Our Patrons

Michael Morpurgo

Michael is one of Britain’s most beloved writers.  He is the author of many children’s books, including War Horse, which has been adapted into a successful play.  He and his wife run Farms for City Children, a non-profit organisation which brings inner-city children to live and work on farms in the west of England, so they may experience rural life.

Frank Cottrell Boyce

Frank is a screenwriter as well as being a writer of children’s books.  His first, Millions, won the Carnegie Medal in 2004 and was also made into a film. His other books are Framed and Cosmic.

Margaret Meek Spencer

Margaret Meek Spencer is an international expert on literacy and children’s literature and Emeritus Reader in Education at the Institute of Education, University of London. Her influential publications include Learning to Read, How Texts Teach What Readers Learn, On Being Literate, The Cool Web and Coming of Age in Children’s Literature. In 1970 she received the Eleanor Farjeon Award for services to children’s literature.

Lord Knight of Weymouth

Former Member of Parliament for South Dorset and the longest serving Schools Minister in the last Labour government, where he was responsible for supporting projects to get more books into schools. Jim was made a life peer in 2010 and his main policy interests are education, employment, skills and digital technology. He is now focussing on his role as consultant in education and training policy and as Shadow Employment and Welfare minister in the House of Lords. Jim is a Director of Step-A International Ltd and Associate Director of Innovate CV. He is also on the board of the Arsenal Fanshare Society, is a vice-President of the Local Government Association and is a trustee of the e-Learning Foundation.

-