Meet the interviewers

Dr Sian Williams is an award-winning broadcast journalist and Chartered Counselling Psychologist. She's spent years supporting those living with anxiety, both in the UK's NHS and privately and has also worked with media organisations, governments and businesses to help prevent staff burnout. Sian is also one of Britain's most trusted broadcasters, having spent four decades in TV and radio, including eleven years hosting BBC Breakfast. She now presents BBC Radio 4's Life Changing and BBC Radio 3 Unwind.

Helen has been part of our team of LitFest interviewers since our first festival in 2023 and she has interviewed a number of well-known authors including Dorothy Koomson, Holly Seddon and Maggie Brookes. Helen trained as a journalist working in local radio in Kent, then moving on to breakfast television in London. For the last 15 years, her career has moved into the world of PR and Media Relations. Helen has worked for a number of medium and large organisations working alongside senior leaders to advise them on communication strategies. Born and bred in Kent, Helen has three children to keep her busy along with her passion for reading which is often an expensive hobby as Helen loves nothing better than a new hardback book to read! Her favourite authors are varied but she’s currently reading the latest book by Lisa Jewell.

Claire Kehily has lived in Maidstone all her life and has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. A Borough Councillor, wedding and funeral celebrant, and Project Manager for the Maidstone Churches Winter Shelter, Claire followed a career in health and social care. Claire has a particular interest in women’s history and contemporary women’s issues, and recently fronted a campaign for a memorial to the women accused of witchcraft during the historic witchcraft trials. She is passionate about giving a voice to women whose stories have been overlooked or forgotten. Married with two grown-up children, Claire combines her love of reading and history with a strong commitment to her local community and to telling stories that deserve to be heard.

Jane Shankar is an English teacher turned writer and tutor, working with students from secondary level to undergraduate and beyond. With over twenty-five years of experience in education, her love of all things literary brings with it a desire to foster creativity, critical thinking, language mastery, and a love of literature in learners of all ages. After fifteen years in the classroom, Jane embarked on a PhD in The Novel: Practice as Research from the University of Kent, in which she combined research of Medieval England with the exploration of relationships, identity, and the ways in which we shape the stories of our lives. Graduating in 2023, her academic background informs not only her teaching but also her fiction. Jane is currently seeking literary representation for her debut novel, while working on her second, centring on a 16 century Kentish deaf community, and is passionate about helping others find their own creative voice through writing. An avid reader, she counts Hilary Mantel and Maggie O’Farrell among her writing heroes. Her spare time is devoted to spending time with family and gardening at her Charing home.

Before becoming a children’s author, Gianna Pollero trained as a journalist and spent many years interviewing people from all walks of life. Her love of stories and storytelling eventually led her to write for younger readers, combining humour, adventure and a healthy dose of imagination. Gianna is also a co-founder of Maidstone Literary Festival, where she has been lucky enough to interview some of her favourite authors, including Lisa Jewell and Tim Weaver.

Meena Alexander is an award-winning journalist and magazine editor based in London. Formerly the Associate Editor of Stylist, her work has also appeared in The Guardian, British Vogue and Glamour. She is the author of How To Be Curious: Ideas To Make You Think Differently, has edited several non-fiction books and was a judge of the HarperCollins literary prize (Re)Presenting Romance.

Nicola has worked in radio in Kent for 25 years. For the last 14 of those she has been at the KM Group. She is currently Multimedia News Editor which means she oversees the running of kmfm news and works alongside colleagues at KentOnline and KMTV. She can regularly be heard reading news bulletins on kmfm and presenting the KentOnline Podcast.

Adrian is the author of sixteen full-length thrillers, which he writes under the penname AJ Wills, including the Kindle no.1 bestseller, His Wife’s Sister. Previous to becoming an author, he was a journalist for more than 20 years and spent 15 years working for ITV Meridian based in Maidstone. He is married to fellow thriller author, AJ McDine, although they have yet to be persuaded to write a novel together… They live in Faversham with their three cats and two grown-up sons, who refuse to move out.

Hilary Steel is a professional Celebrant who brings stories to life, whether she’s capturing the essence of a person’s journey in a ceremony or leading lively conversations on stage. A natural presenter with a flair for connection, Hilary is as comfortable in front of a crowd as she is curled up with a book. Passionate about storytelling in all its forms, she reads as much as she talks—and that’s saying something! This year, she brings her warmth, wit, and curiosity to the Maidstone LitFest as one of our brilliant interviewers.

Stuart Heritage is an author and journalist who has written for The Guardian since 2009. During that time he has interviewed the likes of Reese Witherspoon, Willem Dafoe, The Rock and Kermit the Frog. Stuart has been a huge supporter of Maidstone LitFest since its launch in 2023, taking part in school and library events with his children’s books and delivering a brilliantly funny adult event in 2024 based on his memoir Bald. This year, we’re thrilled to welcome Stuart in a new role — as interviewer for our events with Sam Parker and Dr Benji Waterhouse.

Ellie Crisell is an award-winning broadcaster and journalist with more than two decades of experience in television news. A familiar and trusted presence on British screens, she currently anchors BBC South East Today, presenting the programme's flagship news broadcasts. Before joining BBC South East Today, Ellie spent 12 years presenting national news across the BBC, including five years as the face of the iconic children's news programme Newsround. As a presenter of BBC One news bulletins and a regular anchor on the BBC News Channel, she delivered major national and international stories to audiences of up to nine million viewers. Alongside her studio work, Ellie has reported from around the world on some of the most significant events of recent decades, including the conflict in the Middle East, the South East Asian tsunami and the Athens Olympic Games. Her career has also included investigative reporting for Watchdog and overseas assignments for World Olympic Dreams in Kosovo. Ellie began her broadcasting career with Channel 5 News and ITN, before moving to Tyne Tees Television as a reporter and newsreader. She joined the BBC in 2003, where she went on to establish herself as one of the corporation's most experienced and recognisable presenters. A highly accomplished host and moderator, Ellie has presented and spoken at a wide range of conferences, awards ceremonies and live events, working with organisations including BAFTA, Amnesty International, Rotary and the London Olympic Games. Her television appearances have also included Let's Dance for Sport Relief, Total Wipeout and Pointless. Away from broadcasting, Ellie is undertaking an MSc in Psychology and volunteers as a Samaritan. As a mother of three, she is especially interested in psychological wellbeing, young people and family life, and combines her journalistic expertise with a longstanding passion for the creative arts.

Information coming soon.

Matt Cain is a writer, broadcaster, publisher and leading commentator on LGBTQ+ issues. He was Channel 4’s first Culture Editor, Editor-In-Chief of Attitude magazine, has written for all the national newspapers, and has appeared on BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, The Today Programme and Lorraine. He’s a patron of LGBT+ History Month, has received an honorary doctorate from Bolton University, addressed the Cambridge Union, and in 2025 was awarded an MBE for services to LGBTQ+ culture. Matt’s bestselling novels include The Madonna Of Bolton, The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle and One Love. His latest, The Castle of Stories, was published in June 2026 as the first title from Pansy, the independent publisher he's set up with his husband Harry Glasstone specialising in queer books by queer authors for all readers. Born in Bury and brought up in Bolton, Matt now lives in London with Harry and their dog, Teddy.