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'''Laurie Penny''' (born 28 September 1986) is an English journalist, columnist and author. They have contributed articles to publications including ''[[The Guardian]],'' [[Time (magazine)|''Time Magazine'']], ''[[BuzzFeed News]]'', ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[Vice Media|''Vice'']], [[Salon (website)|''Salon'']], ''[[The Nation]]'', ''[[The New Inquiry]]'', [[Wired (magazine)|''Wired'']], and [[Medium (website)|Medium]], are a contributing editor at the ''[[New Statesman]]'', and have written several books on [[feminism]]. They have also written for American television shows including ''[[The Haunting of Bly Manor]]'' and ''[[The Nevers]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Laurie Penny |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4401764/ |publisher=IMDb |access-date=8 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bleedingcool.com/2019/07/12/talking-to-laurie-penny-about-the-switch-from-british-politics-to-hollywood/ |title=Talking to Laurie Penny About the Switch From British Politics to Hollywood |website=Bleeding Cool |first=Rich |last=Johnston |date=12 July 2019 |access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref>
'''Laurie Penny''' (born 28 September 1986) is an English journalist, columnist and author. Penny has contributed articles to publications including ''[[The Guardian]],'' [[Time (magazine)|''Time Magazine'']], ''[[BuzzFeed News]]'', ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[Vice Media|''Vice'']], [[Salon (website)|''Salon'']], ''[[The Nation]]'', ''[[The New Inquiry]]'', [[Wired (magazine)|''Wired'']], and [[Medium (website)|Medium]], is a contributing editor at the ''[[New Statesman]]'', and has written several books on [[feminism]]. Penny has also written for American television shows including ''[[The Haunting of Bly Manor]]'' and ''[[The Nevers]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Laurie Penny |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4401764/ |publisher=IMDb |access-date=8 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bleedingcool.com/2019/07/12/talking-to-laurie-penny-about-the-switch-from-british-politics-to-hollywood/ |title=Talking to Laurie Penny About the Switch From British Politics to Hollywood |website=Bleeding Cool |first=Rich |last=Johnston |date=12 July 2019 |access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref>


