John Bernard Haysom Jackson (born 26 May 1929)^[1] is an author and campaigner, a current chairman at the solicitors firm Mishcon de Reya, and a former Chairman of the Countryside Alliance. Qualifying as a barrister in 1954, he had a career in business and the technology industries during the 60s, 70s and 80s: most notably with technology company Philips. From the 90s onwards he moved into democratic and constitutional advocacy, particularly through the Countryside Alliance, OpenDemocracy.net^[2] and Unlock Democracy.^[3]

Early life and family

Jackson was born in Devon in 1929, where he lives now.^{[citation needed]} His family moved to the Dorset coast for several years, and then to London as his father found work during the Great Depression years of the 1930s.^{[citation needed]} He was educated at The King's School, Canterbury, and from there he went on to the University of Cambridge to read law as the Squire Scholar in 1949,^{[citation needed]} before qualifying in 1954.

Jackson has three children, five grandchildren and two great grandchildren, and has been married twice.^{[citation needed]} He spent much of his married life in Kent, continuing the self-sufficient lifestyle he learnt as a child.^[4]

Career

Over the last 60 years Jackson has been engaged in a number of industries, holding chairmanships or directorships in Philips, Hilton, BHP, Graseby, Instore, Celltech, WPP, Wyndham Press and in the Oxford Technology Venture Capital Trusts.^[5] He was appointed non-solicitor Chairman of London law firm Mishcon de Reya.,^[6] in 1992^[7]

Jackson has also become increasingly involved in political and constitutional debates, initially through campaigning with the Countryside Alliance,^[8] and later by contributing to public discussions^[9] and writing articles.^[10][11]

Publishing

John Jackson's first book, A Bucket of Nuts and a Herring Net was published in 1979 (Collins and Harvill Press). It was an account of family life on a small-holding in rural Kent, and of self-sufficiency. The book was reprinted with a new introduction and an end piece in 2000, as A Little Piece of England: A Tale of Self-Sufficiency by Merlin Unwin Books.^[12]

Jackson's independent publishing venture JJ Books^[13] was launched in 2011, with the aim of JJ Books reissued A Little Piece of England in July 2011. In October 2011, the company published the hardback edition of "Tales for Great Grandchildren", a collection of fables and mythological tales that Jackson gathered during his travels in Nepal in 1978.^[14]

The company plans to publish several new collections of stories (in illustrated hardback and digital editions).^[15]