Trustees
Mari Prichard (Chair)
Worked as a presenter and reporter for the BBC and taught literacy and skills for work to further education students aged from 16 to 60. In 1981 she joined the staff of Oxfordshire County Council as head of adult literacy and thereafter worked as an education officer for early years, family centres and Primary Schools and for adult education. As Head of Adult and Community Learning for the county, until retirement in 2005, Mari was a partner in some of the Trust’s original outreach projects. Humphrey Carpenter, Mari’s husband was a founding patron of the Oxford Literary Festival and after his death, Mari Prichard became a founding member of the Trust.
Danielle Battigelli
Worked as a solicitor, specialising in charity law, for many years before moving on to work freelance in the arts and charity sectors. She was on the board of Oxford Literary Festival, and is a Trustee of Pegasus Theatre.
Peter Mothersole
Was Director of the Educational Publisher’s Council at the Publisher’s Association, then over 26 years at Oxford University Press, he was variously Managing Director of the Educational Division, the International Division, and the English Language Teaching Division. From 2004-5 he was the Managing Director of Macmillan English Campus. Currently Peter serves as Chairman of the Industry Advisory Board for the Publishing Department of Oxford Brookes University, as a Director of the Publishing Training Centre, and is a member of the Supervisory Board for the Centre for Publishing Studies at Stirling University, and the British Council’s English Advisory Group.
Amy Cooke
Amy has a broad-based business background in technology & communications, and the utility sector having held a variety of positions in commercial, product management, operational service improvement, corporate strategy and business development capacities.
John Dennis
John is a Chartered Accountant who worked for OUP for 28 years. After leaving OUP in 2007, John retrained as a Personal Performance Coach with the Coaching Academy and qualified with distinction. He now runs a successful Coaching business, helping people to reach their personal and professional goals and to overcome any issues which might be holding them back.
John is married with three daughters, is an occasional volunteer and fundraiser for Helen and Douglas House, the hospice for children and young adults, and a Trustee of Ladder to the Moon, a charity that uses staff coaching and interactive theatre to improve the quality of life for older people in care, particularly those living with dementia.
Sue Matthew: Member and Education Adviser
Has taught children and young people from the ages of 0 to 26 and was Head teacher at St. Ebbe’s School, Oxford for 14 years. She is a co-opted member of the Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee of Oxfordshire County Council. She helps with OLFEO’s Schools’ Days and sees literature as the key to learning and life!
Angie Prysor-Jones: Member and Executive Director
Joint founding Director of the Oxford Literary Festival (1997). Previously she had various roles in sales and marketing for Heinemann and Thames and Hudson, was publicity manager for Windsor Books International and is now freelance publicist for the Roundhouse Group and Star Books, Training Manager for HENRY and Director of Bookfeast.
The other people we couldn’t do it without:
Schools’ and Lunchboox Manager: Celia MacLachlan
Lunchboox Group Facilitators: Sharnalee Foster; Celia MacLachlan; and Paula Tebay
TeaBooks Group Facilitators: Helen Grimwade; Deidre Macfarlane; and Patricia Scott
Arts Marketing & Photography: Tei Williams