Directors
Bookswarm’s Directors bring together an excellent understanding of the UK publishing industry, a total of over 20 years experience delivering online communications solutions, and a passion for books of all shapes and sizes.
Mathew and Simon first worked together at digital agency Lateral Net, where they worked on publisher websites, author websites and microsites for Faber & Faber, Hodder & Stoughton, Little, Brown Book Group, Piatkus, Hachette UK, HarperCollins UK, Quercus, Bloomsbury and A&C Black.
In 2009 they founded Bookswarm to carry on their work. Simon and Mathew are also founding Directors of AMS Digital Publishing, the company that runs digital marketing solutions for publishers like Bookhugger.co.uk and Bookdiva.co.uk.
Simon Appleby
Simon’s career in digital media started in 1998 – and since 2007 he has been fortunate to be able to combine his project management and information architecture skills with his passion for books and reading. As a Digital Projects Manager for Octopus, Simon gained inside experience of the publishing world, taking responsibility for the conversion of complex illustrated titles to app and e-book formats.
Simon is something of a geek, being very hands on with technology, but prides Bookswarm on its ability to deliver simple solutions that put control in to the hands of the client and prevent people feeling locked in to Bookswarm.
Simon blogs occasionally for FutureBook.
Simon is a keen reader of many types of writing, both fiction and non-fiction. The most unusual book on his shelves is an Estonian first edition of The Colour of Magic, signed by Sir Terry Pratchett.
Mathew F. Riley
Mathew has over twelve years in creative and digital agency experience, working as a Group Account Director for clients across a wide range of industries and projects. His first love is books and reading, and he has worked with a variety of publishers on strategic campaigns and tactical projects. He firmly believes that the publishing industry comprises the nicest and cleverest people he could hope to meet, and would feel incomplete without a project or two on the go.
A published short story author, Mathew reads across a range of genres, especially enjoying the new wave of British nature writers. The most unusual book on his shelves is a signed, slip-cased, leather bound, 26-copy edition of Scary Rednecks, by Weston Ochse and David Whitman. He is killed in one of the stories…
Associates
We work with some really cool and passionate people to deliver projects – here are just some of them.
Gary Aston
Gary Aston is a skilled designer and developer, with a preference for clean, elegant and user-friendly designs. He has spent over a decade working with design agencies and publishers in London, Manchester and Essex, in roles up to Creative Director level. He started Splendid Digital Creative in the summer of 2010, which now partners with Bookswarm to deliver lovely looking e-books.
Gary is an active member of his local creative community, and is involved with several not-for-profit schemes in his home town of Colchester.
He likes black coffee, lo-fi photography, electronic music and stroking cats, and enjoys reading books about design (surprisingly enough).
Molly Flatt
Molly Flatt is a writer, journalist and social business consultant.
She writes about books, arts and culture, fashion and how technology impacts on society for a range of publications includingThe Guardian, London Calling, FutureSpace Magazine, the luxury print journal Delayed Gratification Quarterly and, of course, Bookdiva. She is also Features Editor for PHOENIX, a new print magazine promoting rising talent within fashion and the arts.
She also works as Social Business Director at word of mouth agency 1000heads, training companies, charities and individuals in the psychology, behaviour and technology behind social media and word of mouth, and how it impacts on business.
Most importantly, she’s writing her first novel.
She is a country girl seduced by the city; a garrulous introvert; a lover of silence and music, comics and Chaucer, Hitchcock and Gaultier, dirty martinis and trees, and she will do virtually anything for really good gin.
Steve Jalim
Steve is an experienced software developer and consultant. His technical repertoire covers the full web-application stack, from the creation of rich front-end sites and scalable server-side software to practical systems architecture and modern project management. He is currently happiest working with Python, Django, Javascript and HTML5.
Steve and Simon first worked together on the official website for Agatha Christie (www.agathachristie.com), and have also teamed up to deliver a recipe database project for Octopus Publishing Group.
Steve is a big fan of the modern short story, with a soft spot for George Saunders - and he loves his Kindle.
Andrea See
Andrea See has worked at The Economist and Canongate Books. She ran her own print and online magazine for the expat community while living in China – she’s bilingual and taught herself web design in the Nineties. Now she works on various web-based projects with Bookswarm.
Andrea’s favourite authors are John Irving, Richard Yates, David Vann, Neal Stephenson, and T.C. Boyle. She also has a weakness for Jane Austen, and one of her most prized possessions is her library card.
“Redesigning my website was a very enjoyable experience right from the minute I sat down with the Bookswarm team. Truthfully, I can’t recommend Simon and the Bookswarm team highly enough.”
“The Bookswarm team built me a site that was not only lovely-looking, but intuitive to use. I can thoroughly recommend them and have done so already to some of my fellow authors.”
“I think Bookswarm are unique in that they combine technical and creative expertise with a can-do spirit and an understanding of what writers, readers and publishers need from the web.”
“The Bookswarm team are very professional, really know their technology and social media, and above all love books.”
“Bookswarm’s classy design has transformed my website. It looks great, is simple to navigate, and – vital for a non-techno like me – even easier to update.”