Who's Who in 2012?
Published by A&C Black, 5th December 2011
Hardback £225.00
Print-and-online edition £315.00 (available from Oxford University Press)
Who’s Who in 2012?
The 164th edition of Who’s Who brings together over 39,000 autobiographical entries from people of influence and interest in every area of public life. Featuring almost 1,000 entries new for this edition, Who’s Who 2012, published on 5th December 2011, celebrates the achievement of British Society. An invaluable research tool and a unique way of measuring social change, it is the longest established and most comprehensive general biographical reference book. An invitation to appear in Who’s Who recognises lasting distinction and influence. An entry in Who’s Who is for life.
Preface by Lord Coe
Who’s Who 2012 is the edition that will be in use during the London 2012 Olympic Games. As a mark of the importance of this event, Lord Coe, an eminent and long-standing biographee, has written the first foreword to appear in Who’s Who since the 150th anniversary edition in 1998. Read the foreword.
Entertainment
Included in the 2012 edition is actress Sally Hawkins, who won several international awards for her role in Happy Go Lucky, and has also appeared in An Education and Never Let Me Go. Writer, documentary maker and presenter, Louis Theroux makes a welcome entry this year, as does broadcaster Johnny Vaughan. Listing the many television shows he’s worked on, including 5 eponymous shows, Johnny reveals membership of Coombe Hill Golf, one of 238 new entrants listing at least one club in their entry. Actor, comedian and writer, Hugh Dennis, is one of 13% of new entrants to list family time as a recreation, making it the 3rd most popular pastime among new names, following reading and walking.
Creative Types
Two star Michelin chef, Michel Roux is a new addition to Who’s Who 2012. He has been chef patron of Le Gavroche since 1991, and has been working in the industry since 1976 when he served an apprenticeship in Paris, under the Maītre Pātissier of Hellegourache. Founder and Creative Director, Cath Kidston reveals that in her spare time she enjoys ’family, art exhibitions, car boot sales, travel’.
Sporting prowess
Formula One World Champion Jenson Button makes a welcome entry from the world of sport as does England Football Manager, Fabio Capello. Arsenal is by far the most popular football team among Who’s Who entrants, with almost twice as many people listing it, as chose the next favourite team, Manchester United.
Trivial Pursuits?
Patric Dickinson, Clarenceux King of Arms and Secretary, Order of the Garter, has updated his entry to include ’making good use of the bus pass’ in his recreations, while Neil Hunt, Chief Executive, Royal College of General Practitioners, also amended his recreations, declaring, ’this year is certain to be dominated by the iPad 2!’.
Artist Patrick Brill, better known as Bob and Roberta Smith, a new entry for the 2012 edition, reveals his recreations as ’work all the time, no days off!’ and Geoffrey Dunning, Chief Executive, Road Haulage Association enjoys ’failing to stay out of trouble, manufacture of invisibility cloaks, being as good a friend, father and husband as possible, collecting mild versions of what can be serious illnesses’.
Young and Old
The average age of new entrants is back to 52, following a drop last year to just under 50. The youngest non-hereditary new entrant is MSP Humza Yousaf, who was born in 1985. The oldest new entrant is Nobel Prize winner, Dr Osamu Shimomura, who turned 83 in August.
A&C Black is an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
PRESS INFORMATION
For further information contact Katie Bond or Ellen Williams at the Bloomsbury press office:
Tel: 0207 631 5723
Email: katie.bond@bloomsbury.com
Email: ellen.williams@bloomsbury.com
Freelance journalist Dick Barton will be covering the majority of regional news stories; if you would like him to write a piece for you, please contact Ellen Williams.
Press printed copies are not available. However, a 25% press discount is offered, call 01256 302699 to order and free press access to the online edition is available, email gabby.fletcher@oup.com.
Notes to editors
The first edition of Who’s Who was published in 1849. Then a compact, 250-page volume (one tenth of the size of the 2012 edition), it consisted of an almanac followed by thirty-nine lists of ranks and appointments and the names of those holding them. Since its acquisition by A&C Black in 1897, Who’s Who has consolidated its status of supreme national importance, proving to be invaluable as a research tool and a unique way of measuring social change. During the Second World War Winston Churchill personally intervened to ensure its publication and full circulation was not affected by the paper shortage. Who’s Who is still to this day the definitive reference book relied upon by academics, researchers, business people, government officials and charities, as well as the casual browser.
Who’s Who and Who Was Who OnlineFrom 5th December 2011, Who’s Who 2012 and Who Was Who, which covers 1897 onwards, will be available online exclusively from Oxford University Press where the data can be searched extensively and cross-referenced to other works. For more information visit: www.ukwhoswho.com
The world’s largest and most international university press, Oxford University Press currently publishes more than 6,000 new publications per year, has offices in around fifty countries, and employs some 5,000 people worldwide. It has become familiar to millions through a diverse publishing programme that includes scholarly works in all academic disciplines, bibles, music, school and college textbooks, children's books, materials for teaching English as a foreign language, business books, dictionaries and reference books, and journals.
For further information about the online edition of Who’s Who, and for press access from Monday 5th December please contact Gabby Fletcher at OUP. Tel: 01865 353969 Email: gabby.fletcher@oup.com