Cassie Chadderton
Cassie is Chief Executive of World Book Day.
She was previously Head of UK Theatre, the major professional association for theatre and the performing arts and Director, Media and Stakeholder Relations at Arts Council England, working to promote the importance of the arts to society and the creative economy.
Before then Cassie held publicity roles at publishing companies including Fourth Estate and Random House and led campaigns for a range of bestselling fiction, non-fiction and celebrity authors.
She is Chair of Culture Central, the collective voice for arts and culture in the West Midlands. She is a Fellow of the RSA and works with Speakers for Schools and Creative Access.
To contact Cassie, email hi@worldbookday.com, including her name in the subject line.
Emma Pritchard
Emma Pritchard has been Manager at World Book Day for the last 4 years. During her time with the charity she has worked on all aspects of the campaign but particularly enjoys promoting the message that reading is for everyone and working on community projects to bring books to children and young people who may not otherwise have access to books.
Before World Book Day, Emma worked in the marketing departments of publishing companies including Haymarket Publishing and DK Books where she was responsible for a diverse range of titles from Mary Berry’s cookery books to beautiful natural history books as well as working with key licensors including LEGO and Disney.
Her passion has always been in children’s publishing and promoting the joy of reading for pleasure in whatever format that takes whether it’s comics, audiobooks or curling up with one of your favourite books. With three small children Emma’s own TBR pile is getting bigger and bigger but her favourite part of the day is rediscovering all the books she loved as a child with her own children as well as discovering all the amazing new talent currently out there.
To contact Emma, email hi@worldbookday.com, including her name in the subject line.
Kate Sayer
Kate joined World Book Day in March 2021. She is responsible for ensuring that World Book Day resources promote Reading for Pleasure as our Community and Development Manager.
A trained primary teacher Kate has worked in Arts Education since 2007. Kate has previously worked for the Warwick Arts Centre as Head of Creative Learning, the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education delivering teacher CPD programmes, The Story Museum (as Head of Learning), devising a learning offer for the museum’s first opening, Discover Children’s Story Centre, and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Kate loves connecting physical play experiences with books and when she’s not at work can be found using her son as a guinea pig.
To contact Kate, email hi@worldbookday.com, including her name in the subject line.
Maya Maraj
Maya Maraj is World Book Day's Commercial Partnerships Manager.
Maya is highly experienced within the Publishing and Licensing Industries and has managed a diverse portfolio of brands, authors and artists both as a Licensee and Licensor over the past 30 years.
In Publishing Maya has previously worked for Penguin Books, Scholastic and Sweet Cherry Publishing, and in Licensing she has worked for Simon Fuller’s 19 Entertainment and Shine 360 where she helped manage Licensing for Artists and Brands.
She is passionate about making reading accessible to all children.
Amy Birch
Amy is World Book Day’s Finance and Operations Manager.
She was previously Director of Funding and Resources for The Active Wellbeing Society in Birmingham, supporting underserved communities.
In 2016 she joined a group of seven people who campaigned nationally to save Warwickshire’s first Community owned pub, The New Inn, Norton Lindsey.
Having spent 18 years as an accountant in practice she has experience of both commercial and grant funded environments, but over the last 5 years has become increasing inspired by the third sector and the impact it makes to the world we live in.
Annabel Underwood
Annabel is World Book Day’s Digital Content and Marketing Executive. With a life-long love of books, she is passionate about helping more children to discover reading and the benefits it can bring.
An enduring fascination with the power of language has driven Annabel’s career, with a love of poems and picture books as a child, through to exploring language in all its forms through a linguistics degree.
Previously, Annabel has worked in communications and marketing for South West Lakes Trust (environmental charity), and Wheal Martyn Clay Works (museum in Cornwall).
To contact Annabel, email hi@worldbookday.com, including her name in the subject line.
Morgan Jones
Morgan Jones is World Book Day’s Trainee Administrator.
Before World Book Day, Morgan worked in a primary school supporting children with their learning. She is excited to be part of the World Book Day team.
She developed her love of books from an early age leading her to pursue a degree in English Literature with Communication, Media & Culture. She is passionate about promoting diverse authors and wants every child to see themselves represented in the books they read.
Morgan is proud to be part of the World Book Day team, inspiring more children to read for pleasure and helping give every child the opportunity to have a book of their own.
To contact Morgan, email hi@worldbookday.com, including her name in the subject line.
Associates
Jaysika Dennis
Jaysika is a Chartered Institute of Marketing qualified marketing and communications professional, with over 15 years’ experience in a variety of sectors including libraries, education, arts and culture and the not-for-profit sector.
Jaysika has developed and managed a number of marketing campaigns to promote children’s reading initiatives and reading for pleasure, as well as campaigns to promote diverse children’s literature.
Jaysika specialises in diversity and inclusion marketing, strategic marketing planning, digital and social media marketing.
Connect with Jaysika on LinkedIn.
Tom MacAndrew
Tom MacAndrew is a freelance consultant specialising in poetry and literature programmes. He has delivered projects for clients including Apples & Snakes, the British Museum, CLPE, Forward Arts Foundation, Poet in the City, Roundhouse, Spread the Word and World Book Day.
As a creative producer he has delivered work for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Arts. He produced three series of the Bedtime Stories for the End of the World podcast; edited an accompanying illustrated book; and currently runs Propel Magazine which promotes work by emerging poets. He has developed and toured shows nationally and internationally with poets including Joelle Taylor, Adam Kammerling, Joshua Idehen, Francesca Beard and John Hegley. Tom is the producer for Out-Spoken, London’s largest regular poetry night, resident at Southbank Centre, and for their publishing house Out-Spoken Press. In partnership with Spread the Word he runs the annual Deptford Literature Festival. He is a trustee of the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre.
