Author Profile - Mary Hopper

Author of: Unlocking Speaking and Listening in Every Child.

I grew up in a small village in Northamptonshire, East Haddon, where I went to primary school. I studied Classical Civilisation and English at the University of Nottingham, before travelling through Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Canada for a year.

I currently work as an Independent Literacy Consultant through my company Three Bears. I provide courses, coaching and bespoke CPD for schools, charities and other organisations developing children’s mastery of English. Before this, I worked as the lead Adviser for Primary English at Northamptonshire Local Authority and was a Primary National Strategy Literacy Consultant.

I work voluntarily with the charity Beanstalk and am currently the Chair of the Northamptonshire Branch Support Group. They place volunteers in schools to support children struggling with reading.

I am also a keen writer of children’s fiction and am an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

I live in a village on the edge of a forest and am a lover of the countryside, animals (we’ve got two cats and a dog) and being outdoors. I’ve been practicing Tai Chi for over 15 years and enjoy reading, singing, gardening and pretty much anything creative!

Read our interview with Mary on the Ransom blog.