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Summary

Miles Etherton is a writer, activist, and family man with a passion for history, social justice, and football, who uses his personal experiences to fuel his writing and activism.

Abstract

Miles Etherton introduces himself as a multifaceted individual with interests spanning beyond his roles as a writer and activist. He is a family man, raising two teenage sons with autism, and holds a degree in History and a postgraduate diploma in Magazine Journalism. Professionally, he leads a department at a UK health research funder. Etherton's writings reflect his deep interest in history, particularly in understanding his personal genealogy and the stories of his ancestors. He is also a staunch advocate for social justice and equality, influenced by his political beliefs and a lecture by Yanis Varoufakis. His love for sports is evident through his lifelong support for Portsmouth Football Club. As a creative writer, Etherton has published a novel, "The Codex File," and is working on another, "Hedon’s Gate." He is an active voice on Medium, where he shares his thoughts on various topics, including politics, social justice, and sports.

Opinions

  • Etherton views himself as an eternal optimist, which he considers both a strength and a weakness.
  • He believes in the importance of involving patients and the public in health research to make a real difference in patients' lives.
  • Etherton is critical of the UK political scene, opposes Brexit, and identifies with the left side of the political spectrum.
  • He has a strong conviction about the need for greater equality, an end to prejudice, and real action against the climate crisis, which has led him to join the Democracy in Europe 2025 (DiEM25) movement.
  • Etherton is proud to support Portsmouth Football Club despite their varying success, emphasizing loyalty and passion for the sport.
  • He is intrigued by the darker side of human existence and the online world, which is reflected in his fiction writing.
  • Etherton values engagement with his audience and provides multiple platforms for readers to connect with him and his work.

About Me—Miles Etherton

Writer. Activist. Follower of a rubbish football team. Eternal optimist.

Catacombes de Paris (Image: Miles Etherton)

My Bio

It is a curious feeling that when I sit down to write I have a sense of what I want to say on many topics. Yet talking about me gives me a bit of a block.

Not “Writer’s Block” I’m relieved to say, but still that odd feeling of who’s going to be interested in reading about me?

Don’t worry, I’m not looking for sympathy, so the violins can go away, but if there is one thing writing has taught me, it is you never know how you’re going to feel until the moments the words are on the page — or the screen in my case!

So, let’s get to the basics. I was born in 1973 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, in England, and grew up in the southern part of the country. I have a younger brother, but for reasons which I may write about on Medium if the mood takes me, I am estranged from him and my parents for almost 20 years.

It takes a lot to alienate and fall out with me beyond repair — it’s only happened on a couple of occasions in my life I’m pleased to say, but that is my family reality.

I recall a colleague sending me a meme with a picture of a cuddly toy to describe me, which read:

“You’re a teddy bear until someone pisses you off.”

That always stuck with me and is pretty accurate. It does take a lot to get me to that point though which is a relief as I am an eternal optimist and try to see the best in people. It’s one of my strengths and sometimes one of my weaknesses!

I have lived most of my life in Hampshire in England, where I am now with my wife and two teenage sons. Both of my boys have an autism diagnosis, and I am so proud of how they manage in a world not designed for those with additional needs.

I graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in History and hold a postgraduate diploma in Magazine Journalism. My day job is working for a large UK health research funder where I lead a department of around 30 staff. We have the dual role of providing corporate communications and how we involve patients and the public in the design, delivery and reporting of research that makes a real difference to patients’ lives.

My dream is to one day be a full-time writer.

Where my heart is

History

History has always played a major part in my life, from my degree through to the need to understand my origins. Perhaps it was the estrangement from my family that brought out my need to understand my personal history. Like most families, I had some knowledge of my genealogy. The odd detail here and there, but not enough to satisfy my curiosity. I’ve spent 12 years piecing together my family’s history, and it’s taken me in many directions. Whether, ancestors and cousins I didn’t know I had in the US, Canada and Australia; or contacting relatives I knew lived in New Zealand but who I’d never met.

I put the “correct” facts around a family story of the death of my great-uncle during the First World War (below) and visited his grave in a war cemetery in France on the centenary of his death.

And with advancements in genealogy DNA testing, I now have a better understanding of my ethnic origins and how they stretch beyond the shores of the UK.

Image: Miles Etherton

Equality and Social Justice

My political views were never in line with either where I lived or the views of my parents. I was fortunate to grow up in an affluent part of the country in a small and safe city. Poverty, prejudice or injustice were not things I had to deal with. I was lucky. But as I’ve got older, I realise how my experience is not the same as many of those suffering marginalisations, prejudice or hardship. I have become frustrated with the UK political scene, am opposed to Brexit and sit on the left of the political spectrum. In fact, I’m left in every way!

It was only this year when by chance I watched a lecture on YouTube given by Yanis Varoufakis that my eyes opened and I realised I needed to stand up for what I believe in — which is greater equality, an end to prejudice, social justice and real action against the climate crisis. I have written about many of these issues on Medium.

I believe words are no longer enough, so I also joined the Democracy in Europe 2025 (DiEM25) movement this year, co-founded by Yanis Varoufakis, so I could contribute to the issues I care about.

Sport or rather Football

My other major love is sport and football in particular. I am not blessed with supporting a great team, but I am proud to support the team of my place of birth — Portsmouth Football Club.

I have been watching “Pompey” since I was 15 and have seen them play in all four divisions of the English league. This is the rollercoaster reality of being a Pompey fan!

I know I will never see my team win the Champions League or the English Premier League — although they were back-to-back league champions in 1948/49 and 1949/50 which my late grandfather was there to witness.

Despite this, I have been fortunate enough to be at Wembley Stadium to see Portsmouth win both the FA Cup in 2008 and the Football League Trophy in 2019 — two days I will always cherish.

The 2008 FA Cup Final (Image: Miles Etherton)
The 2019 Football League Trophy Final (Image: Miles Etherton)

My wife often asks me why I don’t support a “decent team”? But to quote a famous fans’ chant:

“I’m Portsmouth til I die”

Last But Not Least — Creative Writing

There are not enough hours in the day to write all the stories I have milling around my head, but I’m working on it.

I have published one novel so far — The Codex File — with a second completed and being edited — Hedon’s Gate.

The Codex file by Miles Etherton (Image: Miles Etherton)

My passion is for writing fiction about the darker side of our existence and in particular the murkier depths of the online world. I might be an optimist, but I still embrace the darkness!

There are more details on my fiction exploits on my personal website at: https://www.milesetherton.com/

Why am I here?

Despite being aware of Medium for some time, I only took the plunge to write here in May of this year. I contemplated whether being here was some sort of a cathartic mid-life crisis, and even if it is, it has given voice to the things that matter to me.

Medium is both my outlet for what bounces around my thoughts and a means to hone my writing in different ways to my fiction.

As you might expect, the areas below reflect my underlying passions, but I’m sure I will wander off into new and unexplored areas too! Who knows where that might take me.

Stay in touch

If my profile has sparked a little interest in my work and the issues I care about, there are plenty of ways to stay in touch and engage with me.

I hope you’ll check them out!

About Me
Football
Equality
Politics
History
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