Ella Burns, Director
Ella co-founded Little Green Pig as an after school club in 2008 and has developed it into a charity working with thousands of children and young people across the city and Sussex. With a background in teaching, arts education and writing, Ella has over 10 years experience of running creative workshops and projects and is passionate about giving young writers the confidence and opportunity to share their stories. Her favourite word is ‘soliloquy’.
Emily Hogan, Deputy Director
Emily’s background is in fundraising and project management, with a focus on young people and the arts. During her many years working at London’s Roundhouse, she was inspired by the impact of creative education on children and teenagers. In Brighton, Emily has worked at Rockinghorse and The Starr Trust charities, and helped to run a venue for the Brighton Festival Fringe. Her favourite word is ‘snack’.
Catherine O’Sullivan, Administrator and Volunteer Manager
Originally from Dublin, Catherine moved to Brighton to complete an MA in English Literature before moving into the field of arts administration. Catherine also works at Phoenix Brighton and CINECITY, as well as co-running the Dreamland Cinema film strand. Her favourite word is ‘fooster’.
Adam Webb, Learning Manager
Adam has worked with children for over 15 years. He has set up after-school programmes in America, supported vulnerable young people in children’s homes and taught English across Secondary schools in Brighton and Sussex. In his spare time, Adam is a photographer, poet and is currently writing vignettes about people’s lives across the city. His vision is to bring all these things together to powerfully impact the creative confidence in young people of Brighton & Hove. His favourite word is ‘innocuous’.
Laura Wilkinson, workshop leader
After time as a journalist and copywriter now Laura writes stories. She has published five novels for adults (two under a pseudonym) and numerous short stories. Her next novel is published in June 2017. Alongside writing, she works with young people in schools developing literacy skills and runs workshops on craft. Over the past six years she’s worked as a developmental editor and mentor, coaching students to competition shortlistings and publication. Her favourite word is ‘love’.
Patrons
Damian Barr
‘Damian Barr is an award-winning writer, columnist and salonnière. Maggie & Me, his memoir about coming of age and coming out in Thatcher’s Britain, was a Radio 4 Book of the Week. Literary Editor of Soho House magazine, Damian writes columns for the Big Issue and the SundayTimes and often pops up on Radio 4. Starting at Shoreditch House in 2008 and now based at The Savoy Hotel in London, his sold-out Literary Salon premieres new work from emerging and established writers and guests include David Nicholls, Caitlin Moran and Bret Easton Ellis. He’s currently writing his first novel and continuing his quest for the perfect Martini. He was the first of our Little Green Pig Patrons. His favourite word is ‘mighty’.
Juno Dawson
Queen of Teen 2014 Juno Dawson is the multi award-winning author of six novels for young adults. In 2016, she authored the best-selling World Book Day title: SPOT THE DIFFERENCE. Her next novel is the beautiful and emotive MARGOT & ME which will be followed by her adult debut, the memoir THE GENDER GAMES. Juno also wrote the bestselling non-fiction guide to life for young LGBT people, THIS BOOK IS GAY. Juno is a regular contributor to Attitude Magazine, Glamour Magazine and The Guardian and has contributed to news items on national television and radio concerning sexuality, identity, literature and education. Her favourite word is ‘poop’.
Elizabeth Enfield
Elizabeth Enfield combines novel writing with work as a freelance journalist, alongside teaching journalism and creative writing. She has published three novels: Living With It (Myriad Editions 2014 – a Mail on Sunday Book of the Week and featured on Woman’s Hour), Uncoupled (Headline 2012) and What You Don’t Know (Headline 2011). Ivy and Abe, a love story inspired by quantum physics will be published by Michael Joseph in Spring 2017. Her short stories have been broadcast on Radio 4 and published in various magazines and anthologies. Her favourite word is ‘paraphernalia ’.
Daniel Hahn
Daniel Hahn is a writer, editor and translator, with some fifty books to his name. His translations (from Portuguese, Spanish and French) include fiction from Europe, Africa and the Americas, and non-fiction by writers ranging from Portuguese Nobel laureate José Saramago to Brazilian footballer Pelé. A former chair of the Society of Authors, he works closely with a number of organisations that promote literature, literacy, translation and free speech. He has won the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and the Blue Peter Book Award and been shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize, among others. Recent books include The Oxford Companion to Children’s Literature, and the translation of an Angolan novel. His favourite word is ‘halcyon’.
Peter James
Peter James is one of the UK’s most treasured crime and thriller novelists. His Roy Grace detective novels have sold over 18 million copies worldwide in total and has been translated into 37 languages. He has an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Brighton in recognition of his services to literature and the community, Peter has been two-times Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association and has won many literary awards, including the publicly voted ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards People’s Bestseller Dagger and he was shortlisted for the Wellcome Trust Book Prize. Last year, 2015, he was voted by WH Smith readers as The Best Crime Author Of All Time. His favourite word is ‘scary’.
Dorothy Koomson
Dorothy Koomson is a global bestselling author whose novels include That Girl From Nowhere, The Ice Cream Girls, The Woman He Loved Before and My Best Friend’s Girl. Her books have been translated into 30 languages with sales that exceed 2 million copies in the UK alone. Dorothy’s books are powerful, thought-provoking and compelling ‘emotional thrillers’ where moral dilemmas are central and where the complex emotions of family and friendships are explored. Her third book, My Best Friend’s Girl, was selected for the Richard & Judy Summer Reads of 2006. Her favourite word is ‘exciting’.
