Simon Holledge

Who is Simon Holledge?

Simon Holledge is a British writer and environmentalist who has lived much of his life in China and Japan. He was born in London and studied Chinese at Leeds and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and archaeology at University College London. In addition to working as a travel writer-photographer, and then later as a field archaeologist, he has had a long term involvement in print and online publishing. He worked in publishing companies in London, Hong Kong, and Tokyo (on the authoritative Kodansha Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopaedia). An internet pioneer in the early 1990s, he created a series of websites, including an early political/environmental blog and a magazine devoted to opera. A live-long hill-walker and enthusiast for wild land, he has trekked in remote areas of Europe, Africa and Asia. He currently manages the Horoka Tomamu Montane Forest conservation and biodiversity project in Hokkaido with his wife, Masumi. He sees many similarities between Hokkaido and Scotland, areas of comparable size and population density, that both face the challenges of climate change and the need to improve protection of forests, wildland and biodiversity.

Famous Quotes:

• "You can reduce environmentalism to six words: don't burn coal, don't eat meat. The rest is detail."
• "God is not in his office."