Simon Calder, one of Britain's most trusted travel experts, has built a career as an award-winning author and broadcaster, frequently appearing on BBC, Sky News, ITV, and GB News. Growing up in Crawley, he hails from a family with a strong journalistic tradition, which may have influenced his own path.
Simon Calder's Father: Nigel Calder
Simon is the son of the late Nigel Calder, a prolific science writer who served as editor of New Scientist from 1962 to 1966. According to The Guardian, Nigel created and wrote for 13 BBC and Channel 4 documentaries, including The Restless Earth (1972), Spaceships of the Mind (1978), and Einstein's Universe (1979).
Nigel also authored several books, such as The Chilling Stars (2007), co-written with climate physicist Henrik Svensmark. The book argued that “an interplay of the clouds, the Sun and cosmic rays” may have had more impact on global warming than “manmade carbon dioxide.”
Nigel passed away in 2014. He was married to Elisabeth Palmer, with whom he had five children: Simon, Jonathan, Sarah, Penny, and Kate.
Simon Calder's Grandfather: Lord Peter Ritchie-Calder
Simon's grandfather, Lord Peter Ritchie-Calder, was a Scottish journalist, academic, socialist, and peace activist. According to the World Academy of Art and Science, he began his career as a court reporter before becoming science editor of the News Chronicle. In 1941, as noted by the National Library of Scotland, he was recruited into a top-secret foreign propaganda unit, where he helped create BBC radio propaganda during the Blitz.
After World War II, Peter worked for the World Health Organisation, Oxfam, and the United Nations. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1945 for his service with the Foreign Office. Later, he served as Professor of International Relations at Edinburgh University from 1961 to 1967 and received a life peerage in 1966. He was married to Mabel Jane Forbes McKail and had five children: Nigel, Angus, Allan, Isla, and Fiona. He died in 1982.
