Johann Hari is a British writer who has authored two New York Times bestselling books, which have been translated into thirty-seven languages and praised by a broad range of people, from Oprah Winfrey to Noam Chomsky, from Elton John to Naomi Klein.
His first book, Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs, was adapted into the Oscar-nominated film The United States vs. Billie Holiday—on which Hari served as executive producer—and a separate eight-part documentary series narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, entitled The Fix.
His second book, Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression—and the Unexpected Solutions was described by the British Journal of General Practice as “one of the most important texts of recent years,” and shortlisted for an award by the British Medical Association.
Hari’s TED Talks “Everything You Think You Know About Addiction Is Wrong” and “This Could Be Why You Are Depressed or Anxious” have been viewed more than 75 million times.
He has written over the past decade for some of the world’s leading newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Guardian, the Spectator, Le Monde diplomatique, the Age (Melbourne), and Politico. He has appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered, HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher, The Joe Rogan Experience, the BBC’s Question Time, and many other popular shows.
Hari was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and when he was a year old, his family moved to London, where he grew up. His father—a Swiss immigrant—was a bus driver, and his Scottish mother was a nurse and later worked in shelters for survivors of domestic violence. He studied social and political science at King’s College, Cambridge, and graduated with a double first.
Hari was twice named National Newspaper Journalist of the Year by Amnesty International. He has also been named Cultural Commentator of the Year and Environmental Commentator of the Year at the Comment Awards.
He lives half the year in London and spends half the year traveling to research his books.
Twitter: @johannhari101
Instagram: @johann.hari