== Early life and education ==
== Early life and education ==
Penny was born in [[London]], the child of Jane Penny and Ray Barnett, both lawyers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=IUzJgNTL%2B%2FX%2BTY2Uob0aLg&scan=1|title=Index entry|access-date=26 August 2020|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/books-poetry/interviews/laurie-penny-on-the-politics-of-the-personal.24686346 |title=Laurie Penny on the politics of the personal (From Herald Scotland) |work=The Herald|location=Glasgow |access-date=2015-11-05}}</ref> Penny says that they are of Irish, Jewish, and Maltese descent,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/laurie-penny/2010/09/jewish-woman-chauvinism-rape |title=Zionism, chauvinism and the nature of rape |last1=Penny |first1=Laurie |date=12 September 2010 |magazine=New Statesman |access-date=16 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/laurie-penny/2011/02/jew-baiting-israel-burchill |title=Julie Burchill's imperialist froth over Israel |last1=Penny |first1=Laurie |date=13 February 2011|magazine=New Statesman |access-date=16 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/PennyRed/status/347404463390208001 | title=Twitter | last1=Penny | first1=Laurie | date=19 June 2013}}{{Primary source inline|date=February 2021}}</ref> and have described themself as an "atheist child of a lapsed Jew and a lapsed Catholic".<ref name="atheist">{{cite web|url=http://laurie-penny.com/dont-be-a-dick-on-atheism-cruelty-and-kindness/|title=Don't Be a Dick: on Atheism, Cruelty and Kindness |publisher=laurie-penny.com|access-date=30 June 2016}}</ref> They grew up in [[Brighton]]<ref name="pennyone">{{cite web|url=http://pennyred.blogspot.com/2009/11/shut-up-little-girl-dont-you-know-grown.html|title=Shut up, little girl, don't you know grown-ups are talking?|publisher=Laurie Penny – via Penny Red blogspot|date=16 November 2009|access-date=13 April 2011}}</ref><ref name="books">{{cite web|url=http://www.zero-books.net/authors/laurie-penny&i=9|title=Laurie Penny author profile at Zero Books|publisher=Zero books|access-date=13 April 2011}}</ref> and [[Lewes]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2014/11/so-they-burned-alex-salmond-my-hometown|title=So they burned Alex Salmond in my hometown|work=New Statesman|date=6 November 2014|access-date=5 January 2015|location=London}}</ref> attending the independent school [[Brighton College]] with a scholarship.<ref name="pennyone" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Laurie Penny: Yes, Mr Gove, I enjoyed an expensive education, but I'm still not on your team|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/laurie-penny-yes-mr-gove-i-enjoyed-an-expensive-education-but-im-still-not-on-your-team-7737823.html|work=The Independent|date=11 May 2012|access-date=8 January 2015}}</ref> They say that as a teenager they suffered from [[Anorexia nervosa|anorexia]] and were hospitalised at age 17, subsequently making a recovery.<ref name="thislondon">{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/escapist/health/life-tastes-better-than-skinny-feels-6757213.html|title=Life tastes better than skinny feels|location=London|work=[[Evening Standard]]|author=Laurie Penny|date=24 February 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303224656/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/health/article-23809323-life-tastes-better-than-skinny-feels.do|archive-date=3 March 2011}}</ref>
Penny was born in [[London]], the child of Jane Penny and Ray Barnett, both of whom are lawyers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=IUzJgNTL%2B%2FX%2BTY2Uob0aLg&scan=1|title=Index entry|access-date=26 August 2020|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/books-poetry/interviews/laurie-penny-on-the-politics-of-the-personal.24686346 |title=Laurie Penny on the politics of the personal (From Herald Scotland) |work=The Herald|location=Glasgow |access-date=2015-11-05}}</ref> Penny claims they have Irish, Jewish, and Maltese descent,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/laurie-penny/2010/09/jewish-woman-chauvinism-rape |title=Zionism, chauvinism and the nature of rape |last1=Penny |first1=Laurie |date=12 September 2010 |magazine=New Statesman |access-date=16 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/laurie-penny/2011/02/jew-baiting-israel-burchill |title=Julie Burchill's imperialist froth over Israel |last1=Penny |first1=Laurie |date=13 February 2011|magazine=New Statesman |access-date=16 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/PennyRed/status/347404463390208001 | title=Twitter | last1=Penny | first1=Laurie | date=19 June 2013}}{{Primary source inline|date=February 2021}}</ref>. Penny grew up in [[Brighton]]<ref name="pennyone">{{cite web|url=http://pennyred.blogspot.com/2009/11/shut-up-little-girl-dont-you-know-grown.html|title=Shut up, little girl, don't you know grown-ups are talking?|publisher=Laurie Penny – via Penny Red blogspot|date=16 November 2009|access-date=13 April 2011}}</ref><ref name="books">{{cite web|url=http://www.zero-books.net/authors/laurie-penny&i=9|title=Laurie Penny author profile at Zero Books|publisher=Zero books|access-date=13 April 2011}}</ref> and [[Lewes]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2014/11/so-they-burned-alex-salmond-my-hometown|title=So they burned Alex Salmond in my hometown|work=New Statesman|date=6 November 2014|access-date=5 January 2015|location=London}}</ref> attending the independent school [[Brighton College]] with a scholarship.<ref name="pennyone" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Laurie Penny: Yes, Mr Gove, I enjoyed an expensive education, but I'm still not on your team|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/commentators/laurie-penny-yes-mr-gove-i-enjoyed-an-expensive-education-but-im-still-not-on-your-team-7737823.html|work=The Independent|date=11 May 2012|access-date=8 January 2015}}</ref> Penny claims to have suffered from [[Anorexia nervosa|anorexia]] as a teenager and was hospitalised at age 17, subsequently making a recovery.<ref name="thislondon">{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/escapist/health/life-tastes-better-than-skinny-feels-6757213.html|title=Life tastes better than skinny feels|location=London|work=[[Evening Standard]]|author=Laurie Penny|date=24 February 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303224656/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/health/article-23809323-life-tastes-better-than-skinny-feels.do|archive-date=3 March 2011}}</ref>


Following secondary school they studied English at [[Wadham College, Oxford|Wadham College]], [[Oxford University|Oxford]], graduating in 2008 with a 2:1.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/apr/30/general-election-unemployment-poverty | title=The jobless are no shirking scroungers – you try living on £65.45 a week | last1=Conn | first1=David | date=30 April 2010 | newspaper=The Guardian | access-date=4 July 2013}}</ref> Whilst a student, they performed amateur drama in the [[Cambridge University Light Entertainment Society#Links with Oxford|Oxford University Light Entertainment Society]], of which they were a committee member, and they were a [[burlesque]] artiste.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/may/15/burlesque-feminism-proud-galleries|title=Burlesque laid bare|publisher=Laurie Penny – via The Guardian|date=15 May 2009|access-date=16 April 2011|location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://oules.lightentertainment.org/comm.php|title=Previous committees – 2006 social secretary (Wadham)|publisher=Oxford Light entertainment society|access-date=16 April 2011}}</ref> They then completed their [[National Council for the Training of Journalists|NCTJ]] journalism training certificate in London.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pennyred.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/penny-for-your-privilege.html|title=Penny for your privilege?|publisher=Laurie Penny – via Penny Red blogspot|date=21 February 2010|access-date=24 May 2014}}</ref>
After secondary school Penny studied English at [[Wadham College, Oxford|Wadham College]], [[Oxford University|Oxford]], graduating in 2008 with a 2:1.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/apr/30/general-election-unemployment-poverty | title=The jobless are no shirking scroungers – you try living on £65.45 a week | last1=Conn | first1=David | date=30 April 2010 | newspaper=The Guardian | access-date=4 July 2013}}</ref> Whilst a student, Penny performed amateur drama with the [[Cambridge University Light Entertainment Society#Links with Oxford|Oxford University Light Entertainment Society]], of which they were a committee member. Penny peformed as a [[burlesque]] artiste.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/may/15/burlesque-feminism-proud-galleries|title=Burlesque laid bare|publisher=Laurie Penny – via The Guardian|date=15 May 2009|access-date=16 April 2011|location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://oules.lightentertainment.org/comm.php|title=Previous committees – 2006 social secretary (Wadham)|publisher=Oxford Light entertainment society|access-date=16 April 2011}}</ref> Penny then completed a [[National Council for the Training of Journalists|NCTJ]] journalism training certificate in London.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pennyred.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/penny-for-your-privilege.html|title=Penny for your privilege?|publisher=Laurie Penny – via Penny Red blogspot|date=21 February 2010|access-date=24 May 2014}}</ref>


