Something
About

My Story

I have always loved reading and whilst growing up, infuriated my brother by preferring Anne of Green Gables to Action Man! I am an adopted Northerner, having grown up near Bakewell in the Peak District. Study and work took me to Leicester, Frankfurt, London and Leeds before I stepped away from my legal career as an independent barrister to raise a family near Malton, North Yorkshire. Through those relocations I acquired a good understanding of the geography “up North” and as an avid reader and appreciator of the performing arts, I have developed contacts at the various festivals, venues, bookshops and literacy organisations who operate in the Yorkshire, Humberside and Teesside region.

I was a member of a book group (yes, one of those wine-drinking think tanks that didn’t spend much time discussing books, but great fun all the same), when it was suggested to me that I should launch a book festival in Malton. Ready for a challenge, I created our first festival in less than six months with an incredible team of like-minded bookworms. I am proud that for eight years Ryedale Book Festival volunteers created opportunities for their rural community to engage in high quality cultural activities. I hope that the lessons I have learned about event management may be of value to other young festivals and venues who lack experience navigating the publishing sector.

Unwilling to dig out my wig and gown whilst the children were young and mindful of the unpredictable hours I had worked as a Crown Court advocate, I elected to gain relevant experience through various part-time roles in book sales with Waterstones and customer services, PR, licensing and business development with other employers. I feel privileged to have met some very interesting and creative people through the events I organised and enjoy connecting authors with the readers of their books.

In this super speedy digital world, good communication skills and original ideas are valuable. An appreciation of the written and spoken word can only help to enhance our literacy skills as well as broaden our minds and spark our imaginations, so I believe that reading is important, not only to children, but to us all. Book events are an excellent opportunity for us to listen, learn, question, be inspired and enjoy being part of a live audience in a way that few other experiences can match. To compensate for the fact that face-to-face literary events did not take place due to Covid-19 I launched a podcast called Books For Your Library where you can hear me in conversation with authors and illustrators about their new books.

I also started posting free books out to children and families across the U.K. in exchange for an honest review, These book reviews of newly published books were posted initially to this website. But in 2026 they formed the basis for an accessible web-based reading tool to promote Reading for Pleasure. Reading2Smile is a resource that can be enjoyed during the National Year of Reading 2026 and bound.

Since the pandemic I have been supporting library services in the Yorkshire and Humber region develop their events programmes and coordinated the Big Jubilee Read regional activities in 2022. I was the consultant producer at Leeds Libraries from 2021-2023 and am the executive officer for the Libraries in Leeds network and responsible for the programme and delivery of its festival which will took place in Leeds in Autumn 2024. I also work part-time for East Riding Libraries as part of their frontline team.

I love working with artists and people who enjoy books and reading. I have always been a good organiser, and am someone who has the energy and vision to bring people together and make things happen. If you are still reading this epistle do get in touch – I look forward to creating a successful event with you, or perhaps presenting an event for your organisation.

A selection of the artists I have had the pleasure of working with: