Ruth Borthwick

Ruth Borthwick was formerly Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Arvon, the UK’s leading creative writing charity. Over her decade in charge, she led a major renovation of The Hurst, Arvon’s Grade II-listed property in Shropshire. It is the largest arts facility in Britain heated by renewables. The establishment of the Clockhouse Writers Retreat in the grounds offers writers the time and space to write in a comfortable and serviced environment. From 2000–2007, Ruth directed the Literature and Talks programme at London’s Southbank Centre, UK’s only year-round festival of literary events. Whilst there she founded Imagine, the children’s literature festival, and revived Poetry International, the biennial festival initiated by Ted Hughes. Previously, she, together with Bernardine Evaristo, devised and organised Spread the Word, London’s literature development agency, which focused on supporting marginalised writers to develop their craft. Ruth has worked in publishing, researching and bookselling in England and in Australia, where she worked in the first bookshop in Sydney to sell gay books. In June 2018 she was appointed an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.