== Career ==
== Career ==
=== Punditry ===
=== Punditry ===
Penny's blog "Penny Red" was launched in 2007<ref name="pennytwo">{{cite web|url=http://pennyred.blogspot.com/2007/11/we-have-acheived-preambulation-bring-me.html|title=We have achieved preambulation. Bring me a sweetie-bag of amphetamines and the head of Margaret Thatcher.|publisher=Laurie Penny – via Penny Red blogspot|date=23 September 2007|access-date=13 April 2011}}</ref> and was shortlisted for the [[Orwell Prize]] for blogging in 2010.<ref name="guardianstudentmedia">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/student-media-awards-2011/judge-laurie-penny|title=Laurie Penny – Student Media Awards judge|work=The Guardian|access-date=13 April 2011|location=London|date=11 March 2011}}</ref> They began their career as a staff writer at ''One in Four'' magazine and then worked as a reporter and sub-editor for the socialist newspaper ''[[Morning Star (UK newspaper)|Morning Star]]''. They have written columns and features for several publications,<ref name="pennyredhome">{{cite web|url=http://pennyred.blogspot.com|title=Home page on 'Penny Red'|publisher=Laurie Penny – via Penny Red blogspot|access-date=13 April 2011}}</ref> and are a columnist and contributing editor for the ''New Statesman''<ref name="newstatesman1">{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/laurie-penny|title=Pop culture and radical politics with a feminist twist|publisher=Laurie Penny blog at the New Statesman online|access-date=13 April 2011}}</ref> and a regular contributor to ''The Guardian''.<ref name="guardianprofile">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/profile/laurie-penny|title=Laurie Penny profile at ''The Guardian'' online|work=The Guardian |access-date=13 April 2011|location=London|date=7 August 2009}}</ref>
Penny's blog "Penny Red" was launched in 2007<ref name="pennytwo">{{cite web|url=http://pennyred.blogspot.com/2007/11/we-have-acheived-preambulation-bring-me.html|title=We have achieved preambulation. Bring me a sweetie-bag of amphetamines and the head of Margaret Thatcher.|publisher=Laurie Penny – via Penny Red blogspot|date=23 September 2007|access-date=13 April 2011}}</ref> and was shortlisted for the [[Orwell Prize]] for blogging in 2010.<ref name="guardianstudentmedia">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/student-media-awards-2011/judge-laurie-penny|title=Laurie Penny – Student Media Awards judge|work=The Guardian|access-date=13 April 2011|location=London|date=11 March 2011}}</ref> Penny began a career as a staff writer at ''One in Four'' magazine and then worked as a reporter and sub-editor for the socialist newspaper ''[[Morning Star (UK newspaper)|Morning Star]]''. Penny has written columns and features for several publications,<ref name="pennyredhome">{{cite web|url=http://pennyred.blogspot.com|title=Home page on 'Penny Red'|publisher=Laurie Penny – via Penny Red blogspot|access-date=13 April 2011}}</ref> and is a columnist and contributing editor for the ''New Statesman''<ref name="newstatesman1">{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/laurie-penny|title=Pop culture and radical politics with a feminist twist|publisher=Laurie Penny blog at the New Statesman online|access-date=13 April 2011}}</ref> and a regular contributor to ''The Guardian''.<ref name="guardianprofile">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/profile/laurie-penny|title=Laurie Penny profile at ''The Guardian'' online|work=The Guardian |access-date=13 April 2011|location=London|date=7 August 2009}}</ref>


In April 2011, Penny presented the Channel 4 ''[[Dispatches (TV series)|Dispatches]]'' programme "Cashing in on Degrees", and appeared on the same channel's satirical current affairs programme ''[[10 O'Clock Live]]''<ref name="channel4">{{cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/programmes/10-oclock-live/articles/episode-11-guests|title=10 O'Clock Live Episode 11 guest listing at Channel 4 online|publisher=Channel 4 |date=31 March 2011|access-date=13 April 2011}}</ref> and BBC Two's ''[[Newsnight]]''.
In April 2011, Penny presented the Channel 4 ''[[Dispatches (TV series)|Dispatches]]'' programme "Cashing in on Degrees", and appeared on the same channel's satirical current affairs programme ''[[10 O'Clock Live]]''<ref name="channel4">{{cite web|url=http://www.channel4.com/programmes/10-oclock-live/articles/episode-11-guests|title=10 O'Clock Live Episode 11 guest listing at Channel 4 online|publisher=Channel 4 |date=31 March 2011|access-date=13 April 2011}}</ref> and BBC Two's ''[[Newsnight]]''.