Nick Sharratt
Nick Sharratt has been an illustrator and author of children’s books since the late 1980s. As well as producing his own books he’s worked with writers including Julia Donaldson, Michael Rosen, Kes Gray and Jeremy Strong, and most famously he’s the illustrator of Dame Jacqueline Wilson’s novels. The books on which they’ve collaborated have sold more than 40 million copies and Nick’s picture book sales exceed 9 million. His books have won many national and regional prizes and he was the official illustrator for World Book Day 2006. He also has a gold Blue Peter badge! His favourite word is ‘pumpkin’.
Our Trustees
Pete Lawson, Chair
Pete is an established screenwriter and playwright and is currently part of the core writing team on EastEnders. He has 25 years experience of running creative workshops with all ages and believes passionately in the ability of the arts to develop self-confidence, build communities, and enable people to make their voices heard. For eight years Pete has been a Board member of Brook, the national young people’s sexual health charity, helping it through a period of significant change. His favourite word is ‘story’.
Christine Rigby, Vice Chair
Christine is a Senior Consultant in the Charity and Social Enterprise Department, Bates Wells & Braithwaite. She is Co-author of ‘The Fundraisers Guide to the Law’ and ‘Charities – the New Law 2006 – A practical guide to the Charities Acts’. She sits on the Board for the Institute of Fundraising Standards Committee, NCVO Charity Law Review Advisory Group, is pro-bono advisor to several East Sussex charities and volunteers for East Sussex Library Service. Her favourite word is ‘chocolate’.
Araminta Hall
Araminta Hall is a novelist who lives and works in Brighton with her husband and three children. Her first novel, ‘Everything and Nothing’, was a Richard and Judy Book Club read in autumn 2011. She also works as an editor for Cornerstones Literary Consultancy and runs writing workshops for adults. In a previous life she was a journalist, working for Emap and the Mirror, amongst many others. Her favourite word is ‘serendipity’.
Jennifer Griffiths
Jennifer is an accountant who has have worked in retail, financial services and a variety of not-for-profit organisations, most recently as Director of Support Services for the Sussex based charity the Grace Eyre Foundation. Her favourite part of the job is finding out about the amazing ideas the team have for the next few years and offering support to make them happen, plus being part of the great work being undertaken by similar organisations across the world. Her favourite word is (also) ‘serendipity’.
Julie Aldous
Julie is a headteacher of a city centre primary school and nursery in Brighton. Before becoming a teacher Julie was a full time mum returning to education after having her 2 children. One of her biggest achievements she feels was passing her Maths O Level first time at the age of 26. She came into teaching late after moving to Brighton with her family to attend Brighton University. Julie believes that creativity should be at the heart of the school curriculum and children’s talents encouraged and nurtured. Her favourite part of her job is hearing laughter and children enjoying their learning. Julie’s favourite word is ‘kindness’.
Sunetta Kiarie
Sunetta works at The Goodall Foundation, a Brighton based grant-giving charity. She started out as the Foundation’s Administration and Communications Coordinator and later become Charity Manager. Sunetta holds a degree from the University of Kent in English and American Literature with Creative Writing. She is an avid reader whose passions lie within literature and the arts. Sunetta deeply enjoys working on projects that allow young people to explore their creativity in order to realise their own potential. She currently lives in Brighton and is working on her first novel. Her favourite word is ‘Optimism’.
Suhayla El-Bushra
Suhayla El-Bushra is a Shoreham based playwright and screenwriter. She has written for TV shows Hollyoaks and Ackley Bridge and is now developing her own projects with CBBC and Lime Pictures. She’s recently written two short films, Bush (Film4) and Gone (LAMDA). She was writer in residence at the National Theatre Studio from 2015-16, during which time her adaptation of Nikolai Erdman’s The Suicide was staged in the Lyttelton Theatre. Other stage work includes Pigeons (Royal Court 2013 and schools tour) Cuckoo (Unicorn Theatre, 2014) The Kilburn Passion (Tricycle, 2014) and Arabian Nights (Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, 2017). She is currently under commission from Out Of Joint, English Touring Theatre, The National Theatre and The Bridge Theatre. Her favourite word is ‘nebulous’.
Rich Ford
Rich is Associate Director at Brighton-based design agency Sherlock Studio, responsible for marketing, PR and new business. He’s always had a love of writing and gave up his career as a city lawyer to become a journalist on a national magazine for 6 years, writing about food & drink. Over the years, he’s dabbled (on an amateur level) in writing poetry, songwriting and writing children’s picture books as he enjoys exploring different genres of writing. His favourite word is ‘hedgepig’.
Lauren Welch
Lauren is fairly new to the city, having moved to Brighton from London in late 2016. Currently working in PR for Brighton based agency Fugu, Lauren is enjoying working closely with the Brighton community. Prior to this Lauren worked in the publishing industry, helping authors develop their brands and reach new readers. Her favourite word is ‘gumption’.
