Meet the Little Green Pig team!
Ella Burns, Director
Ella co-founded Little Green Pig as an after school club in 2008. Since then, she 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. Therefore, Ella 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 became 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 in the Brighton Fringe. Her favourite word is ‘scruffy’.
Ricardo Reverón Blanco, Administrator and Volunteer Manager
Originally from Lanzarote, Ricardo moved to Brighton to study a BA in English Literature with French. After living a year in Lyon, he returned to Brighton to work in the arts. He is currently finishing an MA in Art History and Museum Curating, while also working as FOH Coordinator at Fabrica Art Gallery. Ricardo has volunteered for organisations such as House Biennial, Circa69, the De La Warr Pavilion, and the Tower of London. He has previously worked for Photoworks and the Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts. His favourite word is ‘ethereal’.
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, he is a photographer, poet and writer. Adam’s current project involves 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, Laura now writes stories. She has published five novels for adults (two under a pseudonym), on top of numerous short stories. As well as writing, Laura also works with young people in schools developing literacy skills. Over the past six years she has also worked as a developmental editor and mentor. Her favourite word is ‘love’.
Nikki Sheehan, workshop leader
Nikki Sheehan is an author, journalist, writing mentor, and mother of three teenagers. She has published three MG and YA novels and also writes poetry, and books for younger children. She has been shortlisted for, and won many awards, in her books Swan Boy and Goodnight, Boy were both nominated for the Carnegie medal. Nikki is passionate about nurturing creativity. She is a very experienced workshop leader, has taught all over the world, and is used to facilitating original stories, poems and scripts with all ages and abilities. Above all, her goal is to help everyone to achieve their writing goals while still having fun. Her favourite word is ‘erinaceous’.
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. Damian was the first of our Little Green Pig Patrons and 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. She 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, as well as being 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 literacy and free speech. He has won the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize and the Blue Peter Book Award, as well as being shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize. His reecent 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 have been translated into 37 languages. The University of Brighton awarded Peter an an Honorary Doctorate to honour his services to literature and the community,. He 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. Peter has also been 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 exceeding 2 million in the UK alone. Readers say that Dorothy’s books are powerful, thought-provoking and compelling ‘emotional thrillers’ where moral dilemmas are central. Her third book, My Best Friend’s Girl, was selected for 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, Nick has worked with writers including Julia Donaldson, Michael Rosen, Kes Gray and Jeremy Strong. Most famously, people know him as the illustrator of Dame Jacqueline Wilson’s novels. The books on which they’ve collaborated have sold more than 40 million copies. Alone, Nick’s picture book sales exceed 9 million. His books have won many national and regional prizes. 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. He is currently part of the core writing team on EastEnders. He has 25 years experience of running creative workshops with all ages. Above all, Pete 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. 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, the NCVO Charity Law Review Advisory Group, and is pro-bono advisor to several East Sussex charities besides volunteers for East Sussex Library Service. Her favourite word is ‘chocolate’.
James Sweeney, Treasurer
James is an Executive Director at Transive, a business performance agency. He is an expert in financial & operational direction and management for online and offline businesses. James has a wealth of experience outside his role at Transive. He is the current Chief Financial and Operating Officer for a business intelligence agency, financial advisor for a variety of tech start-ups, a change management consultant for SMEs, as a guest speaker at the University of Arts. Previously James held various financial roles at blue chip companies such as Wolters Kluwer Financial Services and RBS Insurance. James is a Chartered Accountant with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and also has a Bachelor of Science (BSc. Hons) in Mathematical Studies from the University of Leeds. His favourite word is ‘rigmarole’.
Araminta Hall
Araminta Hall is a novelist who lives and works in Brighton with her husband and three children. Richard and Judy chose Araminta’s first novel, ‘Everything and Nothing’ as a 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’.
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. One of her biggest achievements she feels was passing her Maths O Level first time at the age of 26. She joined teaching later in life after moving to Brighton with her family to attend Brighton University. Julie believes that creativity should be at the heart of the school curriculum. Most importantly, Julie wants children’s talents to be encouraged and nurtured. Her favourite part of her job is hearing laughter and seeing children enjoying their learning. Julie’s favourite word is ‘kindness’.
Sunetta Kiarie
Sunetta is leading the Events and Partnerships at PLATF9RM—a co working and business community in Brighton and Hove. Previously she was Charity Manager for local grant-giving trust, The Goodall Foundation. She holds a degree in English and American Literature with Creative Writing from the University of Kent. Sunetta is an avid reader, with a passion for literature and the arts. She deeply enjoys working on projects that allow young people to explore their creativity in order to realise their own potential. Meanwhile, Sunetta 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. Suhayla recently wrote two short films, Bush (Film4) and Gone (LAMDA). Suhayla 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. Her 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 so gave up his career as a city lawyer to become a journalist on a national magazine for 6 years, writing about food & drink. As well as this, Rich dabbles (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. Previously working in PR for Brighton based agency Fugu, Lauren now leads admissions for The Escape School, helping hundreds of people make exciting career changes and take their first steps into entrepreneurship. Prior to this Lauren worked in the publishing industry, helping authors develop their brands and reach new readers. In her spare time, Lauren is also an amateur in sewing. Her favourite word is ‘gumption’.
