Ann Morgan is a writer and editor, and the author of two critically acclaimed books. The first, Reading the World: confessions of a literary explorer, was inspired by her project to read a book from every country on Earth in 2012. Taking the form of a blog, the quest brought Ann into contact with readers, writers, translators and literary organisations around the planet. Through this, she experienced the transformative power of reading and the potential that stories have to bridge cultural, temporal, political and religious divides.
Ann continues to blog about international literature at ayearofreadingtheworld.com. She has given a TED talk, and her literary journey has inspired and informed many personal and group ventures around the globe. As a result, she sits on English PEN’s PEN Translates funding panel and has helped draw up the longlists for several literary prizes, including the Commonwealth Foundation’s short story prize and the FT/OppenheimerFunds Emerging Voices awards. She speaks regularly on international literature in the UK and abroad, and has appeared at numerous literary festivals.
Ann started out as a freelance sub-editor for newspapers and magazines, honing her writing by learning to edit other people’s. She has written on literature, education and international development for publications including the Guardian, the Financial Times, the Independent and the BBC Culture website. Her debut novel, the literary psychological drama Beside Myself, was published by Bloomsbury in January 2016 and is being translated into eight languages.
