Friends of Books2All
We’re immensely proud to have the support of the following wonderful people as friends of Books2all.
“The important work that Books2All is doing will help to ensure that more children are able to access the resources they need to achieve their aspirations and fulfil their potential. I am delighted to be supporting them in this.”
John Simpson
John Simpson CBE is an English foreign correspondent and world affairs editor of BBC News. He has spent all his working life with the BBC, and has reported from more than 120 countries.
“Lifelong readers have positive early experiences of reading. If they don’t have these experiences at home, school libraries can make a world of difference. It’s such important work you are doing.”
Lucy Strange
Bestselling children’s author, Lucy, writes novels for book lovers aged 9+. Her award-winning writing combines elements of fantasy and magical realism with historical settings.
“We need a culture shift – books and literature are too often sidelined. We should instil a love of reading and its importance as early as possible.”
Philip Womack
Philip is the author of several critically acclaimed children’s fantasy books based on classical mythology and themes.
“It’s vital that all schools provide a consistent and high-quality educational package to help children and young people keep safe and healthy.”
Decima Blake
Decima blends the genres of crime and historical fiction along with a touch of spookiness. She has a long-standing interest in child protection and a percentage of royalties are donated to the charity Embrace Child Victims of Crime.
“Books2All is a wonderful and much-needed initiative. I had no idea that 1 in 8 schools across Britain don’t have access to a library. That magical space where a book can transport a small person to a land of fun, wonder, enrichment and solace.”
Diane Chandler
Diane worked as a political lobbyist in Brussels before joining the European Commission, where she managed overseas aid programmes in Ukraine after the fall of communism. Her first novel won The People’s Book Prize For Fiction.
“Educational inequality is a reality for many children. Books2All is helping to narrow the gap by matching donated books with schools in need – a great initiative.”
Barbara Band
Barbara is an experienced and qualified librarian offering school library consultancy, advice and training services. She is Vice-Chair of the Great School Libraries Campaign and Treasurer-Elect of the CILIP School Libraries Group.
“I am honoured to be a supporter of Books2All. Getting kids into reading means giving them books. It is one of the greatest pillars on which civilisation is built. It’s as simple as that.”
Jeremy Strong
A former headteacher, Jeremy is the author of over 100 children’s books. His stories are humorous, and he has won several awards, including the Children’s Book Award 1997. His books for dyslexic children are published by Barrington Stoke.