Johann Hari is a renowned British author, playwright, and journalist, best known for his New York Times bestselling titles. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Hari moved to London with his family when he was just one year old and has lived there for much of his life. He is often described as a "European social democrat" and is a strong advocate for the role of democratic governments and trade unions in balancing the power of markets.
Hari began his journalism career as a columnist for The Independent and the Huffington Post, where he gained recognition for his war reporting and earned several awards. His work has been featured in a wide range of international newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, and The Nation. He has also appeared regularly as an arts critic on the BBC Two programme Newsnight Review and is a book critic for Slate.
In addition to his work as a journalist, Hari is also the author of several bestselling books, including "Chasing The Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs." He is also one of the top-rated TED talkers of all time. However, Hari has also been involved in controversies, including plagiarism and malicious editing of Wikipedia pages, which led to him returning the prestigious Orwell prize he had won in 2008 and losing his position at The Independent. Despite these setbacks, Hari has continued to be a prominent and influential figure in British journalism and literature.