Ben Schott was born in North London, England, the son of a neurologist and a nurse.
Schott went to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he read Social and Political Sciences.
A profile by Tim Teeman in The Times said "his subjects included John Prescott, who was rude, and Sir Roy Strong, who had "the most wonderful, doleful eyes" and told him: "You must realise I'm awfully photogenic.
"[2] Teeman noted that "Tony Blair asked Schott if he would like to see then-baby Leo; Cherie barked at him not to take too long as they were about to have lunch.
[3] The idea for the first book originated in some cards that Schott made to send to friends, which contained booklets of what he considered vital but hard to find information.
[4] Schott typeset the book himself and had 50 copies privately printed by the Pear Tree Press in Stevenage.
It's hard to define, but we know it when we find it ... Schott's Original Miscellany is, without doubt, the oldest, and possibly merriest title you will come across in a long day's march through the shimmering desert of contemporary publishing".
The British edition had sections on The World; Society; Media & Celebrity; Music & Movies; Books & Arts; Science & Technology; Parliament & Politics; Form & Faith; The Establishment; Sport; and an Ephemerides section that contains traditional almanac information on dates, moon phases, and the season.
Schott introduced the 2006 Almanac with a quote from Ben Hecht: "Trying to determine what is going on in the world by reading newspapers is like trying to tell the time by watching the second hand of a clock".