Simon is behind the book blog and Youtube channel Savidge Reads. He founded the Green Carnation Prize, has been a talent scout for Orion Publishing, and a judge for the Guardians’ Not the Booker, Fiction Uncovered and the Costa Book Awards. He has written for the Bookseller, Waterstones, the Guardian and The Independent and hosted literary events at bookshops and festivals across the UK and in the USA. He is the chair for the Portico Prize, has presented on Sky Arts and can be heard monthly on the Sarah Brett Show on BBC 5 Live. He is a passionate lover of books, reading and libraries, and he joins us from Liverpool Library service where he led on commercialisation, retail, marketing and events, covering 19 libraries including HMP Liverpool.