Meet the team

Andrew Kidd

Chief Executive Officer

Andrew Kidd had a fourteen-year career in publishing, first at Penguin, where he was Editorial Director for Viking and Hamish Hamilton, and latterly as Publisher for Picador and Macmillan. He then spent six years as a literary agent, as Managing Director of Aitken Alexander Associates. In 2013 he co-founded what is now known as the Rathbones Folio Prize, a literary charity for which he remains chair of the trustees; and in 2014 he co-founded Alexi, an award-winning digital book discovery and reading app. He became an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2023.

Richard Haseldine

Jo King

Director, The Hurst and The Clockhouse

Jo studied Art History at UEA and spent three years working for authors and agents in London before a ten year stint at Madame Tussauds, discovering the vital stats of inter/national luminaries of the 1990’s. In 2008 she co-founded the region’s first major national contemporary art exhibition and in 2012 Jo founded Ludlow Open, which connects regional artists with the national fine art scene. Ludlow Open now runs two artist residencies (one at The Hurst), six artist development workshops, and a new showcase of regional contemporary art (also at The Hurst).

Michelle Evans

Deputy Director, The Hurst and The Clockhouse

Michelle’s working life began in banking and finance in London and the South East, but after moving to Shropshire in 2002 she found herself firmly sucked into a world of catering. She arrives at The Hurst having worked in and run kitchens (from play barn to pub), learnt to smoke everything from salmon to water (for smoked vodka), and run a bed and breakfast for nearly 18 years. She loves historical writing, fact or fiction, and travel blogs, a passable example of which she wrote whilst walking across Spain.

Ali Ford

House Manager, The Hurst and The Clockhouse

Before moving from Philadelphia to Shropshire and joining the inimitable Arvon team, Ali held a fairly eccentric series of roles that prepared her for The Hurst—including working as a sommelier, a castle tour guide, a sandwich encyclopedia, and, once, the editor of a series of Shakespeare scenes for finger puppets. Ali is also a writer, and she earned her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. Her debut novel, What Remains at the End, was published in 2019 by Seren Books. When she’s not savouring every inspiring moment of work at The Hurst, she’s a budding shepherdess, caring for a flock of sheep that look like goats.

Jo Selman

Gardener

Jo studied African History at SOAS but another passion was always gardening, so after working at Regents Park she did an MSc. in Landscape Ecology, Design and Maintenance. She has done various garden recreations including a Roman Garden on the Isle of Wight. A favourite project was on the Market Gardening and Mining Heritage of the Tamar valley. This included producing a book and various exhibitions. Working on the renovation of the gardens here is dream job for the beauty of the place, the excitement of change and being able to share it with all the writers who come here.

Rachel Hawes

House Manager

Rachel began her career in theatre wardrobe making costumes and props for theatre, film, opera and promotional videos. For twelve years she was the wardrobe supervisor for Björn Again where she and Natasha briefly and unknowingly crossed paths. In 2005 she moved to Shropshire and the following year set up a specialist bookshop in Bishop’s Castle. She works part time as a librarian in Bishop’s Castle and has been a relief member of staff at The Hurst since 2014. She has at last decided to throw her cap in and become a more permanent fixture.

Alia Zapparova

Administrator, Arvon at Home and The Hurst and Clockhouse

Rosie Scott

Co-Director and Redevelopment Operations Lead, Lumb Bank

After studying History of Art in Glasgow, Rosie worked in the arts sector in Manchester for over 10 years beginning her career curating visual arts exhibitions before moving into theatre programming and managing Waterside Arts Centre. Rosie became House Director at Lumb Bank in summer 2015 and loves the variety of her job and the chance to support people, whatever their background or experience, to discover and explore their creativity. She is now also overseeing the operational side of Arvon’s ambitious redevelopment of Lumb Bank.

