as a scholarship student at the UT Austin. As a result, he now makes good guacamole and a mean margarita. He is lucky enough to be a Fellow of the British-American Project.

When he’s not on assignment Damian lives by the sea in Brighton. There he tends his garden and walks by the sea while fretting slightly about deadlines. Come and distract him over a cream tea. Bring your stories.

Damian Barr’s Specialties:

Just about anything to do with words. Also, webTV. Oh, and radio. And books. And plays. And...

Damian Barr’s Experience

• World's First Reader-in-Residence in a Hotel

  Andaz Hotel part of Hyatt Group

  (Privately Held; 501-1000 employees; Hospitality industry)

  April 2008 — Present (1 year 4 months)

  Hotels have long housed writers, most famously Fay Weldon at the Savoy. But never a dedicated reader. From 14-28 April 2008 I will be the world’s first reader-in-residence at a hotel. As literary call-boy at Andaz (formerly the Great Eastern), I will read to guests on the phone or, if they want a face-to-face encounter, in their rooms. A male Belle De Jour dressed in pajamas, not rubber, with books, not whips.
  
  Guests choose from my Book Menu featuring categories like Classic & Comforting and Books You Think You Should Read But Probably Never Will. I’ll read for up to an hour and my services are free. All requests considered. Couples welcome.
  
  I originated the idea last year while I was writer-in-residence at the Royal College of Arts (RCA) working on a project at Andaz called SLEEPLESS.
  
  This has been covered in: Newsweek, Time magazine, NY Post, NY Times, The Times, Sunday Times, Observer, Arena, Men's Health, the London Paper, the Sun, The Telegraph and on CNN.

• journalist and presenter

  BBC, BBC Scotland, The Times...the three media outlets I do most for right now.

  (Public Company; 1001-5000 employees; Media Production industry)

  June 2001 — Present (8 years 2 months)

  I am on contract to several major media outlets including the BBC and The Times.

• Co-Presenter and Co-Producer

  Cool In Your Code - Times Online

  (Public Company; 5001-10,000 employees; Online Media industry)

  2006 — October 2008 (2 years)

  I co-produce and co-present Cool In Your Code as part of a team from The Times and Times Online. We also work with Concept Farm and Agile Productions. I've been on board since the first show and help decide which postcode to do next. I also write an accompanying feature in Bricks & Mortar in The Times. This is an example of the show--the first to be produced by a UK-based newspaper. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/audio_video/cool_in_your_code/article2739829.ece
  The interview with Sir Terence was the 5th most watched thing on Times Online in 2007.
  I help line up locations and interviewees (esp the big names). I also edit scripts and generally muck in to help make it all happen. We have a GREAT team!

• Big Brother Blogger

  Times Online

  (Public Company; 5001-10,000 employees; Online Media industry)

  July 2005 — September 2008 (3 years 3 months)

  I watch so you don't have to--watching, digesting and blogging on Big Brother for the past two years. Also breaking exclusives such as BB's plan to electrocute housemates! From the merely ridiculous to the sublimely so...

• content manager

  revolver - The Times

  (Writing and Editing industry)

  2000 — 2001 (1 year)

• Online Journalist

  The Independent Online

  (Privately Held; 501-1000 employees; Writing and Editing industry)

  1999 — 2000 (1 year)

• Editor

  Times 4-D

  (Privately Held; 5001-10,000 employees; Media Production industry)

  June 1998 — September 1999 (1 year 4 months)

  I was the editor of 4-D, the online student magazine for the Times.

Damian Barr’s Education

• Lancaster University

  1995 — 1998

• The University of Texas at Austin

  second year of BA Hons , English Lit. & Sociology , 1995 — 1996

Additional Information

Damian Barr’s Groups:

•    LGBT Professional Network - Global
•    Media Professionals Worldwide
•    World Festival Network

Damian Barr’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• career opportunities
• consulting offers
• new ventures
• job inquiries
• expertise requests
• business deals
• reference requests
• getting back in touch