Ben O'Donnell

Ben O'Donnell has a diverse range of work experience in the education and literacy sector. Ben began their career as a Project Coordinator at Develop EBP in 2009 and then transitioned to a Project Executive role at The Prince's Trust from 2010 to 2012. Ben joined Book Trust in 2012 as a Targeted Offers Coordinator and later became the Primary Projects Manager from 2013 to 2015. After that, they served as the Head of Learning at Discover Children's Story Centre from 2015 to 2019. Following this, Ben was appointed as the Head of Children & Young People's Reading at The Reading Agency from 2019 to 2020. Ben then held the position of Special Projects Manager at Yoto from 2021 to 2022, where they developed engagement projects, social policy, creative writing competition, and high-profile partnerships and sponsorships internationally and within the UK. Ben also worked as the BBC Short Story Awards project manager at BBC in 2021. Currently, they are working as a Senior Account Manager at We Are Futures from 2022. Additionally, in 2020, they started their own role as a Children's Literature, Reading, and Creative Literacy Consultant.

Ben O'Donnell has a strong academic background in English Language and Literature. Ben first attended The University of Sheffield from 2004 to 2007, where they obtained their Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in English Language and Literature. Ben then continued their education at the same institution from 2007 to 2008, completing a Master of Arts (MA) degree in English Language and Literature, with a focus on the general field of study.