On 26 March 2012, Penny announced via their Twitter account that they were leaving the ''New Statesman'' to take up a full-time post at ''[[The Independent]]'' newspaper as a reporter and columnist.<ref>Penny, Laurie [http://www.twitlonger.com/show/gl5s5r "Laurie Penny (@PennyRed)"], twitlonger, 26 March 2012.</ref> In October 2012, it was announced that they were leaving ''The Independent'' to rejoin the ''New Statesman'' (in November) as a columnist and contributing editor.<ref>[http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/staggers/2012/10/laurie-penny-rejoins-new-statesman "Laurie Penny rejoins the New Statesman"], ''New Statesman'' (The Staggers blog), 10 October 2012.</ref>
On 26 March 2012, as announced through Twitter, Penny left the ''New Statesman'' to take up a full-time post at ''[[The Independent]]'' newspaper as a reporter and columnist.<ref>Penny, Laurie [http://www.twitlonger.com/show/gl5s5r "Laurie Penny (@PennyRed)"], twitlonger, 26 March 2012.</ref> In October 2012, they left ''The Independent'' to rejoin the ''New Statesman'' (in November) as a columnist and contributing editor.<ref>[http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/staggers/2012/10/laurie-penny-rejoins-new-statesman "Laurie Penny rejoins the New Statesman"], ''New Statesman'' (The Staggers blog), 10 October 2012.</ref>


In 2012, ''Tatler'' magazine described them as one of the top 100 "people who matter".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tatler.com/the-tatler-list/p/laurie-penny |title=Laurie Penny |publisher=Tatler |access-date=2015-11-05}}</ref> In October 2012, ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' ranked Penny as the 55th most influential left-winger in Britain, reporting that they are "without doubt the loudest and most controversial female voice on the radical left",<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/9584228/Top-100-most-influential-figures-from-the-Left-2012-51-100.html|title= Top 100 most influential figures from the Left 2012|newspaper= The Daily Telegraph|date = 3 October 2012|access-date=9 October 2012}}</ref> and the knowledge networking company Editorial Intelligence gave them its "Twitter Public Personality" award.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/laurie-penny/2012/10/laurie-penny-wins-editorial-intelligence-twitter-public-personality-award|title=Laurie Penny wins Editorial Intelligence 'Twitter Public Personality' award|first=Laurie|last=Penny|author-link=Laurie Penny|newspaper=New Statesman|date=19 October 2012|access-date=23 June 2019}}</ref> In 2015 they were a [[Nieman Fellowship|Nieman Fellow]] at Harvard University in the United States.<ref>[https://nieman.harvard.edu/alumni/class-of-2015/ Nieman Fellowship Class of 2015], Harvard University, 30 April 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.</ref>
In 2012, ''Tatler'' magazine described Laurie Penny as one of the top 100 "people who matter".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tatler.com/the-tatler-list/p/laurie-penny |title=Laurie Penny |publisher=Tatler |access-date=2015-11-05}}</ref> In October 2012, ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' ranked Penny as the 55th most influential left-winger in Britain, reporting that Penny is "without doubt the loudest and most controversial female voice on the radical left",<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/9584228/Top-100-most-influential-figures-from-the-Left-2012-51-100.html|title= Top 100 most influential figures from the Left 2012|newspaper= The Daily Telegraph|date = 3 October 2012|access-date=9 October 2012}}</ref> and the knowledge networking company Editorial Intelligence gave them its "Twitter Public Personality" award.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/laurie-penny/2012/10/laurie-penny-wins-editorial-intelligence-twitter-public-personality-award|title=Laurie Penny wins Editorial Intelligence 'Twitter Public Personality' award|first=Laurie|last=Penny|author-link=Laurie Penny|newspaper=New Statesman|date=19 October 2012|access-date=23 June 2019}}</ref> In 2015 Penny was a [[Nieman Fellowship|Nieman Fellow]] at Harvard University in the United States.<ref>[https://nieman.harvard.edu/alumni/class-of-2015/ Nieman Fellowship Class of 2015], Harvard University, 30 April 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.</ref>


