Our team

“As a working class man that had very little secondary education, my concept of colleges and universities had been coloured more by media representations and stereotypes than reality: I did not know anyone that had, or was studying for a degree.”

Leaving secondary education, without any formal qualifications and with very little enthusiasm, Joe entered the work environment, following the path of many people he knew into the printing industry, more traditionally referred to as the ‘Print.’  It was not long though, before he fell into a life of crime, quickly followed by addiction and mental health problems.  By the age of thirty drugs and alcohol were playing a major part in his life and his criminal activity – he already had convictions for theft and affray – was becoming more and more serious.  By this stage he already had experience of prison and was undertaking half-hearted participation in The Crossroad (education) Project, which he openly admits he engaged in merely, “to keep my probation officer happy.”  To his great surprise this actually proved to be the catalyst for his transformation.  Having gained basic skills by way of that initial education program, Joe entered an access course at Greenwich University (1995), followed by a BA in History at Goldsmiths, University of London, from which he graduated with honours in 1998.

Ever since then Joe has been the inspiration, the Director, the chief cook and bottle-washer, and guiding light of Goldsmiths Open Book.  Working with those from offending, addiction, mental health and all other forms of non-traditional backgrounds, Open Book encourages them to take up education, offering them ongoing emotional and practical support throughout their course.  Not surprisingly perhaps, Joe is often heard to describe Open Book as the “provisional wing of widening participation sector!”

“What makes Open Book different is that we’ve used our personal experiences of the deficiencies both in statutory education and in those services intended to deal with the fallout of the system’s failure.”

What makes Open Book so different, especially in widening participation circles, is the fact that it offers advice, encouragement and support to ALL the people it comes into contact with and does not discriminate on any level, believing education is a right that should be inclusive and available to ALL. Goldsmiths Open Book’s pro-active approach means it is always looking for new initiatives to increase the number of students it can assist through the means of education and its accessibility.  Since its inception Goldsmiths Open Book has successfully recruited and supported over three hundred students on various courses from foundation level to post-graduate in a vast number of educational institutions.

“Open Book is a pro-active initiative designed to recruit prospective students that have a history of educational and social exclusion. People with a history of prison, addiction, homelessness, mental health and other such issues are given the opportunity to discover the educational options that they never believed are available to them.  At the heart of Open Book is the ethos that everyone has the right to fulfil their academic potential.”

In his role as Open Book Project Director, Joe had a key role in the Mubarek Enquiry, investigating the racist murder of Zahid Mubarek at Feltham Young Offenders Institute.  In past years he has been invited to address both Labour and Liberal Democrat Party conferences and is busy working on the Conservatives.    He has been a frequent speaker Cambridge University and has often been invited by the BBC and other broadcasters to make comment on a wide range of issues from prison reform and youth offending to the working classes at the opera.  In terms of publicity Joe has a unique habit of infuriating both Guardian and Daily Telegraph in equal measure.  Joe was given a prestigious Life Changers Award by the University College Union, has an Honorary Fellowship from LSBU, received the William Ross Murry Award, a Special Commendation by the Longford Trust and an OBE for Services to Higher Education.

Since taking those first skeptical steps into the world of education Joe Baden has become a passionate advocate in Further and Higher Education circles – truly believing in the work he does, truly caring about the people he meets, and truly believing in education as the one and only path to true self-fulfillment.

When Sarah finally moved to a full-time role at Open Book, which she claims is, “by far the most enjoyable and satisfying role,” she’s had at Goldsmiths, she became heavily involved in the development and expansion of our successful Extended Project Qualification (EPQ),  as well as extending our teaching provision within the Criminal Justice System, which now sees Open Book deliver the EPQ to numerous prisons within London and the South East.

Sarah is also responsible for the design and delivery of our Digital Skills programme, writing, much-needed, funding applications, and offering crucial one-to-one support for our students that advance with us and who choose to apply for university. 

Born to Irish and Scots parents, Fiona has lived for most of her life on a council estate in South-East London and, like many of her colleagues, claims that’ “I did not need to read Marx to understand how capitalism and classism operate to subjugate the working-classes.”  Indeed, Fiona claims to have witnessed and experienced the pathologizing of and discrimination against students and staff from working class backgrounds.

Fiona is particularly interested in the way language and power structures work in educational environs to maintain class privilege, and vehemently believes that Open Book's job will be done when working class people are the gatekeepers of universities and when we determine what educational materials are to be used.

