Festival Director: Torin Douglas
Torin Douglas was the BBC’s media correspondent for 24 years and now organises, chairs and promotes arts and community events in Chiswick. These have included the Chiswick Book Festival, the Bedford Park Festival and events at Chiswick House, St Michael & All Angels Church and other churches, ArtsEd, the Theatre at the Tabard and Chiswick Library. They raise money for charities and churches, and bring together performers, writers, arts lovers, local businesses and volunteers. He was awarded the MBE in 2013 for services to the community in Chiswick, where he has lived with his family for more than 30 years. He now speaks, writes and chairs events about the media, arts and community issues. torindouglas@gmail.com @TorinDouglas TheChiswickCalendar/torindouglas
General inquiries: please contact via admin@chiswickbookfestival.net.
Programme Director: Jo James
Jo James worked in, and then managed, an award-winning independent bookshop from 1991-98. She then joined Ottakar’s, opening the Portsmouth branch before moving to head office and managing events for the chain of 140 shops. When Ottakar’s merged with Waterstones in 2006, Jo was put in charge of events for the group, looking after a team that managed over 5,000 events per year in 360 shops. Jo went freelance in 2010, and has since worked in programming, event management and green room care for various festivals, including Cheltenham Literature, Cheltenham Science, Stratford, Dubai, and Stanfords (held at Olympia during the Destinations Travel Show). She has stage managed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and produced a play that ran for a month at the Edinburgh Fringe. Jo also manages author events for various publishers, and has managed the author event side of the book trade campaign Books Are My Bag, which supports physical high street bookshops nationwide. jo@jojames.co.uk www.jojames.co.uk
Production Manager: Vicky Taylor
Vicky Taylor has been a journalist for over 30 years, having started her career in local newspapers in Newcastle. She worked as a Producer and Editor at the BBC covering a range of news and current affairs, from Newsnight, Breakfast, Political Programmes and News online. In 2008, Vicky joined Channel 4 as a Commissioning Editor in News and Current Affairs. Vicky now works as a Freelance journalist and writer and has lived in Chiswick for over 30 years.
Co-ordinator, Social Media: Jeannie Shapiro
Jeannie Shapiro is an experienced marketing consultant and social media strategist. Jeannie has helped many clients of all sizes achieve an effective online presence harnessing the power of social media to their advantage. Jeannie also created and runs the Chiswick Business Network with over 1,000 members who meet monthly for effective and fun business networking.
Co-ordinator, Children’s Festival: Jenny Griffiths
Jenny Griffiths is the Librarian at Ravenscourt Park Preparatory School and the Schools Library Association’s 2022 Primary School Librarian of the Year.
Box Office Manager: Shelley Hasseldine
Shelley Hasseldine has 20 years of customer service experience and has formerly worked in the maritime, automotive, hospitality and retail industries. She has held a variety of roles in aviation both internationally and domestically in her native New Zealand, including working as an airline reservation agent and as cabin crew. She currently balances three roles working at the New Zealand High Commission in London, as Executive Assistant to acclaimed actress and Chiswick resident Elizabeth McGovern, and as a Producer of the photography project One Step Closer, which captures images of high-profile people to raise funds in support of charities.
Chair of Judges, Young Poets Competition: James Priestman
James Priestman has been involved with the Chiswick Book Festival since 2010. Other festivals at which he has performed his poetry and run workshops include the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Immrama Festival of Travel Writing in County Waterford and the Deer Shed Festival in Yorkshire. He performs regularly at venues in London, including the Troubadour, Islington Folk Club and Torriano Meeting House. James is a member and former chair of the Pitshanger Poets in Ealing. His poems have been published in Ambit (Carol Ann Duffy, the former poet laureate, was a corresponding editor). His Instagram site is @jamespendlepoet
Volunteer Co-ordinator: Jenny de Montfort
If you’re interested in volunteering in any way, please contact Jenny at volunteers@chiswickbookfestival.net
Charities Co-ordinator: Ros Lister
Ros Lister runs the creche at St Michael & All Angels church and works closely with our Festival charities – InterAct Reading Service, Doorstep Library and The Felix Project – to ensure they get maximum publicity and income from their association with the Festival.
Venues Co-ordinator: Lisa Read
Student Team Co-ordinator: Martha Vine
Administrator, Young People’s Poetry Competition: Charmaine Stone
Treasurer: Alyson Mitchell
Alyson is the former treasurer of St Michael & All Angels Church.
Website Manager: Roger Green
Roger Green is an award-winning journalist, editor, publisher, photographer and retired media company executive whose work has appeared over the years in a variety of magazines, newspapers and online media.
Waterstones Festival Bookshop manager: James Barber
Publicity: Torin Douglas – torindouglas@gmail.com Roger Green, Judith Baker
Photography:
Jim Cox jamescox@blueyonder.co.uk
Torin Douglas torindouglas@gmail.com
Roger Green roger.l.green@gmail.com
Thanks also to our local professional photographers and video companies:
Chiswickbuzz.net
The Chiswick Calendar