In January 2014, Penny wrote an article for the ''New Statesman'' arguing that short hair on women was a "political statement" which "the patriarchy fears".<ref name="spectator1">{{cite web|url=https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2014/01/sorry-laurie-penny-but-the-patriarchy-likes-short-hair/ |title=Sorry Laurie Penny, but the patriarchy likes short hair &#124; Coffee House |work=The Spectator |access-date=2020-01-12}}</ref> Their comments led to them being attacked by on [[social media]] for "dismissing" women with long hair, which resulted in Penny suffering from a [[panic attack]].<ref name="spectator1"/>
In January 2014, Penny wrote an article for the ''New Statesman'' arguing that short hair on women was a "political statement" which "the patriarchy fears".<ref name="spectator1">{{cite web|url=https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2014/01/sorry-laurie-penny-but-the-patriarchy-likes-short-hair/ |title=Sorry Laurie Penny, but the patriarchy likes short hair &#124; Coffee House |work=The Spectator |access-date=2020-01-12}}</ref> Penny's comments resulted in [[social media]] attacks for "dismissing" women with long hair, which Penny claimed caused a [[panic attack]].<ref name="spectator1"/>


In May 2015, Penny courted controversy by claiming that they did not "have a problem" with the [[Monument to the Women of World War II]] being vandalised with [[graffiti]] stating: "Fuck Tory scum".<ref name="spectator2">{{cite web|url=https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2015/05/laurie-penny-defends-war-memorial-vandalism-at-anti-tory-march/ |title=Laurie Penny defends war memorial vandalism at anti-Tory march &#124; Coffee House |work=The Spectator |date=2015-05-09 |access-date=2020-01-12}}</ref> In the face of criticism, they responded: "No, what's disgusting is that some people are more worried about a war memorial than the destruction of the welfare state".<ref name="spectator2"/>
In May 2015, Penny courted controversy concerning graffiti vandalism of the [[Monument to the Women of World War II]], stating: "Fuck Tory scum".<ref name="spectator2">{{cite web|url=https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2015/05/laurie-penny-defends-war-memorial-vandalism-at-anti-tory-march/ |title=Laurie Penny defends war memorial vandalism at anti-Tory march &#124; Coffee House |work=The Spectator |date=2015-05-09 |access-date=2020-01-12}}</ref> In the face of criticism, Penny responded: "No, what's disgusting is that some people are more worried about a war memorial than the destruction of the welfare state".<ref name="spectator2"/>


In June 2015, they were banned from social media site [[Facebook]] for using a pseudonymous alias.<ref>{{cite web|author=Nadia Khomami |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/24/journalist-laurie-penny-banned-from-facebook-for-using-pseudonym |title=Journalist Laurie Penny banned from Facebook for using pseudonym &#124; Technology |work=The Guardian|date=2015-06-24 |access-date=2020-01-12}}</ref> In August 2015, they endorsed [[Jeremy Corbyn Labour Party leadership campaign, 2015|Jeremy Corbyn's campaign]] in the Labour Party leadership election.<ref name="youtube">{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGL3wK27tmE |title=Jeremy Corbyn: can he take Labour forward? |publisher=[[Channel 4 News]] |date=18 August 2015 |access-date=15 July 2017 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
In June 2015, Penny was banned from social media site [[Facebook]] for using a pseudonymous alias.<ref>{{cite web|author=Nadia Khomami |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/24/journalist-laurie-penny-banned-from-facebook-for-using-pseudonym |title=Journalist Laurie Penny banned from Facebook for using pseudonym &#124; Technology |work=The Guardian|date=2015-06-24 |access-date=2020-01-12}}</ref> In August 2015, Laurie Penny endorsed [[Jeremy Corbyn Labour Party leadership campaign, 2015|Jeremy Corbyn's campaign]] in the Labour Party leadership election.<ref name="youtube">{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGL3wK27tmE |title=Jeremy Corbyn: can he take Labour forward? |publisher=[[Channel 4 News]] |date=18 August 2015 |access-date=15 July 2017 |via=YouTube}}</ref>


=== Publications ===
=== Publications ===
Penny is the author of ''[[Meat Market: Female Flesh Under Capitalism]]'' (Zero Books, 2011) and ''Penny Red: Notes from a New Age of Dissent'' (Pluto Press, 2011).<ref name="books" /> In ''Meat Market'', they criticise [[liberal feminism]] as embracing the [[consumer choice]] offered by capitalism as the path to female emancipation.<ref name="Oxonian Review">{{cite web|url=http://www.oxonianreview.org/wp/chocolate-snuggles-and-straight-hair/|title=Chocolate, Snuggles, and Straight Hair'', review of ''Meat Market|publisher=Oxonian Review|access-date=4 June 2011}}</ref> ''Penny Red'' was shortlisted for the first [[Bread and Roses Award]] for Radical Publishing in 2012 after the publication of ''Discordia: Six Nights in Crisis Athens'' (Random House, 2012).
Penny is the author of ''[[Meat Market: Female Flesh Under Capitalism]]'' (Zero Books, 2011) and ''Penny Red: Notes from a New Age of Dissent'' (Pluto Press, 2011).<ref name="books" /> In ''Meat Market'', Penny criticises [[liberal feminism]] for embracing the [[consumer choice]] offered by capitalism as the path to female emancipation.<ref name="Oxonian Review">{{cite web|url=http://www.oxonianreview.org/wp/chocolate-snuggles-and-straight-hair/|title=Chocolate, Snuggles, and Straight Hair'', review of ''Meat Market|publisher=Oxonian Review|access-date=4 June 2011}}</ref> ''Penny Red'' was shortlisted for the first [[Bread and Roses Award]] for Radical Publishing in 2012 after the publication of ''Discordia: Six Nights in Crisis Athens'' (Random House, 2012).


