Political researcher, gossip columnist, press officer, critic, author, opinion columnist, campaigner and copywriter: I‘ve had a varied and interesting career, one that has enabled me to grapple with a wide range of issues from a number of different perspectives.
In the course of these roles, I have undertaken many copywriting and editorial duties including working on product catalogues, core scripts, flyers, websites, annual reports, features, blogs, press releases, briefings, case studies, rebuttal documents, speeches and a book.
More specifically, I have taken copywriting commissions from clients such as Alzheimer’s Research UK, Leitz, Hilton Hotels, Forum for the Future and TNS-BMRB, in the course of which I have worked for agencies including We Are Social, Jeffries, Parsons, Myers, Harvey, and King, Campbell and Friends (formerly Blac).
My editorial work has included pieces for The Independent, The Stage, The Independent on Sunday, The Guardian, International Education News and Education Investor.
Other writing credits include two Radio 2 documentaries, a sitcom treatment in development and authoring The Rough Guide to British Cult Comedy (Penguin, 2006).
In addition to my writing career, I have provided PR for a housing campaign and for various clients in the entertainment business. For both I have achieved local, regional and national coverage over both press and broadcast media. These roles have required planning, developing and implementing strategies; liaising with key spokespeople and specialists; targeting the right audience and employing the correct tone of voice; collating and analysing data, including media coverage; devising and organising events, including press conferences and photo opportunities and using social media to reinforce media footprints.
I look forward to taking on new copywriting challenges, so please get in touch if you have a possible commission.
Contact Julian at juleshall@hotmail.com or on 07810 486658
Copywriting Summary, Julian Hall
Summary of non-copywriting roles:
Politics
After university I worked as a research assistant in Westminster for a number of Liberal Democrat MPs and as a regional media co-ordinator during the 1997 general election. Running the All Party Group on Former Prisoners of War in the Far East (that successfully pushed for compensation for the sufferings of that group) was one of the many high points of my parliamentary career.
As well as parliamentary activities, I was also seconded to a number of campaigns including the vital Littleborough & Saddleworth by-election in 1995 and was part of the campaign team that won the Winchester by-election in 1997, a victory that raised the Liberal Democrat majority from 2 to 22,500.
Journalism
In 1998 I embarked on a career in journalism with two years writing for, and eventually editing, The Independent’s ‘Pandora’ gossip column. After a stint in theatre PR from 2000 – 2002 I returned to journalism, and was the comedy critic for The Independent from 2003-2014, reviewing some of the highest profile figures in comedy (including Louis CK, Seinfeld, Eddie Izzard, Ricky Gervais and Chris Rock) either at the Edinburgh Festival or on national tours.
In my capacity as a critic, I have been on numerous judging panels including for the Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 2007 and 2008. I was the first journalist from a British national newspaper to extensively cover the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal (2009). The following year, I supplied a significant amount of copy for the website of the new Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards. In 2011, I became the comedy critic for The Stage.
Other than The Independent and The Stage I have also written for a number of other publications (on comedy and non-comedy subjects such as business, fashion, lifestyle, politics and sport), these include:
The Guardian, The Independent on Sunday, ES Magazine, Prospect, Metro, The Bristol Evening Post, Total Politics, What’s On in London, ShortList, Chortle, Comedy Demon, London Is Funny, The British Comedy Awards magazine, Total TV Guide, The List, Insight, Matchbox, London & More, ZEE, Pride Life, It’s Mal Life (Malmaison hotel magazine), Time & Leisure, SW, Rise and various on-board publications.
My book, the ’Rough Guide to British Cult Comedy’, was published in October 2006 and received a series of good reviews. The book chronicles both US and UK comedy greats. Outside of the Rough Guide, my writing has been referenced in other books and articles, meanwhile I have lectured in comedy at Southampton Solent University.
In terms of broadcast media, I have contributed to programmes on BBC Scotland (Will The Real A L Kennedy Please Stand Up?), BBC Radio Scotland (Comedy Cafe), BBC Midlands, Channel 4 (Is Benny Hill Still Funny?), Comedy Central (The Top Ten Sex and the City Episodes), BBC London (radio and TV for The Rough Guide to British Cult Comedy) Nuts TV and BBC Radio 7 (Serious About Comedy).
I have written two shows for BBC Radio 2: ‘Alexei Sayle’s Alternative Take’, which aired in 2008, and ‘David Jason‘s Christmas Comedy Classics’ that was broadcast on Christmas Day, 2011.
PR
As referenced above, I was a regional media co-ordinator during the 1997 general election for the Liberal Democrats. Meanwhile, the research roles I performed for various Lib Dem MPs involved a great deal of media work too.
Between 2000-2002, I was the press officer for Sadler’s Wells theatre. Among the various shows I promoted was the RSC’s ‘The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’ which ran at the theatre for two Christmas and New Year seasons.
Between 2012-15, I ran a London-based housing campaign that has received a sustained local, regional and national press.
From 2013 onwards, I’ve run an entertainment PR business focusing on comedy acts at the Edinburgh Fringe and on tour. One of my acts was recently nominated for the lastminute.com / Edinburgh Comedy Award, meanwhile others have enjoyed exposure in the national press and on TV, including on programmes such as Live at the Apollo, The Mash Report, BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain and Question Time.