John Crace (writer)

{{Short description|British journalist and critic (born 1956)|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{other people||John Crace (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=October 2016}}

{{Infobox person

| name = John Crace

| image = John Crace (writer) at the 2025 Adelaide Writers' Week.jpg

| caption = Crace at the 2025 Adelaide Writers' Week

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|10|9|df=yes}}

| nationality = British

| education =

| alma_mater = University of Exeter

| occupation = Journalist, critic, parliamentary sketch writer

| employer = The Guardian

}}

John Crace ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|r|eɪ|s}} {{respell|KRAYSS}}; born 9 October 1956){{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/oct/11/brexit-out-of-time-out-of-ideas-elsewhere-in-life-hopefully-not?CMP=share_btn|title=On Brexit, I was out of time and out of ideas. But elsewhere in life? Hopefully not |newspaper=The Guardian|first=John|last=Crace |location=London |date=11 October 2019 |access-date=11 October 2019}} is a British journalist and critic. He attended Exeter University.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2009/oct/20/university-experience-changes-students?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other |title=How the experience of being at university has changed|first=John|last=Crace |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date=20 October 2009 |access-date=13 September 2018}} Crace is the parliamentary sketch writer for The Guardian, having replaced the late Simon Hoggart in 2014,{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/profile/johncrace |title=John Crace – Profile |newspaper=The Guardian |location= London |date=6 November 2014 |access-date=6 November 2014}} and previously also wrote the paper's "Digested Read" column. He is a supporter of Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and has written several books on the club. He blogs for ESPN FC on Tottenham.{{cite news |url=http://www.espnfc.com/club/tottenham-hotspur/367/blog|title=Tottenham Hotspur Blog – ESPN FC|publisher=ESPN FC|date=6 November 2014|access-date=6 November 2014}} According to his columns, he is an enthusiastic collector of ceramic pots.{{Cite news |title=Digested week: stocking up on ceramics and cramming in dinner parties ahead of London tier 2 |last=Crace |first=John |newspaper=The Guardian |date=16 October 2020 |url= https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/oct/16/digested-week-stocking-up-on-ceramics-and-cramming-in-dinner-parties-ahead-of-london-tier-2}}

Writing in 2019, Crace described his "cold turkey" rehabilitation from heroin addiction 32 years previously.{{cite news |last1=Crace |first1=John |title=And the award for most incompetent minister goes to …|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/feb/15/award-most-incompetent-minister-chris-grayling-liam-fox-john-crace-digested-week |work=The Guardian |date=15 February 2019}}{{cite news |last1=Crace |first1=John |title=How I overcame my heroin addiction – and started to live |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/mar/25/how-i-overcame-my-heroin-addiction-and-started-to-live |newspaper=The Guardian |date=25 March 2019}}

In July 2019, The Guardian retracted statements by Crace implying that right-wing political journalist Isabel Oakeshott had obtained confidential files by having sex with Nigel Farage and Arron Banks. His article included the claim that Oakeshott only got confidential emails if Farage and Banks "slips it to her". Following the threat of legal action by Oakeshott, the text was amended to: "leave it conveniently tucked under her pillow". This second revision was then removed, with the final version stating: "if he or Arron Banks leave it conveniently to one side for her". Oakeshott stated: "It gives me great pleasure to teach ⁦John Crace⁩ and The ⁦Guardian a little lesson about casually slurring women whose politics they dislike".{{Cite news |title=Guardian apologises to Isabel Oakeshott over 'fictitious' comment in cables leak sketch |last=Mayhew |first=Freddy |work=Press Gazette |date=22 June 2019 |url= https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/guardian-aplogises-to-isabel-oakeshott-over-fictitious-comment-in-satirical-sketch-on-cables-leak/}}

On 11 March 2024, Crace posted on his X/Twitter account that he had suffered a heart attack and was receiving treatment in St George's Hospital, London. He wrote an article in The Guardian on 21 March 2024, giving more details.{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/mar/21/is-this-how-i-die-john-crace-on-his-terrifying-heart-attack |title='Is this how I die?' John Crace on his terrifying heart attack |first=John |last=Crace |work=The Guardian |date=21 March 2024 |access-date=28 April 2024}}

Crace collects British stamps and has written columns for Stamp Magazine.{{cite news |title=Devil's Advocate: Military Blunder|work=Stamp Magazine |publisher=My Time Media |date=April 2019 |page=33|volume=85|number=4|issn=0307-6679}}