CILIPS Conference 2021 – Speaker Biographies

Learn more about the fascinating career journeys that led our conference keynote speakers to CILIPS 2021.

Kerry Hudson

Kerry Hudson was born in Aberdeen. Her first novel, TONY HOGAN BOUGHT ME AN ICE-CREAM FLOAT BEFORE HE STOLE MY MA, was the winner of the Scottish First Book Award while also being shortlisted for the Southbank Sky Arts Literature Award, Guardian First Book Award, Green Carnation Prize, Author’s Club First Novel Prize and the Polari First Book Award. Kerry’s second novel, THIRST, won France’s prestigious award for foreign fiction, the Prix Femina Étranger, and was shortlisted for the European Premio Strega in Italy. Her latest book and memoir, LOWBORN, takes her back to the towns of her childhood as she investigates her own past. It was a Radio 4 Book of the Week, as well as a Guardian and Independent Book of the Year. It was longlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and Portico Prize and shortlisted in the National Book Token ‘Books Are My Bag’ Readers’ Awards and the Saltire Scottish Non-Fiction Book of the Year. In 2020, Kerry was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Dr Barry Houlihan

Dr. Barry Houlihan is an Archivist at the James Hardiman Library at National University of Ireland Galway. Barry teaches in disciplines of History, Children’s Studies and Digital Cultures. He is project archivist for the Tuam Mother and Baby Home Oral History Project.

Marie Østergaard

As Library Director of Aarhus Public Libraries, Østergaard oversees Dokk1 (the main library) and 18 branches. Since 2001 she has been part of Aarhus Public Libraries’ development of the library as a democratic space. Focusing on user-involvement, partnerships, design thinking and rethinking of library spaces, she has investigated new technologies, involvement processes and organisational learning.

From 2005-2015 Østergaard was the project leader of the building of Dokk1, implementing and developing these ideas as well as introducing new formats of citizen involvement. Dokk1 is the largest public library in the Nordic Countries and has been highly acclaimed for its rethinking of library spaces, partnerships, involvement of users and part-taking in city development.

Throughout the years Østergaard has worked intensely with co-creation and partnerships – nationally and internationally – to push development, network and innovation in the library sector. She is the co-inventor of Next Library – a network gathering thought leaders and innovators from around the world discussing the development of libraries.

Jeanette Castle

Jeanette Castle is the University Librarian at the University of the West of Scotland.  As a professional librarian, Jeanette has worked across Higher Education, School, Special and Public Library Sectors and contributed to research projects across the UK, including chairing the advisory board for the MAIPLE project delivered by Loughborough University. Jeanette is presently Chair of the Advisory Board for the development of the Public Library Strategy in Scotland and enthusiastic about promoting the value of libraries.

Bridget McKenzie

Bridget McKenzie is a researcher and creative curator in culture, learning and environment. She has been director of Flow Associates since 2006, after 14 years in roles such as Education Officer for Tate and Head of Learning at the British Library. She is an advisor for Culture Unstained and co-founder of Culture Declares Emergency. She presents and publishes internationally on possibilities of Regenerative Culture. She is founding director of Climate Museum UK, a new CIC which stirs and collects the emerging response to the Earth crisis.

Peter Geoghegan

Peter Geoghegan is an Irish writer, broadcaster and investigations editor at the award-winning news website openDemocracy. He led openDemocracy‘s investigations into dark money in British politics that were nominated for a 2019 British Journalism award and the Paul Foot award. His journalism has appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian, the London Review of Books and many other publications. His last book, Democracy for Sale: Dark Money and Dirty Politics was published in August and is a Sunday Times bestseller.