About us

Maidenhead’s Big Read is an annual event, held at various venues in Maidenhead, that aims to engage and unite local school children of all ages and backgrounds with reading, with a particular focus on those children who are currently missing out on all that a love of books can provide.

A message from our Patron
Dame Katherine Grainger

Our Team

Stephan Stephan
Chair

Helal Stephan, known to many as Stephan Stephan, is a retired civil engineer and project manager. Twice past president and a member of Maidenhead Thames Rotary Club, he promotes educational events & Rotary led RBWM primary schools competitions.  He also coordinates with local primary schools in Maidenhead for readers who visit schools weekly to encourage children to practise reading.
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Stephan is passionate about children becoming fluent in reading and love of reading at a very early stage to favourably shape their future.

Cathy Ison
Vice Chair

Cathy has been an avid reader since she was a teenager and has found reading to be a joy and a refuge during recent times. She has volunteered as a Rotary Reader in Schools for the last three years and enjoys interacting with the children through reading. She is fully supportive of the aims of the Big Read, particularly nurturing a passion for books and reading in all ages.

Cathy worked as a microbiologist at Imperial College London and Public Health England, where her main interests were teaching and research, and is now retired. She is a longstanding member of Maidenhead Athletic Club and is currently its president, is involved in coaching and is a track and field official. She is also chair of the Braywick Sports Association, which brings together representatives from all activities across Braywick Park to work together.

Tessa Allanson
Member

Tessa worked in the publishing industry for 16 years, producing illustrated non-fiction books. She liaised between printers in the Far East, editorial and sales teams, and customers all over the world to ensure books were printed and delivered on time.

She has always been passionate about books and is now a volunteer reader in a local primary school and a volunteer at Maidenhead Library. She would like every child to experience the joy of being truly engrossed in a book, desperate to read just one more page to find out what happens next, and that is why Tessa is delighted to be involved in Maidenhead's Big Read.

Richard Garner
Treasurer

Richard joined the MBR committee in 2022 months ago and we are delighted to have him on board. He is a practicing Fellow Chartered Accountant with several directorships including one in his own accountancy company.

Aanchal Karnwal
Member

Aanchal's love for reading goes back to her childhood when she walked through the library and found "The Famous Five" books by Enid Blyton on a bookshelf, and that was stepping stone of her love for books.

She is full time working IT professional that pays for her bills, but she is passionate about reading & sustainable way of livings. She strongly believes reading opens the door for endless opportunities & magical experiences.  Her house is full of books so that her two boys can always have access to books and immersed themselves into the mystical land of stories.

She also volunteers with local Maidenhead charities & organizations- Food Share, Thames Valley Adventure Playground, The Brett Foundation. She is also one of the director at Green Skills Library, Maidenhead. She is very excited to be a member of Maidenhead Big Read.

Helen Jane Edwards
Member

As a lifelong bibliophile, Helen has early memories of exploring second-hand bookshops with her father and the excitement of her first trip to Foyles. After spending 15 years as a research scientist, she took a parental career break and now enjoys reading her favourite childhood books with her own voracious little bookworm. Before recently returning to her former career, she also worked as a teaching assistant in a local infant school and found helping children learn to read very rewarding. 

Helen is thrilled to be a member of the Maidenhead Big Read Committee and to get the opportunity to promote a love of reading in children.

Diane Flood
Member

Diane is a Chartered Librarian with more than 30 year's experience of working in libraries from the academic, to public libraries and more recently school libraries. She has a breadth of experience, including roles at a strategic level. She is currently School Librarian at Newlands Girls School in Maidenhead.

She is a lifelong believer in the power of books and reading to enhance lives. Most of her roles have involved working with children and young people to foster a love of reading. She has always been a keen volunteer and amongst other roles, has served as a school governor for over 20 years. She is looking forward to being a member of the MBR team and helping to spread the word about the joy of books and the value of reading to young people across the borough.

Jeanette Kemp
Member

Jeanette has always loved books and reading and was very lucky to have been read to at an early age. This early exposure to books and reading started Jeanette's lifelong passion for enjoying books and spreading the word.

After a successful sales career, Jeanette realised when she took time out to have her family the power of reading and sharing books was something that she wanted to engage with further.

Jeanette spent the following 12 years working for the library service where she able to deliver a reader development programme across the local school's network and also engage local reading groups in a free-lance capacity.

Jeanette delivered the "How to encourage your child to read" sessions at the MBR festivals in 2022 and 2023. 
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Ines Bouamed
Member

​Ines moved to the UK almost three years ago with her family. She is a passionate engineer with over a decade of development experience. Reading has always been one of her greatest passions outside of her professional life, especially sharing that love with her little family. Since the move, reading together has been essential in helping them quickly adapt and learn English. Watching her children's confidence blossom through stories has been one of the most rewarding aspects of their journey.She firmly believes in the power of reading, not just as a tool for learning, but as a way to spark imagination, foster empathy, and explore new perspectives. 
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Ines is delighted to be involved in Maidenhead Big Read and is excited to help young people discover the joy of reading and the many benefits it brings to their lives.

Amelia Smith
Member

Amelia joined the MBR committee earlier this year. She is an Assistant Headteacher and Reading Lead at a local Primary School in her 12th year of teaching. She has a real passion and interest in children’s reading, both in school and encouraging reading for pleasure. Her toddler loves looking at and enjoying books and she hopes to encourage other young children to pick up a book.

Shannon
​Member

Shannon has recently joined the MBR committee to help support and develop children’s interest in reading. She is a Year 3 primary school teacher in her 8th year of teaching. She has experience across KS1 and KS2. She has recently completed my NPQ in Leading Literacy and have been keen to learn more about the wider English curriculum.

Val Pirie
​Member

Val Pirie is a retired University Lecturer in both Primary Education and working with children and young people.

Jeanette
Member

​With a 40+ year career as a local primary school teacher behind her, with many years spent as Head of Art at a local Maidenhead school, Jeanette has experienced first hand the transformative power of books. 

An experienced educator and former school governor, Jeanette has three grown up children and four grandchildren who love nothing more than sharing a book with their grandma. 

A lady with a library card and who isn’t afraid to use it, Jeanette’s favourite past time is romping through a stack of novels, often with glass of wine in hand. 

Delighted to be part of The Big Read, she is passionate about opening the doors of storytelling to as wide an audience as possible.