Their 2013 work ''Cybersexism: Sex, Gender and Power on the Internet'' (Bloomsbury, 2013) contemplates online harassment and its motivations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGWFwESrelw|title=Online Harassment, What Drives it and How it Lowers Visions|date=21 August 2013|website=The Conference / Media Evolution|access-date=21 April 2019}}</ref> ''[[Unspeakable Things: Sex, Lies and Revolution]]'' was published in July 2014. Shortly afterwards, Penny stated they had been subjected to "a stream of vile sexist and anti-Semitic abuse" following the book's publication.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/unspeakable-things-feminist-author-laurie-penny-subjected-to-vile-sexist-and-antisemitic-abuse-over-her-book-9617744.html Unspeakable Things: Feminist author Laurie Penny subjected to 'vile sexist and anti-Semitic abuse' over her book], ''The Independent'', 21 July 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2014.</ref> ''Everything Belongs to the Future'' (St. Martin's Press-3PL, 2016) followed in 2016.
Penny's 2013 work ''Cybersexism: Sex, Gender and Power on the Internet'' (Bloomsbury, 2013) contemplates online harassment and its motivations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGWFwESrelw|title=Online Harassment, What Drives it and How it Lowers Visions|date=21 August 2013|website=The Conference / Media Evolution|access-date=21 April 2019}}</ref> ''[[Unspeakable Things: Sex, Lies and Revolution]]'' was published in July 2014. Shortly afterwards, Penny stated they had been subjected to "a stream of vile sexist and anti-Semitic abuse" following the book's publication.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/unspeakable-things-feminist-author-laurie-penny-subjected-to-vile-sexist-and-antisemitic-abuse-over-her-book-9617744.html Unspeakable Things: Feminist author Laurie Penny subjected to 'vile sexist and anti-Semitic abuse' over her book], ''The Independent'', 21 July 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2014.</ref> ''Everything Belongs to the Future'' (St. Martin's Press-3PL, 2016) followed in 2016.


Their seventh book, ''Bitch Doctrine: Essays for Dissenting Adults'', (Bloomsbury, 2017) was longlisted for the 2018 Orwell Prize.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/eddo-lodge-makes-orwell-prize-longlist-764586|title=The Bookseller|last=Onwuemezi|first=Natasha|date=10 April 2018|website=The Bookseller|archive-date=27 April 2019}}</ref>
Penny's seventh book, ''Bitch Doctrine: Essays for Dissenting Adults'', (Bloomsbury, 2017) was longlisted for the 2018 Orwell Prize.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thebookseller.com/news/eddo-lodge-makes-orwell-prize-longlist-764586|title=The Bookseller|last=Onwuemezi|first=Natasha|date=10 April 2018|website=The Bookseller|archive-date=27 April 2019}}</ref>


== Personal life ==
== Personal life ==
Penny came out as a [[genderqueer]] woman in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Penny|first=Laurie|date=2015-10-31|title=How To Be A Genderqueer Feminist|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/lauriepenny/how-to-be-a-genderqueer-feminist|access-date=2020-08-09|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en}}</ref> In 2020, Penny stated that their preferred pronouns are [[They/them pronouns|they/them]] and that they consider the pronouns she/her to be "less accurate", but acceptable to use when referring to them.<ref>{{Cite tweet|number=1292288867144409088|user=PennyRed|title=TLDR my preferred pronouns are they/them. She/her is also fine, just less accurate. I’m not out to threaten anyone else’s identity here, I’ve got no time for bullies, and if you’re going to be a wanker about it I’d prefer you not address me at all.|author=Laurie Penny|date=2020-08-09}}</ref>
Penny came out as a [[genderqueer]] person in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Penny|first=Laurie|date=2015-10-31|title=How To Be A Genderqueer Feminist|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/lauriepenny/how-to-be-a-genderqueer-feminist|access-date=2020-08-09|website=BuzzFeed News|language=en}}</ref> In 2020, Penny stated a preference for the pronouns [[They/them pronouns|they/them]].<ref>{{Cite tweet|number=1292288867144409088|user=PennyRed|title=TLDR my preferred pronouns are they/them. She/her is also fine, just less accurate. I’m not out to threaten anyone else’s identity here, I’ve got no time for bullies, and if you’re going to be a wanker about it I’d prefer you not address me at all.|author=Laurie Penny|date=2020-08-09}}</ref>


