Biography

Dr Tom Chatfield (@TomChatfield) is a British author, tech philosopher and educator. His books exploring contemporary culture—most recently Live This Book! (Penguin) and the best-selling textbook Critical Thinking (SAGE Publishing), researched as a Visiting Associate at the Oxford Internet Institute—are published in over thirty languages. His debut novel, This is Gomorrah (Hodder), was published worldwide in July 2019. It was a Sunday Times thriller of the month, shortlisted for the CWA Steel Dagger for best thriller of the year, and won France’s 2020 Prix Douglas Kennedy for the year’s best foreign thriller.

Tom is interested in improving our understanding of digital technology, and its uses in policy, education and engagement. He’s particularly interested in AI ethics, critical thinking and future skills, and works with business schools, universities and companies around their development, as well as creating award-winning online courses for both academic institutions and businesses.

Tom is currently a member of the British Library Advisory Council; Chair of the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society and co-Chair of the Copyright Licensing Agency; a faculty member at London’s School of Life; an Associate at Perspectiva, researching the ethics of technology; and an academic advisor to schools and universities across the UK.

His past collaborators include Google, the BBC, Channel 4 Education, Pearson, Mind Candy, Shift, Flamingo London, Six to Start, Preloaded, Firefish, Future Lab, Sense Worldwide, SAGE Publications, Sugru and Allianz. Tom took his doctorate and taught at St John’s College, Oxford, and continues to guest lecture at universities across the world.

As a speaker and broadcaster, Tom’s appearances include TED Global and the Cannes Lions Festival; authors@Google; the World Congress on Information Technology; Science Foo Camp; Intelligence Squared; the Houses of Parliament; Aspen Seminars for Leaders; the RSA, Royal Society and Royal Institution; and venues ranging from the Sydney Opera House to the Googleplex.

A launch columnist for the BBC’s worldwide technology site, BBC Future, Tom writes and commentate widely in the international media, as well as guest lecturing at universities in the UK and Europe. He is a regular on BBC radio and television, and broadcasts around the world.

He is represented for writing and broadcasting by Will Francis at Janklow & Nesbit, and for speaking and appearances by VBQ Speakers.

When not working, he plays jazz piano and drinks too much coffee.