Mo Siewcharran Fund grants go to The Reader and Saqi Books

Creative Access has awarded the first 2022 grants from the Mo Siewcharran Fund to The Reader and Saqi Books. 

The fund was set up in memory of former Nielsen BookData director Mo Siewcharran, who died in 2017 aged 59. It is administered by the social enterprise Creative Acces, and supports internships for groups under-represented in the creative industries. 

The Reader, a national charity working to make literature accessible to all, will provide internships with support from the fund along with Saqi Books, an independent publisher of trade and academic books on the Middle East and North Africa. The Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme, the UK’s paid professional development for theatre directors, has also benefited. 

Alison Speight, development co-ordinator at The Reader, commented: “The Reader is really excited to be able to offer this role of literature directorate assistant. We know that roles in an organisation focused on literature may not feel relevant or accessible for many individuals, particularly if you are from an under-represented background or have an unconventional work/education history. The Mo Siewcharran Fund and Creative Access are supporting us to reach wider in our recruitment, to find someone who has a love of reading and support them to become an integral part of our team.” 

Cassie Lawrence, publicity and marketing executive for Saqi Books, said: “We at Saqi are over the moon that an intern will be joining the team in 2022 and are grateful to the Mo Siewcharran Fund for this opportunity. We look forward to helping a publishing professional embark on their career and to a time in the future when employees across the industry reflect the UK population.” 

Recent research by Creative Access showed that financial stability has declined dramatically during the pandemic. Around a quarter (26%) of respondents in publishing said the coronavirus crisis had negatively impacted their job security. 

John Seaton, Siewcharran’s husband and founder of the fund, said: “As we come out of the pandemic, it is great to be awarding the first grants of 2022 to three organisations that are leading the way in creating a more diverse and inclusive culture in publishing and theatre. The past two years have been incredibly challenging for the sector, but we now have a real opportunity to make fundamental improvements by changing hiring practices and recruiting talent from diverse backgrounds and I am very pleased that the Mo Siewcharran Fund is playing an active role in this mission.” 

Josie Dobrin, chief executive officer and founder of Creative Access, said: “It’s a privilege to partner with John in managing the Mo Siewcharran Fund and to be awarding the first grants of 2022 to three incredible organisations who share our passion to make theatre and publishing more accessible, inclusive and representative. We’re excited to see the talent coming forward to take up the internships with these organisations and the impact they will have on the future of the industry.” 

The fund is once again open for other theatre or publishing organisations wishing to support internships for those from under-represented communities, until 1st July. For more information, email Lucy@creativeaccess.org.uk. 

Last year, companies such as Faber and Profile Books were awarded grants from the fund.