== Awards ==
== Awards ==

Revision as of 06:51, 12 April 2021

Laurie Penny
Penny in 2016
Penny in 2016
BornLaura Barnett
(1986-09-28) 28 September 1986 (age 37)
Westminster, London, England
OccupationColumnist, blogger, author
EducationBrighton College
Alma materWadham College, Oxford
Website
laurie-penny.com

Laurie Penny (born 28 September 1986) is an English journalist, columnist and author. Penny has contributed articles to publications including The Guardian, Time Magazine, BuzzFeed News, The New York Times, Vice, Salon, The Nation, The New Inquiry, Wired, and Medium, is a contributing editor at the New Statesman, and has written several books on feminism. Penny has also written for American television shows including The Haunting of Bly Manor and The Nevers.[1][2]

Early life and education

Penny was born in London, the child of Jane Penny and Ray Barnett, both of whom are lawyers.[3][4] Penny claims they have Irish, Jewish, and Maltese descent,[5][6][7]. Penny grew up in Brighton[8][9] and Lewes,[10] attending the independent school Brighton College with a scholarship.[8][11] Penny claims to have suffered from anorexia as a teenager and was hospitalised at age 17, subsequently making a recovery.[12]

After secondary school Penny studied English at Wadham College, Oxford, graduating in 2008 with a 2:1.[13] Whilst a student, Penny performed amateur drama with the Oxford University Light Entertainment Society, of which they were a committee member. Penny peformed as a burlesque artiste.[14][15] Penny then completed a NCTJ journalism training certificate in London.[16]

Career

Punditry

Penny's blog "Penny Red" was launched in 2007[17] and was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for blogging in 2010.[18] Penny began a career as a staff writer at One in Four magazine and then worked as a reporter and sub-editor for the socialist newspaper Morning Star. Penny has written columns and features for several publications,[19] and is a columnist and contributing editor for the New Statesman[20] and a regular contributor to The Guardian.[21]

In April 2011, Penny presented the Channel 4 Dispatches programme "Cashing in on Degrees", and appeared on the same channel's satirical current affairs programme 10 O'Clock Live[22] and BBC Two's Newsnight.

On 26 March 2012, as announced through Twitter, Penny left the New Statesman to take up a full-time post at The Independent newspaper as a reporter and columnist.[23] In October 2012, they left The Independent to rejoin the New Statesman (in November) as a columnist and contributing editor.[24]

In 2012, Tatler magazine described Laurie Penny as one of the top 100 "people who matter".[25] In October 2012, The Daily Telegraph ranked Penny as the 55th most influential left-winger in Britain, reporting that Penny is "without doubt the loudest and most controversial female voice on the radical left",[26] and the knowledge networking company Editorial Intelligence gave them its "Twitter Public Personality" award.[27] In 2015 Penny was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University in the United States.[28]

In January 2014, Penny wrote an article for the New Statesman arguing that short hair on women was a "political statement" which "the patriarchy fears".[29] Penny's comments resulted in social media attacks for "dismissing" women with long hair, which Penny claimed caused a panic attack.[29]

In May 2015, Penny courted controversy concerning graffiti vandalism of the Monument to the Women of World War II, stating: "Fuck Tory scum".[30] In the face of criticism, Penny responded: "No, what's disgusting is that some people are more worried about a war memorial than the destruction of the welfare state".[30]

In June 2015, Penny was banned from social media site Facebook for using a pseudonymous alias.[31] In August 2015, Laurie Penny endorsed Jeremy Corbyn's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election.[32]

Publications

Penny is the author of Meat Market: Female Flesh Under Capitalism (Zero Books, 2011) and Penny Red: Notes from a New Age of Dissent (Pluto Press, 2011).[9] In Meat Market, Penny criticises liberal feminism for embracing the consumer choice offered by capitalism as the path to female emancipation.[33] Penny Red was shortlisted for the first Bread and Roses Award for Radical Publishing in 2012 after the publication of Discordia: Six Nights in Crisis Athens (Random House, 2012).

Penny's 2013 work Cybersexism: Sex, Gender and Power on the Internet (Bloomsbury, 2013) contemplates online harassment and its motivations.[34] Unspeakable Things: Sex, Lies and Revolution was published in July 2014. Shortly afterwards, Penny stated they had been subjected to "a stream of vile sexist and anti-Semitic abuse" following the book's publication.[35] Everything Belongs to the Future (St. Martin's Press-3PL, 2016) followed in 2016.

