Meet the bestselling author making our Story Kits a hit!

We are thrilled to have worked with bestselling author and storyteller Venessa Taylor on the development of our Story Kits.

Venessa is a bestselling author and winner of The People’s Book Prize for Children’s Literature 2021. Her debut, Baller Boys, which uses football-themed stories to get young boys into reading, has received rave reviews.

She was born and raised in the heart of London, and attended North London University, graduating with a Batchelor of Education with Honours.

Venessa, a mother of three, went on to have a long and illustrious teaching career spanning over twenty years. She started her teaching career in Hackney then moved on to Haringey before returning to Hackney to become an Assistant Headteacher.

In 2016, Venessa was diagnosed with Leukaemia and was eventually medically retired in 2017. Venessa is an ambassador for several cancer charities including ACLT, where she uses her experience of Leukaemia to spread awareness and encourage others to register as lifesaving stem cell donors.

On retirement Venessa carved out a new career as a writer, storyteller and author, with her debut book Baller Boys becoming a prize-winning number 1 best seller. Venessa is a loving grandmother to two football crazy boys who inspire her to write books that include characters that look like them. Her second book in the series is due for publication in 2022.

“Through her creative work on the Story Kits, Venessa has helped us share the joy of storytelling and hopefully stimulate the imaginations of the many, many storytellers in the town.”

Jake Orr, Creative Producer, HOME Slough

Order or download your Story Kit now