Our celebrity ambassadors

We are proud to have the following author ambassadors who are helping us to celebrate our 20th anniversary in 2013.  

Antony Beevor is a British historian, educated at Winchester College and Sandhurst, where he studied under the military historian John Keegan. His books include the number one bestseller D-Day – The Battle for Normandy, and Stalingrad which won the first Samuel Johnson Prize, the Wolfson Prize for History and the Hawthornden Prize for Literature. His most recent book is The Second World War (2012). Antony is a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He holds an Honorary D.Litt from the University of Bath and an honorary doctorate from the University of Kent. He is a member of the Samuel Johnson Prize steering committee.

Malorie Blackman is a novelist and scriptwriter. She has written over 50 books for children of all ages, including Noughts & Crosses for young adults, which won the Children’s Book Award, and Pig-Heart Boy, which was shortlisted for a Carnegie medal and made into a BAFTA award-winning TV series. Her most recent novel, Boys Don’t Cry (2010), explores teenage fatherhood. In 2008 she was awarded an OBE for services to children’s literature.

Lauren Child is a writer and illustrator, best known for her Clarice Bean series and the Charlie and Lola picture books which have been adapted for BBC TV. Lauren has won many awards for her work, including the Kate Greenaway Medal for I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato and the Smarties Gold Award. In 2008 she was announced as UNESCO’s Artist for Peace and in 2010 she was awarded an MBE for services to literature. Her most recent work includes the Ruby Redfort teen detective series.

Cressida Cowell has a BA in English Literature from Oxford University, a BA in Graphic Design from St Martin's and an MA in Narrative Illustration from Brighton. She writes and illustrates the popular Hiccup series, which is published in over 30 languages. How to Train Your Dragon, the first novel in the series, was made into a DreamWorks Animation feature film and received both Oscar and BAFTA nominations. A sequel is scheduled for release in 2014. She is also the author of picture books for younger children, including the Emily Brown series. Cressida won the Nestle Children's Book Prize for That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown (2006).  

Charlie Higson is an author, actor, comedian and writer for television and radio. He was one of the main writers and performers of the BBC 2 hit The Fast Show. He is the author of the bestselling Young Bond series, featuring Ian Fleming’s secret agent James Bond as a young teenage boy attending school at Eton College in the 1930s. Charlie is a huge fan of horror films and books and has written a bestselling zombie-adventure series for teenagers. The Sacrifice, the fourth title in the series, was published in 2012. 

Anthony Horowitz has written over 35 books including the bestselling teen spy series Alex Rider, which he adapted into a movie released worldwide in 2006. He also writes for adults and was commissioned by the Conan Doyle Estate to write a new Sherlock Holmes novel, The House of Silk (2011). His stage thriller, Mindgame, premiered off Broadway in 2011. His television writing includes Midsomer Murders, Foyle’s War, and ITV thrillers Collision and Injustice. A new series of Foyle’s War is due to be aired in 2013. He is currently working with Stephen Spielberg and Peter Jackson writing the sequel to the Tintin film.

Ruth Rendell has received many awards for her work including the Crime Writers’ Association Cartier Diamond Dagger (lifetime achievement award), the Sunday Times Award for Literary Excellence and three Edgar Awards, the highest accolade from Mystery Writers of America. Her remarkable career has spanned more than 40 years, with over 60 books published, including those under the pseudonym of Barbara Vine. She was awarded a CBE in 1996 and made a life peer. She serves in the House of Lords as Baroness Rendell of Babergh.

Axel Scheffler was born in Hamburg, Germany and moved to England in 1982 to study illustration at Bath Academy of Art. In 1993 he was suggested as an illustrator for Julia Donaldson’s first picture book text, A Squash and a Squeeze. This was the start of a hugely successful partnership; their bestselling modern classic, The Gruffalo, has sold over 3.5 million copies worldwide, was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal and won the 1999 Smarties Gold Award and the 2000 Blue Peter Award for The Best Book to Read Aloud. He has recently written and illustrated the Pip and Posy series of books for toddlers.

Joanna Trollope was educated at St Hugh’s College, Oxford. She joined the Foreign Office and held various teaching posts before becoming a full-time writer in 1980. Her first books to be published were historical novels written under the pseudonym of Caroline Harvey. These were followed by her contemporary fiction, including The Choir and A Village Affair. The Rector’s Wife, published in 1991, was her first number one bestseller and made her into a household name. Her latest novels are Daughters-in-Law (2011) and The Soldier’s Wife (2012).

Other celebrity supporters

Quotes from other celebrities who have supported our work:

Alesha Dixon says:

If a young person doesn’t gain the literacy skills they need, they will struggle at school and as adults in the job market. Whatever you do for a living, being able to read, write and communicate well is essential if you want to get ahead. A huge part of my career is about being confident at expressing myself in words - whether I’m voicing my opinions on Strictly Come Dancing or writing a new song.

Read our full interview with Alesha.

Kirsty Young says:

Literacy is the best foundation to understanding ourselves, others and the world we live in. Without it we inhabit a place that is a darker, more fearful and solitary. With it we can grapple with learning, share our experiences and raise our expectations.

Andrew Motion says:

I believe literacy matters because it is the key to the door of belonging - belonging to your self, your society and your world. In hard times such as we are now entering, when the risk of inequality will increase, literacy and its unlocking matter more than ever.

Adele Parks says:

I believe every single adult and child has the right to learn to read and write, and to be taught with understanding and patience. Life without literacy skills is extremely difficult. Things that most people take for granted – reading an instruction manual, the headline of the newspaper, a bus timetable or the menu in a restaurant - can be crippling for some. That doesn't seem fair or reasonable to me. I think reading is a bit like eating fruit and veg. You’ll feel better, function better and, while you won't actually live longer, it might just feel as though you have. Through literature we can travel through time, travel to other countries that we may never hope to physically visit and we reach different emotional states. Undoubtedly, reading leaves you richer and wiser. It brings great enjoyment and relaxation - an escape from the stress and strains of daily life. It brings great power and confidence. We all should have this right, and that’s why I am passionate about the National Literacy Trust's campaigning to raise awareness of literacy issues in the UK.

Read our full interview with Adele

We also work with professional footballers, who help us take reading and literacy to new audiences. For more please see Premier League Reading Stars.