Penny's seventh book, Bitch Doctrine: Essays for Dissenting Adults, (Bloomsbury, 2017) was longlisted for the 2018 Orwell Prize.[36]

Personal life

Penny came out as a genderqueer person in 2015.[37] In 2020, Penny stated a preference for the pronouns they/them.[38]

Awards

Bibliography

References

  1. ^ "Laurie Penny". IMDb. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  2. ^ Johnston, Rich (12 July 2019). "Talking to Laurie Penny About the Switch From British Politics to Hollywood". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  4. ^ "Laurie Penny on the politics of the personal (From Herald Scotland)". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  5. ^ Penny, Laurie (12 September 2010). "Zionism, chauvinism and the nature of rape". New Statesman. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  6. ^ Penny, Laurie (13 February 2011). "Julie Burchill's imperialist froth over Israel". New Statesman. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
  7. ^ Penny, Laurie (19 June 2013). "Twitter".[non-primary source needed]
  8. ^ a b "Shut up, little girl, don't you know grown-ups are talking?". Laurie Penny – via Penny Red blogspot. 16 November 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  9. ^ a b "Laurie Penny author profile at Zero Books". Zero books. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  10. ^ "So they burned Alex Salmond in my hometown". New Statesman. London. 6 November 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  11. ^ "Laurie Penny: Yes, Mr Gove, I enjoyed an expensive education, but I'm still not on your team". The Independent. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  12. ^ Laurie Penny (24 February 2010). "Life tastes better than skinny feels". Evening Standard. London. Archived from the original on 3 March 2011.
  13. ^ Conn, David (30 April 2010). "The jobless are no shirking scroungers – you try living on £65.45 a week". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  14. ^ "Burlesque laid bare". London: Laurie Penny – via The Guardian. 15 May 2009. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  15. ^ "Previous committees – 2006 social secretary (Wadham)". Oxford Light entertainment society. Retrieved 16 April 2011.
  16. ^ "Penny for your privilege?". Laurie Penny – via Penny Red blogspot. 21 February 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  17. ^ "We have achieved preambulation. Bring me a sweetie-bag of amphetamines and the head of Margaret Thatcher". Laurie Penny – via Penny Red blogspot. 23 September 2007. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  18. ^ "Laurie Penny – Student Media Awards judge". The Guardian. London. 11 March 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  19. ^ "Home page on 'Penny Red'". Laurie Penny – via Penny Red blogspot. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  20. ^ "Pop culture and radical politics with a feminist twist". Laurie Penny blog at the New Statesman online. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  21. ^ "Laurie Penny profile at The Guardian online". The Guardian. London. 7 August 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  22. ^ "10 O'Clock Live Episode 11 guest listing at Channel 4 online". Channel 4. 31 March 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2011.
  23. ^ Penny, Laurie "Laurie Penny (@PennyRed)", twitlonger, 26 March 2012.
  24. ^ "Laurie Penny rejoins the New Statesman", New Statesman (The Staggers blog), 10 October 2012.
  25. ^ "Laurie Penny". Tatler. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  26. ^ "Top 100 most influential figures from the Left 2012". The Daily Telegraph. 3 October 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  27. ^ Penny, Laurie (19 October 2012). "Laurie Penny wins Editorial Intelligence 'Twitter Public Personality' award". New Statesman. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  28. ^ Nieman Fellowship Class of 2015, Harvard University, 30 April 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  29. ^ a b "Sorry Laurie Penny, but the patriarchy likes short hair | Coffee House". The Spectator. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  30. ^ a b "Laurie Penny defends war memorial vandalism at anti-Tory march | Coffee House". The Spectator. 9 May 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  31. ^ Nadia Khomami (24 June 2015). "Journalist Laurie Penny banned from Facebook for using pseudonym | Technology". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  32. ^ "Jeremy Corbyn: can he take Labour forward?". Channel 4 News. 18 August 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2017 – via YouTube.
  33. ^ "Chocolate, Snuggles, and Straight Hair, review of Meat Market". Oxonian Review. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
  34. ^ "Online Harassment, What Drives it and How it Lowers Visions". The Conference / Media Evolution. 21 August 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
  35. ^ Unspeakable Things: Feminist author Laurie Penny subjected to 'vile sexist and anti-Semitic abuse' over her book, The Independent, 21 July 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  36. ^ Onwuemezi, Natasha (10 April 2018). "The Bookseller". The Bookseller. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= requires |archive-url= (help)
  37. ^ Penny, Laurie (31 October 2015). "How To Be A Genderqueer Feminist". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  38. ^ Laurie Penny [@PennyRed] (9 August 2020). "TLDR my preferred pronouns are they/them. She/her is also fine, just less accurate. I'm not out to threaten anyone else's identity here, I've got no time for bullies, and if you're going to be a wanker about it I'd prefer you not address me at all" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  39. ^ "Laurie Penny". The Orwell Prize. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  40. ^ Flood, Alison (6 March 2012). "New prize for radical writing announces shortlist". Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  41. ^ "Laurie Penny shortlisted for the Red Women of the Year awards 2014". Blake Friedmann. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  42. ^ "Nieman announces named fellowships for the class of 2015". Nieman Reports. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  43. ^ "Berkman Center Announces 2015-2016 Community". Berkman Klein Center. 19 October 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  44. ^ "2017 Hugo Awards". The Hugo Awards. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  45. ^ "Winners and Finalists Database". American Society of Magazine Editors. 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
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