Sandra Agard

Last updated

Sandra Agard
Hon. FRSL
Born
Hackney, London, England
NationalityBritish
Occupation(s)Storyteller, writer, literary consultant and cultural historian
Awards Benson Medal (2022)

Sandra Agard Hon. FRSL is a British storyteller, writer, literary consultant and cultural historian. She is a published author of short stories and poetry, and for more than 40 years has performed her work, including plays, within the UK as well as internationally. She has worked in libraries as a literature development officer, as well as in art galleries and with community groups in many other settings. In 2022, she was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (RSL) and was the recipient of the RSL's Benson Medal. [1]

Contents

Biography

Sandra A. Agard was born in Hackney, London, to Guyanese parents who had travelled to the UK in the early 1950s. [2] [3]

In a career spanning 40 years, she has been a professional storyteller, author, tutor, playwright, literary consultant, editor and cultural historian, working in educational, cultural institutions, organisations and literary festivals throughout the UK and internationally, including in the United States. [4] Her plays have been performed at such venues as the Royal Court Young People's Theatre, the Polka Theatre, the Lyric Hammersmith and The Drill Hall in London. [5] Publications where her short stories have appeared include Tales, Myths and Legends, Time for Telling and in Malorie Blackman's anthology Unheard Voices. [6]

Her storytelling is characteristically "steeped in African Caribbean oral traditions", [7] and she is best known for her popular interactive stories with children, through which she encourages them to become involved, explaining the inspiration behind the stories. [8] Her recently published work includes the 2019 children's book Harriet Tubman: A Journey to Freedom. [9]

Agard was Centenary Storyteller in Resident at the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, [10] [11] and her other previous employment includes various engagements with organisations such as Southwark and Lewisham Libraries in south-east London, [12] and the Ministry of Stories. [13] She is currently a Learning Facilitator for Schools at The British Library. [1]

In 2022, Agard was elected as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (RSL). [1] She was also awarded the RSL's Benson Medal, which honours a whole career of service to literature. [14] [15]

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beatrix Potter</span> British childrens writer and illustrator (1866–1943)

Helen Beatrix Heelis, usually known as Beatrix Potter, was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist. She is best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit, which was her first commercially published work in 1902. Her books, including 23 Tales, have sold more than 250 million copies. An entrepreneur, Potter was a pioneer of character merchandising. In 1903, Peter Rabbit was the first fictional character to be made into a patented stuffed toy, making him the oldest licensed character.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roald Dahl</span> British writer and poet (1916–1990)

Roald Dahl was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide. He has been called "one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century".

<i>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</i> 1964 childrens novel by Roald Dahl

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a 1964 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka.

<i>Matilda</i> (novel) 1988 childrens novel by Roald Dahl

Matilda is a 1988 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. It was published by Jonathan Cape. The story features Matilda Wormwood, a precocious child with an uncaring mother and father, and her time in school run by the tyrannical headmistress Miss Trunchbull.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Society of Literature</span> Literature society in London

The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820 by King George IV to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, the RSL has about 600 Fellows, elected from among the best writers in any genre currently at work. Additionally, Honorary Fellows are chosen from those who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of literature, including publishers, agents, librarians, booksellers or producers. The society is a cultural tenant at London's Somerset House.

<i>The Witches</i> (novel) 1983 childrens book by Roald Dahl

The Witches is a 1983 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. A dark fantasy, the story is set partly in Norway and partly in England, and features the experiences of a young English boy and his Norwegian grandmother in a world where child-hating societies of witches secretly exist in every country. The witches are ruled by the vicious and powerful Grand High Witch, who arrives in England to organise her plan to turn all of the children there into mice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marina Warner</span> English writer, historian and mythographer (born 1946)

Dame Marina Sarah Warner, is an English historian, mythographer, art critic, novelist and short story writer. She is known for her many non-fiction books relating to feminism and myth. She has written for many publications, including The London Review of Books, the New Statesman, Sunday Times, and Vogue. She has been a visiting professor, given lectures and taught on the faculties of many universities.

Dame Carmen Thérèse Callil, was an Australian publisher, writer and critic who spent most of her career in the United Kingdom. She founded Virago Press in 1973 and received the Benson Medal from the Royal Society of Literature in 2017. She has been described by Gail Rebuck as "the most extraordinary publisher of her generation".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ali Smith</span> Scottish author and journalist (born 1962)

Ali Smith CBE FRSL is a Scottish author, playwright, academic and journalist. Sebastian Barry described her in 2016 as "Scotland's Nobel laureate-in-waiting".

