Taki Theodoracopulos
| Taki Theodoracopulos | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Panagiotis Theodoracopulos August 11, 1936 Greece |
| Education | Lawrenceville |
| Occupation | Journalist, publisher, writer |
Taki Theodoracopulos (Greek: Τάκης Θεοδωρακόπουλος; born August 11, 1936),[1] originally named Panagiotis Theodoracopulos and best known as Taki, is a Greek journalist and writer. He lives in New York City, London and Gstaad, Switzerland.[2]
Life
His column "High Life" has appeared in The Spectator since 1977, and he has also written for other US and UK publications. In 1984, Taki served three months in HM Prison Pentonville for the possession of cocaine.[3] He documented his prison experiences in Nothing to Declare: Prison Memoirs (1991).
In 2002, Taki founded The American Conservative magazine with Pat Buchanan and Scott McConnell. He was also the publisher of the British magazine Right Now! He currently publishes and writes for Taki's Magazine, described as a libertarian webzine of "politics and culture."
Taki appeared in the 2013 James Toback film Seduced and Abandoned as himself.[4][5]
Taki has an interest in Oriental martial arts, holds a black belt in karate[6] and owned a yacht named Bushido (after the code of honour of Japanese Samurai warriors). The yacht was put up for sale in 2012.[7]
Controversies
In 2004, The Guardian accused Taki of using ethnic slurs, in an article criticizing then Spectator editor and MP and future Mayor of London and Foreign Secetary Boris Johnson for employing him.[8] While Scotland Yard investigated Taki for some of his alleged racial comments, no charges were made.[9]
Fraser Nelson, editor of the Spectator, publicly endorsed Taki when taking up his post in September 2009: "Ah, Taki! For decades it has been traditional for a new Spectator editor to be inundated with calls to show his commitment to civility by hiring a new High Life columnist. But this time, not a soul has asked for him to be sacked. All I hear is how the old rogue has never been in better form. This won't please him much, as he prides himself on calls for his resignation. But it's not that Taki is conforming to the world. The world, I think, is finally conforming to him."[10]
In July 2013, Nelson defended[11] a column written by Taki headlined "A fascist takeover of Greece? We should be so lucky" in which he justified membership of the Golden Dawn organisation,[12] a "Greek far-right party" according to Press Gazette,[11] as reaction to the corruption of the political elite of Greece.
Bibliography
- Theodoracopulos, Taki (1976). The Greek Upheaval : Kings, Demagogues and Bayonets. London: Stacey International.
- Taki and Jeffrey Bernard, High Life, Low Life, introduction by Richard West, edited by Cosmo Landesman. London: Jay Landseman, 1981. ISBN 0-905150-27-9
- Taki, Princes, Playboys & High-Class Tarts, foreword by Tom Wolfe, illustrations by Blair Drawson. Princeton: Karz-Cohl Publishers, 1984. ISBN 0-943828-61-9
- Taki, High Life, selected by Andrew Cameron, illustrated by Michael Heath. London: Viking, 1989. ISBN 0-670-82956-0
- Taki, Nothing to Declare: Prison Memoirs, London: Viking, 1991. ISBN 0-670-83276-6
- Glass, Charles (ed.), Taki: The Spectator Columns, 2001–2009, London, Quartet, 2010. ISBN 978-0-7043-7192-7
References
- ↑ Spectator.co.uk
- ↑ "Gstaad: The Last Resort". New York Times. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
- ↑ Ciar Byrne "The Indestructible Journos", The Independent, June 12, 2006
- ↑ Theodoracopulos, Taki (May 25, 2013), "What's Cannes all about? Seducing someone important: High life", The Spectator, retrieved November 11, 2013
- ↑ Ross, Deborah (November 9, 2013), "Ryan Gosling couldn't play Taki better than Taki: Seduced and Abandoned Review", The Spectator, retrieved November 11, 2013
- ↑ "Black Belts and Golden Dawn". Taki's Magazine. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
- ↑ "Taki's Yacht Bushido for Sale : Paul Coletti". coletti.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-11-08.
- ↑ "Leader: Selective spectator". The Guardian. UK. October 21, 2004. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- ↑ Bell, Matthew (May 16, 2010). "What's the point of Taki if he isn't offensive any more?". The Independent. UK. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- ↑ Nelson, Fraser (September 9, 2009). "Fraser Nelson opens his diary". The Spectator. UK. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- 1 2 Hollander, Gavriel (July 23, 2013). "Spectator editor defends column supporting Greek far-right party Golden Dawn". Press Gazette. UK. Retrieved November 12, 2013.
- ↑ Theodoracopulos, Taki (July 20, 2013). "A fascist takeover of Greece? We should be so lucky". The Spectator. UK. Retrieved November 12, 2013.