Cheryl Robson FRSA| Writer, editor, publisher and filmmaker has been shortlisted by the itv National Diversity Awards twice for Entrepreneurship in 2022 and for Lifetime Achievement in 2019. Cheryl was born in Australia and has lived also in Singapore, France, and UK. She studied Drama & French at University of Bristol then worked at the BBC in London for several years before setting up a theatre company (The Women's Theatre Workshop) producing and developing feminist plays. She gained a PGCE in Drama (Middlesex University) and an MA in Playwriting Studies (University of Birmingham) and went on to create the award-winning publishing company Aurora Metro Books, well-known for its diverse and inclusive range of titles. The company's highly curated list includes over 300 British and international writers, translations from over 20 languages, and drama with over 20 unique world drama collections. Their books have won or been nominated for numerous literary and theatre awards and the company was shortlisted for the IPG National Diversity awards in 2019 and 2020. www.aurorametro.com
As a book editor contributing to over 100 books, her work has won the Pandora Prize from Women-in-Publishing, the Raymond Williams/Arts Council Publishing prize, a Special Jury Prize for Peace, Best Innovative Foodbook and Best Seasonal Foodbook from Gourmand World Cookbooks, been shortlisted for the People's Book prize and her book 'Silent Women; pioneers of cinema' was voted best Book on silent film in 2016.
As a playwright, she has won the Croydon Warehouse International Playwriting Competition, been shortlisted for the Roger Leach Memorial prize and longlisted for the Bruntwood Prize. Several of her plays have been produced to acclaim in London. She has edited or contributed to over 100 books with work also published in The Guardian, The Chicago Tribune, Culture Trip, Riviera News and more.
Her film Rock n' Roll Island, has been selected for several film festivals in UK and USA, won a Gold Remi at Houston Worldfest and was nominated at Raindance London. It was broadcast on BBC4 in 2020 garnering 750,000 views, a Sunday Times Critics Choice and Radio Times Pick of the week. www.cherylrobson.net.
Cheryl is best-known for her leadership of the successful 5-year campaign to erect a statue of Virginia Woolf in Richmond which was unveiled in November 2022 on Richmond riverside. With the charity she founded, Aurora Metro Arts and Media (www.aurorametro.org), they have delivered dozens of arts and education projects, funded by Arts Council, Heritage Lottery and many others, including exhibitions, workshops, readings, films, and a new archive project which aims to preserve local arts and music heritage www.metroarchives.org
With husband Steve, she also co-founded a successful change management business EAChange www.eachange.com established for over 20 years which has delivered thousands of projects for blue-chip clients internationally and was twice listed in the Sunday Times/Virgin fastest growing companies list. They successfully led a management buyout in 2021 of the company and now own the independent bookshop called Books on the Rise in Richmond, (named best independent bookshop in SW London within the first year of opening), which offers weekly literary events with top authors. www.booksontherise.com
As a book editor contributing to over 100 books, her work has won the Pandora Prize from Women-in-Publishing, the Raymond Williams/Arts Council Publishing prize, a Special Jury Prize for Peace, Best Innovative Foodbook and Best Seasonal Foodbook from Gourmand World Cookbooks, been shortlisted for the People's Book prize and her book 'Silent Women; pioneers of cinema' was voted best Book on silent film in 2016.
As a playwright, she has won the Croydon Warehouse International Playwriting Competition, been shortlisted for the Roger Leach Memorial prize and longlisted for the Bruntwood Prize. Several of her plays have been produced to acclaim in London. She has edited or contributed to over 100 books with work also published in The Guardian, The Chicago Tribune, Culture Trip, Riviera News and more.
Her film Rock n' Roll Island, has been selected for several film festivals in UK and USA, won a Gold Remi at Houston Worldfest and was nominated at Raindance London. It was broadcast on BBC4 in 2020 garnering 750,000 views, a Sunday Times Critics Choice and Radio Times Pick of the week. www.cherylrobson.net.
Cheryl is best-known for her leadership of the successful 5-year campaign to erect a statue of Virginia Woolf in Richmond which was unveiled in November 2022 on Richmond riverside. With the charity she founded, Aurora Metro Arts and Media (www.aurorametro.org), they have delivered dozens of arts and education projects, funded by Arts Council, Heritage Lottery and many others, including exhibitions, workshops, readings, films, and a new archive project which aims to preserve local arts and music heritage www.metroarchives.org
With husband Steve, she also co-founded a successful change management business EAChange www.eachange.com established for over 20 years which has delivered thousands of projects for blue-chip clients internationally and was twice listed in the Sunday Times/Virgin fastest growing companies list. They successfully led a management buyout in 2021 of the company and now own the independent bookshop called Books on the Rise in Richmond, (named best independent bookshop in SW London within the first year of opening), which offers weekly literary events with top authors. www.booksontherise.com