James is often the first port of call for the majority of our prospective students at Goldsmiths, informing them what Open Book does and how we can help, helping with their introduction and enrolment, as well as expanding the work of Open Book in Kent, especially in the Medway towns, where Open Book works with both the local authorities, and other agencies involved in the support of those with addiction, homelessness and mental health issues.

Very much like her colleague, James Carney, Susan first came to After arriving at Open Book in 2006 and swiftly enrolled on a Degree in Creative Writing at Greenwich University. It was during that degree that Sue truly discovered her passion for play writing, and has continued to use those skills in terms of both Open Book and Open Stage CIC productions, which was a drama and theatre arts project that grew out of a similar Open Book Art Showcase project.

Susan claims that it was ‘Rapunzel’ that first saved her way back in the 1960s, with the now unfashionable dream of being saved by a prince, even though she claims to have encountered many frogs, rather than princes, over the years.  However, that introduction to the world of fantasy and magic sparked both her imagination and her love of books.  Indeed, Sue claims that she would rather sit and write a short story than sit and have a conversation with anyone – writing being her weapon of choice. 

After her degree Susan earned a PGCE in Literacy and spent time in India training as a yoga teacher.

Susan, believes passionately in the creative writing, claiming that, “IF Hemmingway can write a six-word story (For sale: baby shoes, never worn) so can you!”  

From early childhood Carolyln has chosen to express herself through drawing and painting, using it as a means of escaping challenging situations and creating, in the process, the perfect release: “From the moment the pencil touched the paper a spell was cast, as lost in the immediacy of creativity through either drawing, painting, collaging or printing, I would resurface to discover hours had passed...that being a common experience shared by many participants of the class.

Students need have not have any previous experience of art, and all equipment and supplies are provided for, and as Carolyn proudly proclaims, “Yes there's the inevitable mess, but it's a gloriously colourful mess to kickstart your Mondays!”  

In 2012 Neil became a permanent member of the Open Book team and has delivered classes in Creative and Life Writing, Playwriting and Performance, Song Writing, Social History, Writing Towards Publication, and the EPQ, as well as holding the role of Open Book Communications and Programmes Manager.  

Neil has always argued passionately as to the continuing lack of Working-Class students in Higher Education and believes that the only way we’re going to have any kind of representation in the worlds of both academia and the creative arts is if we truly do it for ourselves, and that all and everything we produce should be as a direct result of both our respective and collective real-life experience. 

Away from Open Book, Neil is a published author, has been a football fanzine writer for thirty years, produces a long-running series of podcasts dedicated to Working-Class Life, Art, Politics and Culture, and has recently moved into the field of painting with three hugely successful exhibitions of his work to date, and has now taken up a permanent residency at Capital Art Gallery. 

Away from Open Book, Micky is the Art’s Editor for the Southward News, has many teaching roles in the community, has produced a series of podcasts on the prison system, and is a prolific documentary film maker, including a film about Open Book, which helps both to promote the work we do and in terms of the funding bids process. 

Today Jasmine works as a project manager for Open Book with responsibility for managing Open Book’s educational provision at HMP Downview, as well as being involved in numerous education initiatives in the London borough of Camden where I grew up. Within that role Jasmine has become experienced in workshop facilitation, building networks of professionals and academics, and developing inclusive teaching and learning engagements. And whilst having a background and ongoing academic interest in Social Anthropology, her professional experience has led her to develop a practice-based understanding and research expertise into inclusive approaches to pedagogy, community engagement and participatory action research. 

In 2011 Charlie graduated with an MA in English and American Literature from Canterbury University and remains keenly interested in the subject today.  So much so that he is hoping soon to embark on a PhD covering fictional working-class representations.

Away from Open Book Charlie is a keen film and music enthusiast, contributing to numerous podcasts on both subjects, as well as holding a fascination for and a genuine expertise in the genre of ‘Noir’ in both film and literature. 

Tracie’s journey at Goldsmiths began in 2016 after she walked away from a lengthy career in housing to study, beginning with Anthropology then switching to Sociology. She actively sought out Open Book when struggling with the culture shock of university life as a mature student. Tracie was so impressed with the support of Open Book that she wanted to contribute to it and help others. During her studies she secured part-time employment at Open Book as an administrator and hasn’t left!