Jennie Orchard

Jennie Orchard has been involved with the world of books and publishing for more than four decades, initially in London, later in Australia and Asia (Japan and Hong Kong). Since 2002, she has been actively involved in the non-profit sector, with a particular focus on Room to Read and more recently U-GO. She led the team which established Room to Read’s very successful fundraising presence in Australia (launched in 2009) and later developed the local writer ambassador program which eventually became the organization’s global Author Advocate initiative. In 2023 Jennie became an inaugural member of U-GO’s Australian board. 

Jennie has also curated two anthologies, The Gifts of Reading (released by W + N in 2020) and The Gifts of Reading for the Next Generation (Scribe, 2025) both inspired by Robert Macfarlane, with essays contributed by many literary luminaries including William Boyd, Roddy Doyle, Colum McCann, Jan Morris, Michael Ondaatje, Madeleine Thien and Markus Zusak. All of the contributing authors have generously agreed to donate their royalties to Room to Read and U-GO.