A former Kirkby Stephen man who became a minor public figure in Croatia, where he lived for many years writing for the Rough Guides has died aged 62.
Jonathan Bousfield was born in Otley on May 9 1962, the younger son of Barbara and Neville Hanson Bousfield.
The latter was born in Kirkby Stephen and was later head of Prince Henry’s Grammar School, Otley, for more than a quarter of a century before his death in 1990.
After attending the same school, Jonathan read history at The Queen’s College, Oxford and then post-graduate studies at the University of Belgrade. He developed a keen interest in eastern European politics, history and culture.
He lived in London for many years, travelling abroad to numerous eastern European countries, researching for the Rough Guides — a British publisher of print and digital guide books, phrase books and travel reference books.
Later he emigrated to Zagreb, capital of Croatia, where he met Gordana Košćec — they were married in 2014. Later he obtained Croatian citizenship in addition to his own British nationality.
His work for the Rough Guides included the books on the Baltic States, Poland, Bulgaria, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia.
He wrote many other books and articles, and became known in Croatia as the Englishman who promoted their country. Many of Jonathan’s works feature on his own website, straysatellite.com.
Jonathan died in the Marta care-home in Zagreb on April 1 after a long illness. He leaves his widow Gordana, two sons, Jura and Niko, and brother-in-law Hrvoje in Croatia; as well as his mother Barbara in Kirkby Stephen and elder brother David in Lancaster.
The Poland editor of the Rough Guides said: “The Rough Guides team was deeply saddened to hear of Jonathan’s passing. He was such a pleasure to work with and a talented travel writer, as well as being a lovely man: so kind and generous, one of the good ones. His books stand as a tribute to his skills and knowledge.”
An article was published in the Croatian journal Jutarnji, for which Jonathan wrote, on the day he died. It said: “Jonathan Bousfield, an English historian, journalist, former rock critic and travel writer, was one of our favourite external collaborators. For more than two decades he lived in Zagreb, where he married and had two sons.
“He published articles in Jutarnji list, Globus and Svijet kulture and was one of the best experts on independent and pop culture from the former Yugoslavia as well as from all of eastern Europe. He was an exceptional author, skilfully blending his erudition, knowledge of pop culture and social and historical context into extremely attractive journalistic texts.
“He is best known to the general public as the author of the guide Rough Guide to Croatia, since its first edition in 2000. He has also written for Time Out Croatia, Calvert Journal and New Eastern Europe. Together with one of the best Croatian comic book authors, Igor Hofbauer, he also wrote the comic Grimizna laguna, which was first published in the weekly Globus.
“His last article in Jutarnji list was published a little less than two years ago, in Saturday’s Magazin, in which he recalled how his grandfather attended the opening of Wembley Stadium in 1923.
“In addition to pop culture, Jonathan was also interested in the history of tourism in this part of Europe. He first came to the Adriatic in the 1970s with his parents.
“His knowledge of the local history of the 20th century as well as that of eastern European countries was truly comprehensive.
“He was particularly interested in the 1980s, both in the former Yugoslavia and in his native England. Jonathan was one of the lucky ones who attended a Joy Division concert back in 1979, which he of course wrote about.
“He was a man of impeccable taste in music, literature, architecture, and fine arts, and he had a wonderful ability to discover the new and unknown, even for those of us who grew up and lived in Zagreb and Croatia.”
