TV and Radio Presenter, Writer, Broadcaster and Journalist

Matthew Parris has enjoyed an extraordinarily varied career, as a result of which he has many stories to tell of his adventures and a wealth of anecdotes to share about the people in high places whom he has worked with, and for.

Ideally suited to after dinner speeches of a broad and general nature, he has made “failure” the theme of his remarks having (he claims) failed at at least six careers in his life, succeeding only finally and triumphantly as a writer and commentator.
A versatile and witty speaker, his self-deprecating style is well-received by audiences and his preparation is excellent. His speeches are full of humour, designed for an intelligent audience rather than knockabout strings of jokes. With wide appeal, Diana describes him as “a seasoned professional and a safe pair of hands with a broad range of knowledge, intelligent comment and excellent delivery.”

One of the longest-serving writers for The Times, and one of the most versatile, Matthew is a political commentator, author of many books and a seasoned radio presenter.
Once offered a job as a secret agent, he worked instead for the Foreign Office, the Conservative Research Department, and then for Margaret Thatcher when she was Leader of the Opposition. Matthew later served as MP for West Derbyshire.
He joined The Times as parliamentary sketchwriter in 1988. He held this post for 13 years and became an award-winning columnist. He now writes a weekly column for the paper, as well as a longer, monthly column. He also writes regularly for The Spectator magazine.

Matthew broadcasts for radio and television, presenting the biographical programme Great Lives on BBC Radio 4. He has received many awards for his journalism and in 2002 he won the Orwell Prize for his acclaimed autobiography, Chance Witness.
His latest book, Fracture, is a fascinating exploration of his theory that genius is often sparked by childhood trauma.
His expeditions abroad include to Mount Kilimanjaro in 1967 and 1989, Zaire in 1973, the Sahara in 1978, and Peru and Bolivia. In 1990 he published Inca-Kola, about his travels in Peru.

Let me thank you for your very engaging speech at our annual luncheon at The Grosvenor House in London. You delivered exactly what we hoped and asked for - an entertaining and humorous speech for the enjoyment of our 1500 members and their guests. We have received very many excellent and positive comments about your contribution to a very successful day.”

St George’s Day Lunch Club, Grosvenor House, London

This year, on Diana’s advice having attended our event last year, we had a shorter speech and more time for questions. Matthew was truly excellent. A really impressive speaker, (with no notes!) followed by half-an-hour of outstanding Q&A. Clients tell us that our dinner is now in their diary as the must-attend event of the year.” Major international investment bank (name supplied)

IAPS (Independent Association of Preparatory Schools)

Thank you so much Diana for recommending Matthew Parris. His talk was superb. What a witty and engaging speaker he is. We have had wonderful feedback from our clients and guests. He was also a charming man to work with and it was a real pleasure to meet him.”

Major international investment bank (name supplied)