y , ▁Polit ics ▁and ▁Econom ics , ▁gradu ating ▁with ▁a ▁third ▁class ▁degree . ▁At ▁Oxford ▁he ▁became ▁editor ▁of ▁and ▁frequent ▁contrib utor ▁to ▁an ▁under ground ▁left - wing ▁student ▁newspaper ▁called ▁Red ▁Her ring / O x ford ▁Str ump et , ▁copies ▁of ▁which ▁are ▁arch ived ▁in ▁the ▁Bod le ian ▁Library . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁Oxford , ▁Self ▁worked ▁for ▁the ▁Gre ater ▁London ▁Council , ▁including ▁a ▁period ▁as ▁a ▁road ▁swe eper , ▁while ▁living ▁in ▁B ri xt on . ▁He ▁purs ued ▁a ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁cart oon ist ▁for ▁the ▁New ▁States man ▁and ▁other ▁publications ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁stand - up ▁com ed ian . ▁He ▁moved ▁to ▁Gl ouc ester ▁Road ▁around ▁ 1 9 8 5 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁he ▁entered ▁a ▁treatment ▁centre ▁in ▁West on - super - M are , ▁where ▁he ▁claimed ▁that ▁his ▁hero in ▁add iction ▁was ▁c ured . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁" through ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁acc idents ", ▁he ▁" bl ag ged " ▁his ▁way ▁into ▁running ▁a ▁small ▁publishing ▁company . ▁ ▁The ▁publication ▁of ▁his ▁short ▁story ▁collection ▁The ▁Quant ity ▁Theory ▁of ▁Ins an ity ▁brought ▁him ▁to ▁public ▁attention ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 . ▁Self ▁was ▁ha iled ▁as ▁an ▁original ▁new ▁talent ▁by ▁Sal man ▁R ush die , ▁Dor is ▁Less ing , ▁B ery l ▁B