Farrah is the Learning Programme Leader at the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education. She is passionate about promoting every child’s right to quality learning underpinned by access to a rich and varied diet of quality literature.

Richard is an experienced Key Stage 2 teacher and Professional Teaching Enhancement Lead at Springwell School, Heston. He co-leads a Teachers' Reading group in Ealing, South-West London and is the UKLA representative for London. Having studied the effect that graphic novels may have on their readers in his own research, he is interested in developing children's empathy through a wider range of texts. 

Jon is a teacher at one of EmpathyLab’s pioneer schools, with a passion for developing genuine reading cultures in schools. He coordinates the Patron of Reading initiative, writes a regular blog and talks about books at every possible opportunity. He recently won the Experienced Teacher Award in UKLA’s Reading for Pleasure Awards.

Sarah is the Libraries Development Manager for Brent Libraries. Her role involves the planning and delivery of strategic service provision for libraries covering children and young people's services, adult learning and adult reading services. A recent highlight was being a lead partner with Apples and Snakes arts organisation for the delivery of the Spine annual arts and literature festival for children and young people across half of London. 

An inspirational English teacher told Jonathan he should follow in his footsteps... and so he did! Via a degree in Graphic Art, designing album covers then developing skills in teaching PSHE & Citizenship, Jonathan led a Secondary SEAL pilot project before using the approach to underpin a literacy programme. Things came full circle when he became a full-time English teacher and rediscovered a love of books thanks to the CLPE Power of Reading course.

Dawn has spent all her career mainly with a Schools’ Library Service, moving to include children’s libraries, then back as manager of SLS. 

She has more recently brought that knowledge and experience to the School Library Association where she still enjoys the challenge of getting the right book into the hands of students and teachers who need a particular book for a specific need at any one time.