We’re delighted to welcome three new members to our Board of Trustees this month.

Joining our board are Andrew McMillan, Danielle Bassan and Louisa Craggs. They will offer their skills, expertise and guidance as we head towards our 10 year anniversary as a UNESCO City of Literature.

Our Board of Trustees support the development of Manchester City of Literature as a convenor of the city’s literary ecology – they oversee our strategic direction and are passionate advocates for our work. We would like to extend a very warm welcome to Andrew, Danielle and Louisa – and look forward to working with them.

You can find out more about the Board and the Manchester City of Literature team on this page.

About the New Trustees

Andrew McMillan, MBE, FRSL
Andrew McMillan is the author of three poetry collections, a novel and the co-editor of the anthology 100 Queer Poems. His work has been widely translated across Europe, and has won the Guardian First Book Award, the only poetry collection to ever do so, as well as a Somerset Maugham Award, an Eric Gregory Award, the Polari Prize and a Northern Writers’ Award, amongst others. He has been shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize, The Forward Prizes and the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year. He is Professor of Contemporary Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University and a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He was made an MBE for Services to Literature in the 2026 New Year’s Honours. A fourth collection, partings, will be published in February 2027.

Danielle Bassan
Danielle is an experienced policy and strategy advisor with a focus on managing public money for better outcomes. After studying English Literature at University she became a management consultant. She then spent more than a decade in a variety of central government roles in the UK and New Zealand. Now she has settled in Manchester, she is keen to get get to know the city better through its literary scene and help others fall in love with literature.

Louisa Craggs
Louisa Craggs is a strategic brand and marketing leader with over 15 years’ experience. She specialises in helping organisations build meaningful connections with audiences through smart insight, creative communications and impactful partnerships. Most recently, as Head of Brand at JD Sports, she led the company’s global brand strategy and major international campaigns.

Louisa brings commercial expertise alongside a strong commitment to social impact, driven by a belief that stories have the power to shape culture, foster empathy and broaden whose voices are heard and valued.

Her interests centre around youth culture and widening access to ensure more people see themselves, and their communities, reflected in Manchester’s rich literary and cultural landscape.