Hello, my name is Ned Donovan.

مرحباً ، اسمي فارس نيد دونوفان

You can sign up to the monthly newsletter I write and publish here. It is named “Terra Nullius” and it focuses on telling stories from around the world that are inspired by my travels. It often features a sideline in interesting history and geography.

I am currently writing my first book, which will be non-fiction and examine the issue of 20th Century geography and history.

I occasionally also work as a freelance consultant, focusing on projects in heritage and history — I have completed projects for governments in the Middle East, the Caribbean and Asia. On a personal level, I also actively look for and invest in innovative British startups at their early stages of development.

In my free time, I volunteer as a Special Constable in the Metropolitan Police Service. Special Constables are unpaid volunteer police officers with the same powers on and off duty as a regular police officer. I am attached to a team in Frontline Policing in a busy part of central London.

Until 2019, I was a journalist and foreign correspondent covering news in the UK and abroad for seven years. For much of it I was a staff reporter at the Mail on Sunday and The Times. My final role in journalism was as the Mail on Sunday’s South Asia Correspondent based in Delhi. While working at the Mail we won News Team of the Year and Newspaper of the Year in the British Press Awards on several occasions, and I was nominated for Young Journalist of the Year.

My writing has also been featured in various publications such as: GQ, The Spectator, The Daily Telegraph, The New Statesman, Tatler, and The Rake.

In 2020, I completed an intensive Modern Standard Arabic course which taught me two things: that my Arabic is not very good, and that I will keep trying to improve it.

I am a Trustee and Council Member of the Anglo-Jordanian Society. I also actively help and support Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity set up in memory of my grandfather Roald, and dedicated to funding NHS nurses for seriously ill children.

I’m greatly interested in Asia, specifically the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. I am an elected Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society, and a Member of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs among others.

While a journalist, I created @UK_Laws. This is a Twitter account that I set up to automatically tweet any primary or secondary legislation put into effect in the UK. It is followed by thousands, many of whom are members of legislatures, the Civil Service, the Diplomatic Corps, the media, and other important institutions. It requires practically no maintenance and I cannot claim credit for its work.

Please feel free contact me on this page.