Squad Writers Join Our Board

After an open recruitment process we have appointed Squad grad, poet and translator Tayiba Sulaiman to our Board. Tayiba, who works in International Rights for agents Peters, Fraser and Dunlop, has previously take part in our On Board Experience Programme and says “I’ve had a great time of learning how the Squad works from the inside, so I’m delighted to be joining the Board as a full member.”

Replacing Tayiba for the OnBoard Experience, an opportunity to take part in governance and management without the legal responsibility, will be Rory Thorp, short story specialist and Library Experience Advisor at the University of Manchester Library. Rory says, “I’m looking forward to the OnBoard Experience and getting a taste of what it’s like to run an arts organisation. The Squad means so much to me I’m excited to meet the team and contributing to our evolution over the next eighteen months.” And Beth adds, I’m really thrilled to continue with the OnBoard Experience, I learnt so much over the last 18 months, and I’m excited to learn more and see the Squad grow.”

Beth Westbrook, script writer and campaigner for equal access, will continue in her OnBoard Experience role, she says, “I’m really thrilled to continue with the OnBoard Experience, I learnt so much over the last two years and I’m excited to learn more and see the Squad grow.”

Writing Squad chair Alexa von Hirschberg adds, “While we value our external board members, what makes the Writing Squad so special is having 50% of our Board made up of Squad ‘grads’, they bring to our discussions their knowledge of the organisation and its values, as well as their experience of being working writers, editors and library workers in the commercial and subsidised sectors.”