My debut novel, Everybody Jam, published by Andersen Press, was shortlisted for the Carenegie Medal 2012, Branford Boase Award 2012, Coventry Inspiration Award 2012 and the North East Book Award 2012. It was also shortlisted for the Dioraphte Award 2013 in the Netherlands and the Wirral Paperback of the Year 2013. It has also won the IBBY Sweden Peter Pan Award. It is a coming of age tale set in the Australian outback.I am writing my second novel aimed at the Young Adult market at the moment. To find out more about me and my writing go to my website at www.alilewis.co.uk

I lead a team of six communications officers who manage a range of issues relevant to the youth justice sector, covering all channels including media, digital, publications, stakeholder engagement, internal communications, publications and events.

I worked at the Department of Energy and Climate Change in the Media Team, leading some of the most complex and difficult issues that face the Government, including energy security, the promotion of shale gas industry, maximising the potential of the North Sea assets whilst balancing messages of needing to decarbonise our energy sector in order to meet our climate change objectives. As Senior Media Officer at the Deartment of Energy and Climate Change, my responsibilities included: Line-managing a team of press officers and deputising for senior management. Providing strategic advice at a high level to ministers to protect and enhance their and the department’s reputation. Negotiating acceptable solutions on comms problems - managing different, sometimes conflicting priorities. Devising and implementing integrated communications strategies to achieve departmental priorities. Responsible for setting strategic direction and line-managing a team of press officers. Contingency planning for and leading the crisis response on security of supply issues. Deputising for senior management team, including attending weekly heads of news meeting at No10. Integrating social media into all communications strategies. Increasing recognition of DECC energy generation policies. Leading an evaluation comms group, presenting evaluation to the comms directorate

Media Officer: Managing proactive and reactive media work; building relationships with journalists; advising ministers and special advisers; Leading on evaluation within the Media Office; Working with stakeholders and other government departments, building relationships to ensure wider government objectives are achieved. Taking an active role in the wider communications team, leading media planning and strands of campaigns work.

Providing PR services to a range of public and private sector clients, advising on communications strategies, managing integrated campaigns, media relations, crisis management, media training and social media.

Providing PR consultancy for a range of clients, including agencies and public sector organisations.

Responsibility for the corporate reputation of the Council, through internal and external communication. Reporting directly to the Leader of the Council and Cabinet, as well as the Chief Executive and Directors, advising them on communications strategies, crisis management and campaigns. Leading a team of communications officers.

Responsibilities: Managing the media; producing press releases; responding to press enquiries; organising press conferences and interviews with councillors and senior officers; crisis management; devising communications strategies and running campaigns; producing publications; deputising for the Head of Communications.

Sourcing stories suitable for a range of publications and news networks; liaising with news desks and journalists from international, national and regional press; sourcing subjects for features and news stories, gaining their confidence and co-operation; negotiating deals between subjects and publications; interviewing subjects; writing news stories and features; running the features desk.