Vybarr Cregan-Reid is a British author, academic, speaker, and broadcaster known for his works on literature, health, nature, and the environment. His achievements include several acclaimed books and appearances on radio and television, including the BBC, ITV, and Sky. His latest book, We Are What We Read (2024), explores the transformative power of literature.
Cregan-Reid was born in Manchester in 1969. He had a difficult start in life, struggling with education and leaving school without any qualifications. He later went on to higher education later, studying English at the University of Sussex. He completed a Leverhulme Research Fellowship there from 2004 to 2006. He currently works at York St John University.
Cregan-Reid's first major publication, Discovering Gilgamesh: Geology, Narrative & the Historical Sublime in Victorian Culture (2013), examined the impact of The Epic of Gilgamesh's rediscovery in 1872. In 2016, he published Footnotes: How Running Makes Us Human, a blend of memoir, literary criticism, and nature writing. The Washington Post described it as "accessible and thought-provoking."
In 2018, he released Primate Change: How the World We Made is Remaking Us, which examines changes in the human body since humankind first stood upright. The Guardian called it "a work of remarkable scope." It was a Science 'Book of the Year' in the Financial Times and a Christmas Pick for The Mail. The book has been translated into seven languages.
Cregan-Reid's latest work, We Are What We Read: A Life Within and Without Books (2024), is a memoir that combines his journey with a critique of the humanities' current state. The book highlights literature's impact and advocates for its importance in education. "Reading is not merely an escape," says Cregan-Reid, "it's an essential part of who we are."
As a journalist, Cregan-Reid has written for The Guardian, The Observer, The Daily Telegraph, and The Sunday Times. He has hosted live radio shows on BBC Radio 5Live and appeared on international radio stations such as NPR and Canadian CBC. His BBC World Service series, Changing World, Changing Bodies, examines how our bodies are changing in the modern world.
Prof. Vybarr Cregan-Reid lives in London.
Photo credit: vybarr.com