Ophelia Magdalena Dahl is a British-American social justice and health care advocate. Dahl co-founded Partners In Health (PIH), a Boston, Massachusetts-based non-profit health care organization dedicated to providing a "preferential option for the poor." She served as executive director for 16 years and has since chaired its board of directors.

Dame Felicity Ann Dahl is a British film producer who married the author Roald Dahl in 1983. She was previously married to Charles Reginald Hugh Crosland. The quietly spoken Dahl gave a rare interview in November 2008 to publicise the inaugural Roald Dahl Funny Prize and reflect on her years with the late author.

Juliet R. V. Barker is an English historian, specialising in the Middle Ages and literary biography. She is the author of works on the Brontës, William Wordsworth, and medieval tournaments. From 1983 to 1989 she was the curator and librarian of the Bronte Parsonage Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debjani Chatterjee</span> British poet (born 1952)

Debjani Chatterjee MBE is an Indian-born British poet and writer. She lives in Sheffield, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taffy Thomas</span>

Taffy Thomas, MBE is a storyteller, based in Grasmere in the English Lake District.

Lucy Angela Hughes-Hallett is a British cultural historian, biographer and novelist. In November 2013, she won the Samuel Johnson Prize for nonfiction for her biography of the Italian writer Gabriele D'Annunzio, The Pike. The book also won the 2013 Costa Book Award (Biography) and the Duff Cooper Prize.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roald Dahl bibliography</span> List of works written by Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl (1916–1990) was a British author and scriptwriter, and "the most popular writer of children's books since Enid Blyton", according to Philip Howard, the literary editor of The Times. He was raised by his Norwegian mother, who took him on annual trips to Norway, where she told him the stories of trolls and witches present in the dark Scandinavian fables. Dahl was influenced by the stories and returned to many of the themes in his children's books. His mother also nurtured a passion in the young Dahl for reading and literature.

Liz Weir is a Northern Irish children's writer and storyteller. She is currently Storyteller in Residence in Belfast and has written 27 stories. She is involved in a number of storytelling organisations including The Early Years Organisation, where she talks to children about racism, anti-bullying and respect for the elderly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deirdre Osborne</span> Australian-born academic

Deirdre OsborneHon. FRSL is an Australian-born academic, who is Professor of Literature and Drama in English. She teaches in the Department of English and Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London and is Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Co-ordinator for the School of Arts and Humanities. She co-founded the MA degree in Black British Writing. In 2022, Osborne was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature for her "her contribution to the advancement of literature in the UK".

Susheila Nasta, MBE, Hon. FRSL, is a British critic, editor, academic and literary activist. She is Professor of Modern and Contemporary Literatures at Queen Mary University of London, and founding editor of Wasafiri, the UK's leading magazine for international contemporary writing. She is a recipient of the Benson Medal from the Royal Society of Literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claire Armitstead</span> British journalist and author

Claire Armitstead FRSL is a British journalist and author. She is Associate Editor (Culture) at The Guardian, where she has worked since 1992. She is also a cultural commentator on literature and the arts, and makes appearances on radio and television, as well as leading workshops and chairing literary events in the UK and at international festivals. She has judged literary competitions including the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books, the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, the PEN Pinter Prize and the Scotiabank Giller Prize.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Sandra Agard" . Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  2. ↑ Sestini, Eugenia (18 December 2019). "In Conversation with Sandra Agard" . Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  3. ↑ "Sandra Agard: An Ode to Ridley Road". Americas and Oceania Collections Blog. British Library. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  4. ↑ Wild, Stephi (12 July 2022). "RSL Announces 60 New Fellows and Honorary Fellows For 2022". Broadway World . Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  5. ↑ "Sandra A Agard". Arachne Press. 19 December 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  6. ↑ "Sandra A. Agard". Little Tiger. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  7. ↑ "Sandra A. Agard". Penguin Random House.
  8. ↑ "The Power of Stories with Sandra Agard". King's College School, Wimbledon . 3 March 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  9. ↑ "Harriet Tubman: A Journey to Freedom BOOK LAUNCH". 8 October 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  10. ↑ "Roald Dahl Day in Great Missenden". 25 August 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  11. ↑ "Collage Kids: Sandra Agard Telling Tales". Black History Month. 28 May 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  12. ↑ "World Tales with Sandra Agard". The Story Museum. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  13. ↑ "Sandra A. Agard". Ministry of Stories. 22 June 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  14. ↑ Shaffi, Sarah; Lucy Knight (12 July 2022). "Adjoa Andoh, Russell T Davies and Michaela Coel elected to Royal Society of Literature".
  15. ↑ Murua, James (13 July 2022). "The UK's Royal Society of Literature Fellows 2022 Announced". Writing Africa. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.