Helen Meller

Co-Director, Lumb Bank and Arvon at Home

Helen Meller has been Director of Hebden Bridge Arts Festival since 2012. During this time she produced four runs of Hebden Shorts (new short plays by TV writers) and ‘Worlds Apart’ for Chol Theatre, a site specific work inspired by the life and work of Charlotte Bronte. In 2015, her abridgement of ‘The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum’ won Best Audio Drama series award at the BBC Audio drama awards. Before re-locating to Yorkshire in 2002, Helen was a TV producer in London, producing over 200 hours of networked arts programming presented by Mariella Frostrup. Helen has an MA in Creative Writing and a BA in English Literature and lives in Hebden Bridge with her husband and three teenage sons.

Becky Liddell

Senior Administrator, Lumb Bank

Becky’s background is mostly in English teaching, learning and heritage projects, working with schools and community groups. Before starting at Lumb Bank she often walked in the surrounding woods, admiring the handsome house on the hill. She also produced a heritage trail, exploring the history of the tall chimneys in the valley below. Becoming House Administrator seemed a very natural next step and she loves being part of an organisation that nurtures such creative talent – and serves such delicious food!

Rozie Kelly

Interim Admin and Marketing Coordinator, Arvon North

Rozie began her working life gallivanting around the world as a mixology bartender, before studying English Literature and Creative Writing at Warwick and then Manchester. She moved to and fell for the West Yorkshire town of Hebden Bridge in 2021 and consequently discovered the wonderland of Lumb Bank, where she now hosts courses and is responsible for general organisational admin. She writes fiction herself and was shortlisted for the 2023 PFD Queer Fiction Prize. The transformational potential of the written word is her highest priority – aside, of course, from her little dog Otto.

Saul Harrop

House Manager, Lumb Bank

Saul Harrop has two Higher National Certificates to his name – one in Mechanical Engineering and one in Film and Journalism. Not satisfied with these contrasting interests, he was also an FA licensed football referee, an ice hockey goaltender and once broke a rib in a valiant but ultimately scuppered effort in a friendly against the UK National Ultimate Frisbee team. He is never cheerier than when he’s exploring the local woodland, or indulging in his many medieval hobbies, such as archery, axe-throwing, woodwork, or researching folklore. He plays guitar (bass and the other one), and loves art, animation, and film. These days he just likes cooking and making people happy – and can therefore be found in the Lumb Bank kitchen.

Kerensa Wilton

Acting Director, Totleigh Barton

Kerensa grew up a stone’s throw away from Totleigh Barton and jumped at the chance to join the team in January 2020. After balancing 1 baby, 2 horses and 120 cows with Natural Sciences at the University of Exeter, Arvon helped her to reconnect with her first love: literature. With the launch of Arvon at Home, she planted one foot in the virtual realm. Kerensa loves to see people surprise themselves and wants writers to feel that the whole team is willing them to succeed, whether online or at one of their historic Writing Houses. She is also passionate about sustainability, and to this end is diligent in her consumption of left-over cake.

Sarah Beverley

Deputy Director, Totleigh Barton

Sarah studied Biology at Bath before completing an MSc in Biotechnology. After a short stint in agricultural marketing she ran a successful gardening and landscaping company in Surrey for many years. Five years ago she moved to Devon to realise the long-awaited dream of building a sustainable, off grid home in a beautiful woodland. In the meantime she has been running the kitchen in a local residential home. She has a voracious appetite for reading and is excited to have the opportunity to support aspiring writers on their journey.

Sandy Potter

House Manager, Totleigh Barton

Sandy studied History of Art and Sociology as A levels many many years ago. Several jobs, counties and children later she retrained as a mature student at the College of Cranial Sacral Therapy in Primrose Hill London, receiving a distinction, and went on to practise for over 20 years, 10 as a partner in a busy clinic before relocating to Devon with her travelling circus, family, dogs and Marvin Mason the ginger cat. Sandy is delighted to be a permanent Arvon member after working as a relief House Assistant for two years. She has a reputation for never under feeding and is passionate about food and people, living her Devon dream at home and work.

