Shirley Dent, Associate Fellow

Shirley Dent is an Associate Fellow of the Academy of Ideas and was formerly Communications Director.

She worked as Head of Communications and Campaigns Advisor for the UK’s phone-paid regulator, where she led work on children and connected devices such as smartphones. Shirley recently set up Spark Mobile - an organisation that uses mobile and digital technology to connect the best ideas with the brightest people, whoever and wherever they are.

Shirley has written and commented widely on arts and literature, including a blog at Guardian Arts Unlimited, and reviews for the Times Literary Supplement. She researched the editorial and bibliographic history of William Blake’s works for her PhD, co-authoring a book on the subject with Jason Whittaker, Radical Blake.

Shirley continues to contribute academic essays to scholarly collections, including essays on copyright, censorship and the hymn ‘Jerusalem’ and its use by the far right.

Shirley was formerly Head of Communications at the Policy Studies Institute and Assistant Editor at the New Humanist.