#ExpertProfile
Sandeep Mahal
Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature – Director
An expert in literature, literacy and libraries, Sandeep Mahal, is Director of Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature and Chair of the UNESCO Cities of Literature Network.
#CitiesofLit @readwithsandy @nottmcityoflit
Passionate about equality, inclusion and empowering young people to build a better world with words, Sandeep is responsible for providing creative and strategic leadership and effective management of Nottingham’s UNESCO designation and charitable company. She drives the city’s vision where everyone is reading and writing their way to a better life. She is also Chair of the UNESCO Cities of Literature Network.
Sandeep previously spent ten years in public libraries in Sandwell, in various roles, working as Race Equality Librarian, and later as Outreach Services Librarian. In addition to libraries, she has many years of experience in the UK publishing environment, transforming the way UK publishers collaborated with the UK public library network. She has staged all kinds of events with authors from Zadie Smith and Jarvis Cocker to Adele Parks and Neil Gaiman. In 2013, Sandeep was seconded as a Clore Fellow to The Space – a commissioning agency supporting greater digital access to the arts, co-funded by Arts Council England and the BBC. Sandeep is a trustee of Spread the Word and the Women’s Prize Trust.
Sandeep has positioned Nottingham’s UNESCO designation as crucial to the local cultural ecology. She has developed a strong reputation for cultural collaboration, provided an infrastructure that has leveraged new investment into the city and embedded the UNESCO designation into the capital development plans for the new Central Library. She worked with the National Literary Trust to establish the Read On Nottingham Literacy Hub and sits on Nottingham’s new Board for Culture and Creativity.

#Institution
Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature, Registered Charity. Director
SINCE 2016
#Alma-Matter
Clore Leadership Programme
Fellow
2013 – 2014
#Role at UNESCO
Director of Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature
SINCE 2016
QUOTE
“Literature can’t move mountains, but it can galvanise social progress. We need culture and we need literature and a good political policy to demonstrate what a cultured, civilised society can do; what a cultured, civilised society can be. It’s what we, the UNESCO Cities of Literature, are about.”
Sandy Mahal, Speaking of the need for UNESCO Cities of Literature.
All accredited experts within our network are elected onto a specific international committee or programme within UNESCO’s framework
ROLE AT UNESCO
Sandeep Mahal is Director of Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature, and Chair of the UNESCO Cities of Literature Network.
Institutions
The Space – Est. by the BBC and Arts Council England
Director
2014 – 2015
The Reading Agency
Programme Manager – Partnerships
2009 – 2014
University of Birmingham
BA(Hons), Librarianship
2000
Role at UNESCO
Director of Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature
SINCE 2015
COMMISSION
UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) – City of Literature
ESTABLISHED 2015 – NOTTINGHAM, UK

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) aims to strengthen cooperation amongst cities recognising creativity, as a strategic factor for sustainable development, with economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts.
Publications
SELECTED WORK
Read about some of the fantastic projects that Sandy and her team are working to deliver to the city of Nottingham.

Building a Better World with Words
JUN 2020
#CreativeCities
This is an exciting new programme of live digital events taking place throughout June and July 2020. Each event will invite different authors, introduce a new theme and see collaboration with another international UNESCO City of Literature as authors discuss their favourite books and deconstruct how they have been providing solace in these uncertain times.

Big City Reads – One city. Four books. Stories that matter.
22020
#GetReading
Sandy and her team held an ambitious event to encourage everyone in Nottingham to get reading. Turning the city into one massive, interactive book group, books would appear in the most unusual and wonderful of places around the city, with clues shared via social media to encourage the hunt!

Young Voices 2020
MARCH 2020
#CreativeWriting
‘Young Voices’ is a series of five creative writing workshops for Year Six pupils and teachers and for Youth Justice Service teams. The team behind this project hope it will develop the confidence and writing skills of students, and celebrate their progress by publishing their best work at ‘Celebrating MyVoice’ in March 2020.
LATEST
QUOTE
“I am absolutely delighted to be the first director of UNESCO Nottingham City of Literature. It is now more urgent than ever to unlock the power of literature and storytelling to build bridges and bring greater community cohesion.”
Sandy Mahal, speaking of her appointment as UNESCO City of Literature Director
#MoreExperts
RELATED EXPERTS
Meet the UK National Commission for UNESCO Accredited Experts
#Literature #CreativeVoices

David Wilson
ACCREDITED EXPERT
#Culture
As an Expert advisor to the UKNC to UNESCO on the development of creative cities across the world, David Wilson works to drive sustainable development through culture and creativity.
RELATED CHAIRS
Read more about our related Chairs in Media Freedom and Journalism

Chair in Media Freedom, Journalism Safety and the Issue of Impunity at the University of Sheffield
PROFESSOR JACKIE HARRISON
#MediaFreedom
We work closely with experts and professionals in the fields of education, science, culture and communication and information from across the United Kingdom. From our Non-Executive Directors who advise the UK Government.

Chair in New Media Forms of the Book at the University of Bedfordshire
PROFESSOR ALEXIS WEEDON
#Communication
We work closely with experts and professionals in the fields of education, science, culture and communication and information from across the United Kingdom. From our Non-Executive Directors who advise the UK Government.

Chair in Informal Digital Learning in Disadvantaged and Development Contexts at the University of Wolverhampton
PROFESSOR JOHN TRAXLER
#Communication
We work closely with experts and professionals in the fields of education, science, culture and communication and information from across the United Kingdom. From our Non-Executive Directors who advise the UK Government.
FULL LIST
A global network of universities that carry out research to address pressing challenges and contribute.
*by alphabetical order
Our advisors are experts in their field who provide advice to the UK National Commission for UNESCO by reviewing applications for UNESCO designations, prizes and patronage, and contribute to other aspects of our work.
#Man&Biosphere #Science
#GlobalGeoparks #Science
#GlobalGeoparks #Science
#CreativeCity #Communication
#CreativeCity #Communication
#MemoryoftheWorld #Culture
#WorldHeritage #Culture
#WorldHeritage #Culture
#BlueShield #CulturalProtection
All our accredited experts are selected to advise the UK National Commission for UNESCO on policy matters related to UNESCO. They are approved by HM government to represent the UK in UNESCO committees, commissions and programmes.
#IHP #Science
#IPDC #Communication
#IHP #Science
#IOC #Science
#IOC #Science
#Bioethics #Social&HumanScience
#UnderwaterCulteralHeritage #Culture
#SESAME #Science
#AI #TuringCenter #Science
UNESCO Chairs are based within Institutes for Higher Education and specialise in specific research fields. They provide policy advice to the UK National Commission for UNESCO and HM government, as well as reviewing UNESCO applications.
Liaising with the UK’ Permanent Delegation to UNESCO and approved by HM government, our Non-Executive Directors help steer the direction of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, and are each responsible for overseeing a particular field of UNESCO’s work in the UK.
#Chair #HumanSciences
#Vice-Chair #Culture
#Communication&Information
#NaturalSciences
#HigherEducation
#Education
JOIN THE NETWORK
Are you interested in becoming a UNESCO UK Expert? Find out more below
EXPLORE FURTHER
Our 🎓 Accredited Experts are one of four pillars that form the structure for our 🕸️ Expert Network. Meet our 🪑 Chairs, our 🔮 Advisors, and our 🧭 Non-Executive Directors
click on the links above