Hannah Hurford

House Manager, Totleigh Barton

Helen Meller

Co-Director, Arvon at Home and Lumb Bank

Helen Meller has been Director of Hebden Bridge Arts Festival since 2012. During this time she produced four runs of Hebden Shorts (new short plays by TV writers) and ‘Worlds Apart’ for Chol Theatre, a site specific work inspired by the life and work of Charlotte Bronte. In 2015, her abridgement of ‘The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum’ won Best Audio Drama series award at the BBC Audio drama awards. Before re-locating to Yorkshire in 2002, Helen was a TV producer in London, producing over 200 hours of networked arts programming presented by Mariella Frostrup. Helen has an MA in Creative Writing and a BA in English Literature and lives in Hebden Bridge with her husband and three teenage sons.

Eliza Squire

Co-Director, Arvon at Home and Access and Inclusion Lead

Eliza grew up four miles away from Totleigh Barton in Devon and spent a very happy nine years working there, always on hand to bring in a relative with a tractor if the track became impassable. After running a dance school with her sister, and briefly working as Director of Outreach and Events at Crediton Community Bookshop, she has recently relocated to Kent where she lives with her partner and is enjoying her next chapter with Arvon, as Co-Director of Arvon at Home. Coming from a farming background and having grown up queer in a rural community, Eliza is dedicated to ensuring that Arvon is a place that is as welcoming and accessible as possible for all writers.

Alia Zapparova

Administrator, Arvon at Home and The Hurst and Clockhouse

Pat Cumper

Chair

Patricia Cumper has worked in the arts for more than forty years as playwright, broadcaster, artistic director and commentator. Educated in Jamaica, Patricia won the Jamaica Scholarship and attended Girton College, Cambridge to study Archaeology and Anthropology. She began writing for the theatre in the Caribbean, and her work has been produced throughout the Caribbean and in the US, UK and Canada. She was Artistic Director and CEO of Talawa Theatre Company, the UK’s largest Black-led theatre company, and was made MBE in 2013 for her work in Black British theatre. Patricia has set up and run arts charities and has sat on the boards of English Touring Theatre, Giants Theatre Company and disability arts organisation Spare Tyre. She was a trustee of the British Museum by Prime Ministerial appointment and is currently a board member of Utopia Theatre Company – a Sheffield-based company dedicated to producing modern African theatre in the UK – and a council member at the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Lee Bilson

Lee Bilson has worked in the heritage sector since completing his Architecture studies at the Glasgow School of Art, and his masters at the University of Cambridge. He has worked for various conservation practices, including English Heritage, on some of the UK’s most important heritage buildings and artefacts including The Palace of Westminster, Blenheim Palace, and HMS Victory. He is also an active researcher, lecturer, and writer specialising in craftsmanship and building history.

Sue Bowers

Rachel Cleverly

Rachel Cleverly is a poet and producer. She is a Barbican Young Poet, an Old Vic Theatre Maker and an alumnus of Apples and Snake’s ‘The Writing Room’ and BBC Words First. She has an MA in Creative Writing from UEA, and has been published by flipped eye publishing, SPAM, ACHE Magazine, The Feminist Library, Ink, Sweat & Tears and Black Sunflowers Press among others. Rachel works as an Education Officer at The Poetry Society, where she manages the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award.

Josh Cockcroft

Josh Cockcroft is a producer and strategist for the creative and non-profit sector. Over the last decade he has worked in a range of roles in film and TV, with a particular focus on projects by writers from marginalised backgrounds. In 2021 he launched Climate Spring, a non-profit development fund for scripted film and TV projects about climate change. Alongside his work on screen, he has consulted for start-ups and has been working with the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation since 2019 where his work focuses on collaboration and insight. Since 2021 he has also been a trustee of the Cultural Philanthropy Foundation in 2021.

