Simon Dawson

Simon Dawson is a London lad who fell in love with the country, rather against his better judgment. Now the proud owner of a small corner of Exmoor and a variety of badly-behaved farm animals, he is also a broadcaster, blogger, columnist and self-sufficiency expert. He has been featured on several television programmes and in 2008 was runner-up for Sky UKTV’s Local Food Heroes. In his landmark book THE SELF SUFFICIENCY BIBLE (Watkins, 2013, revised 2021), he takes a modern approach to the subject and shows how it is perfectly possible for the average family to become more self reliant. The book is spiky and fun and blows all the dust from the topic with crisp, energetic, practical ideas for everyone concerned about looking after themselves and their family - even if they live in the city. 

His hilarious memoir, chronicling his triumphs and disasters in the country - PIGS IN CLOVER - was published to great acclaim in 2013 and was re-released by Orion in 2015. The follow up, THE STY'S THE LIMIT: When Middle Age Gets Mucky, was published in 2015. He has his own slot on BBC Radio Devon.

THE BOY WITHOUT LOVE,  a heartrending tale of his own childhood, was published by Mirror Books in 2019. It offers a poignant and shocking glimpse into a solitary, confused boy whose mother shunned him and who ultimately found salvation in the companionship of animals.

Visit Simon Dawson's website.
Listen to Simon's radio show.
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Praise for Simon
'Deeply moving, this is the most authentic book I've read in a long time. Simon Dawson's honesty and humour shine through to make this a wonderful must-read.  A surefire bestseller'  Veronica Henry   

'It made me laugh, and it made me think. I highly recommend it... it's a ten from Len!' Len Goodman

'This is James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small meets Stuart Maconie – funny, from the heart and utterly wonderful from start to finish' Daily Express

'An amazing story of love, laughter and the challengers of living form the land...Simon's self-sufficient rural life is an inspiration to us all' Ben Fogle