Nick Young is an independent, British writer, currently based in Kampala, Uganda, who has spent more than 20 years living and working in Latin America, Africa and Asia. His work has appeared in publications ranging from Pensamiento Propio to The Financial Times and The Economist as well as China Development Brief which he founded in 1996. Click here for short bio.
Nick Young was born in Zambia and educated in the UK. After gaining a 1st Class BA Honours degree in Philosophy at the University of Stirling (1979) he spent two years in postgraduate studies at King’s College, London, concentrating on moral philosophy and Wittgenstein.
Deciding against an academic career, he then served for five years as a residential social worker in a centre for young offenders in Northampton, UK.
This was followed by five years in Nicaragua working as a translator and freelance writer, reporting across Central America for local publications (Barricada, Pensamientio Propio) and international media (Gemini News Service, The Scotsman).
Back in the UK from 1990-92, he contributed regular reviews to the New Statesman & Society, co-edited an environmental journal, New Ground, and worked as a researcher and policy advisor to the Rt. Hon. Ann Taylor, MP, during her term as Shadow Environment Minister, also serving as a member of the team that drafted the British Labour Party’s submission to the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development.
This was followed by two years in Malawi as a stringer for The Financial Times, also contributing regularly to the BBC World Service and numerous international publications including The Economist and Africa Confidential.
In 1994 Nick moved to Hong Kong and, a year later, to mainland China where he founded China Development Brief (monthly in English, with a bi-monthly version in Chinese) a specialist newsletter reporting on social development, international aid programmes and the growth of China’s civil society. Over the following 12 years the magazine became a renowned information hub for and provider of consultancy and training services to emerging China NGOs. While managing this operation Nick published numerous papers and articles on China in other journals and books, and undertook research, evaluation and training consultancies for various international aid agencies.
Nick was awarded an OBE for ‘services to journalism, research, training and civil society in China’ in the UK 2009 New Year’s Honours List.
He has been resident in Kampala, Uganda, since August 2008.
He may be contacted by email to: nickyoung888(at)gmail.com