Curriculum Vitae
CHRISTOPHER LLOYD has had a broad and comprehensive career both as a journalist, writer and as a general manager in the education business.
After graduating from Peterhouse, Cambridge in 1991 with two scholarships and a double first-class degree in History, he helped research the personal memoirs of the ex Sunday Telegraph Editor and journalist Sir Peregrine Worsthorne.
The Sunday Times
Christopher Lloyd then became a graduate trainee journalist on The Sunday Times newspaper and was trained at the City University where he gained a diploma in newspaper journalism.
After two years as a news reporter, Christopher Lloyd began a new column in The Sunday Times Review section called Answers. In 1993, Lloyd was appointed The Sunday Times Innovation Editor, with his own three-page section of the paper. A year later he became Technology Correspondent for The Sunday Times and won the 1994 Texaco award for Science Journalist of the Year. After five years as a journalist on The Sunday Times Christopher Lloyd moved into the management of News International, publisher of The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun and News of the World. In 1996 he launched the first Internet edition of The Sunday Times and became its Internet editor.
Internet Businesses
In 1997 Christopher Lloyd co-founded LineOne, a joint venture Internet Service business owned by BT and News International and became its editorial director.
In 1999 he returned full time to News International and proposed the development of a network of internet related businesses that would help transfer News Corporation’s offline newspaper assets onto the Internet. His plans were backed personally by Rupert Murdoch who provided funding to establish News Network, a new internet publishing division that built a network of commercial and editorial websites. His last appointment at News International was as a director with responsibility for setting up a database marketing division called NI Connect which created new revenues for the newspaper business through the creation of a single customer database. During his time at News International Christopher Lloyd qualified in direct marketing with a Cert DM from the Institute of Direct Marketing.
Education Publishing
In January 2001, after 10 years with News International, Lloyd was recruited to become chief executive of Immersive Education, an education software publishing company based in Oxford. He grew the company from its R&D phase with zero revenue to sales of in excess of ₤3 million.
Writing
In 2006 he left Immersive Education to spend time travelling around Europe with his wife and two children, both of whom are home-educated. The time spent on the road travelling around Europe inspired him to come up with the concept of What on Earth Happened? He returned in late summer of 2006 and completed writing the first part in December 2006.
What on Earth Happened?
What on Earth Happened? The Complete Story of Planet, Life and People from the Big Bang to the Present Day was the first in a series of What on Earth? books.
An abridged paperback edition called What on Earth Happened? In Brief was launched in the UK in June 2009. This edition has a plate section full of pictures. What on Earth Happened? has 15 translations currently underway.
What on Earth Evolved?
A second book in the series was published in October 2009 called What on Earth Evolved? 100 Species that Changed the World. An abridged paperback edition was published in June 2010.
What on Earth Mattered?
A third book called: What on Earth Mattered? 100 Substances that Changed the World is currently under development.
This trilogy of What on Earth? narrative reference books is designed to provide a holistic view of world history from a chronological, biological and non-living perspective.
What on Earth Publishing and The What on Earth? Wallbook
In February 2010 Christopher set up a new publishing venture to pioneer new ways of telling global narratives using illustrated publications that can be read like conventional books or unfolded and stuck on a wall. The company’s first product, The What on Earth? Wallbook was published in September 2010.
Christopher now divides his time between writing, publishing and giving lectures to schools, museums and literary festivals.
Contact the author at chris@whatonearthbooks.com