Rob Drummer

Kim Evans

Kim Evans is an award-winning arts documentary maker and was a senior executive at the BBC and Arts Council England. She is now a mentor and arts consultant, often working with organisations who support new writers, and artists who work across sectors. She is currently a Trustee of Arvon, Forward Poetry and Arts Catalyst. Her former trustee roles include National Lottery Heritage Fund and the National Portrait Gallery and she was Chair of Clean Break theatre company, working with women whose lives have been affected by the criminal justice system.

Dr Maria Evans FRSA

Maria Evans has worked extensively in the cultural and education sectors for organisations including the BBC, Cheek by Jowl, and the Royal Shakespeare Company, where she was Director of Education from 2004-2008. She has also worked as a teacher, has an MA in Arts Management in Education, and a PhD in the lived experience of teaching Shakespeare.

She now runs her own company, Head-Line Communication Ltd, specialising in providing consultancy, research, coaching/mentoring and training support for a wide range of clients and organisations. Past and current clients include The Portfolio Collective, Arts Council England, the National Theatre, the RSC, The Old Vic Theatre, Culture, Creativity and Education, Intermission Youth Theatre, the Qualification and Curriculum Authority, the Department for Education, A New Direction and IntoFilm. Her work is underpinned by a deep commitment to supporting the learning, creativity and development of others within a fair, inclusive and sustainable society.

Neil Harris

Neil Harris currently works as Head of Finance and Trustee at several organisations that are engaged in providing creative experiences or providing an opportunity for students, teachers and writers to develop their creative skills. As well as his main role as Head of Finance at the Bush Theatre, Neil is part time Head of Finance at the Blackheath Conservatoire, which provides art, drama and music courses to the local community. He is Trustee at the Arvon Foundation, the Arts Council funded national creative writing charity.

Sarah Harwood

Sarah Harwood is a senior fundraiser for the arts, heritage and education. She is currently Director of Development at the Almeida Theatre. She was previously Head of Fundraising at the children’s charity, Ark. Before that, she was Head of Major Donors & Appeals at the National Portrait Gallery, playing a key role in the gallery’s successful ‘Save Van Dyck’ appeal. She was made an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in 2013 in recognition of her work to raise funds for young musicians. She studied at the University of East Anglia.

Niharika Jain

Niharika is a creative and strategic marketer with a significant breadth of experience in across various charities including cultural venues such as Shakespeare’s Globe, Watts’ Gallery, Barbican, British Museum, Historic Royal Palaces and National Theatre. Her strengths are digital marketing, audience development, data insight, partnership development and campaign planning. Currently, she is working as an Audience Development and Marketing consultant. She was a founding trustee of the Vagina Museum and continues to host their monthly book club. She is a writer and poet and was shortlisted for the Merky Books New Writers’ Prize 2023/24.

Nabeela Rasul

Jack Redfern

Jack Redfern has worked in the cultural non-profit sector since his graduation from UCL in 2017 with a BA in English Literature and an MA in Issues in Modern Culture. He is currently a partnerships manager supporting local place-based programmes to achieve equity of creative access for young people, specialising in co-creation, youth voice, and the development of cultural ecologies.

Martha Sprackland

Jon Teckman

Jon Teckman is a former Chief Executive of the British Film Institute and has also served as an advisor on film and television policy for various Government Ministers. After leaving the BFI, Jon worked as a programme director and lecturer at Ashridge Business School, Surrey University and the University of the Arts London, specializing in the areas of leadership, teambuilding and creative problem solving. He served for ten years as a non-executive director of the British Board of Film Classification and is currently a Trustee of the social inclusion charity The School of Hard Knocks. His debut novel Ordinary Joe (which he began on an Arvon course in 2007) was published in 2015.

Rebecca Thompson

John Fairfax
John Moat

Simon Armitage CBE
Lord (Melvyn) Bragg
Lady Caroline Chichester-Clark
Dame Carol Ann Duffy
Jerry Hall
Carol Hughes
Sir Andrew Motion
Nigel Pantling
Sir Salman Rushdie FRSL
Meriel Schindler
Wole Soyinka FRSL