Polly Toynbee

Polly Toynbee, a prominent British journalist and columnist, published her first novel, Leftovers, in 1966, the same year she was expelled from Rhodesia while working for Amnesty International. Her early career saw her contributing to The Observer’s diary section, and her experiences undertaking ‘undercover’ manual jobs as a factory worker, burger bar employee, nurse, and Army recruit informed her 1970 book, A Working Life. Toynbee’s career progressed significantly with her appointment as social affairs editor for the BBC, a role she held from 1988 to 1995. Following this, she became a columnist and associate editor for The Independent.

Her commitment to advocacy continued with her becoming a patron of My Death My Decision in 2021. Most recently, Toynbee released An Uneasy Inheritance: My Family and Other Radicals in 2023, and co-authored The Only Way Is Up: How to Take Britain from Austerity to Prosperity with David Walker, solidifying her ongoing influence in shaping national dialogue.