Sarah Crown made ACE literature director

Mumsnet editor Sarah Crown has joined Arts Council England (ACE) to become its director of literature and the South West.

The role of director for literature is a national one, in addition to which Crown will have a regional leadership position in the South West team.

Crown has been editor of mumsnet.com, the UK’s largest network for parents, for the past four years, and before this was the Guardian’s online literary editor. 

Her appointment follows the departure of Antonia Byatt in October last year to become director of the Cheltenham Literature Festival.

Crown said: “I’m delighted to be joining the Arts Council, and extremely excited about the possibilities the role of director of literature offers in terms of supporting and developing literature in all its forms across England, and highlighting the rich contribution it makes to the cultural life of the country.”

Phil Gibby, area director, South West, Arts Council England, said: “We’re really pleased to welcome Sarah to the organisation, as national director for literature and in a key leadership role within the south west area team.  She brings us substantial expertise in her field and an empathetic approach to doing business which I’m sure will be valued by artists, writers, cultural organisations and stakeholders at local across the country.”

ACE's funding was protected in the government's spending review at the end of November and recently provided a one-off grant to allow the Poetry Book Society, the original entity that went into liquidation in June, to hand over its principle activities to Inpress "in good order" without disputes from creditors.