Mark Steel is a regular columnist for
The Independent. He has performed as a stand-up comedian since 1983, and has written and performed four popular series for the BBC. He is the author of
Vive la Revolution: A Stand-up History of the French Revolution (Simon and Schuster, 2003), and
Reasons to Be Cheerful: From Punk to New Labour Through the Eyes of a Dedicated Troublemaker (Scribner, 2001).