66
Profi les
POWERLIST 2008

ALEK WEK

VERNA WILKINS
Supermodel Founder/ Managing Director, Tamarind Books
AGED NINE, Alek Wek fl ed her home in war-torn Sudan with only VERNA IS the author of some 30
the clothes on her back. She came to Britain as a refugee, was picture books and biographies,
later spotted as a teenager by a talent scout at a market in Crystal including Dave and the Tooth
Palace, south-east London, and is now an international supermodel. Fairy, which was awarded Book
An icon to thousands because of the way she of the Year. An internationally
has forced the industry to accept a totally acclaimed speaker, she is a
Africancentric standard of beauty, she has Patron on the National Literacy
also proved she has intellectual nous. Alek Association and Chair of the
has spoken at the International Black Caucus Independent Black Publishers
on Foreign Affairs, and has served on the Group. Verna was recently
advisory board for the US Committee for honoured at the British Book
Refugees. She helped launch the Bracelet Industry Awards where she
of Life campaign and has worked closely with received the decibel Cultural
AIDS awareness benefi ts, children’s charities Diversity Award for her work at Tamarind and for her efforts
and breast cancer research. Alek has her to help raise the profi le of black publishing in the UK. Founded
own handbag range, Wek1933, that sells in in 1987, Tamarind publishes a range of picture books and
Selfridges. biographies for young people. The award-winning books feature
regularly on children’s TV and are included regularly on the
The panel said:
National Curriculum SATs list. The company was bought by
‘Alek has
Random House Children’s Books at the end of last year.
transformed
The panel said: ‘Verna offers black
the way fashion
children the chance to live in a world
regards beauty.’
that refl ects their heritage and culture.’

NICOLA WILLIAMS

BARONESS LOLA YOUNG
Commissioner, Independent Police Complaints Commission Founding Director, Cultural Brokers
IN THIS very high-profi le and PROFESSOR LOLA Young was
intense role, former barrister formerly Head of Culture at the
Nicola has continually Greater London Authority. An
demonstrated effective and ex-actress, she has written and
commanding qualities as the broadcast extensively on cultural,
offi cial public investigator into arts and diversity issues and was
claims of police misconduct. Her Emiritus Professor of Cultural
role as IPCC Commissioner for Studies at Middlesex University,
the London and South East region where she still sits on the board
means she often has to walk a of governors. She is a member
diffi cult, diplomatic tightrope of the boards of trustees of a
between the police and the public. number of organisations in the
She has dealt with the most arts and voluntary sector, such
serious allegations of police negligence, decided on the type of as the South Bank Centre, the Royal National Theatre and the
investigation required and directed disciplinary hearings. She has British Council’s Arts Advisory Committee. She is a former
also spoken internationally on police misconduct issues. Nicola chair of the Arts Council’s Cultural Diversity Panel and has
practised as a criminal barrister for a number of years. She was a also chaired the judging panel of the Orange Prize for Fiction.
board member of the Police Complaints Authority, the forerunner to Baroness Young was awarded an OBE in 2001 and was created a
the IPCC. She is also a published novelist, and a former BBC Regional life peer in 2004. The same year, she founded Cultural Brokers, an
Advisory Committee Chair. arts and heritage consultancy.
The panel said: ‘Nicola’s calm The panel said: ‘Instrumental in
professionalism reassures the general breaking down barriers in the arts for
public that nobody is above the law.’ people of diverse backgrounds.’
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