Authors Hub UK was developed by ThinkingBigger as part of the wider work of BrainyBudz CIC, drawing on extensive experience working alongside schools, educators, authors and creatives across the UK.

Through this work, we have seen first-hand how powerful author visits and creative encounters can be for pupils, and how challenging it can be for schools to discover authors beyond their existing networks. Authors Hub UK grew directly out of this experience as a simple, transparent platform designed to support meaningful connections between schools and authors who are open to working in education settings.

Our background

Through ThinkingBigger, our team has visited over 70 schools, reaching nearly 30,000 students through workshops, talks, and creative projects. We have provided coaching and mentoring to more than 60 education and creative professionals, and through our wider team and collaborations have worked directly with over 50,000 students.

Feedback on our work has come from 23 countries, with an estimated reach of around 150,000 people through our books, workshops, and educational initiatives. Our books, first published in 2021, are now used within educational communities across multiple countries and are shaped by research, classroom experience, and the work of a fully committed multidisciplinary team.

Alongside UK-based work, ThinkingBigger is currently working with education partners in Latin America to support the translation and adaptation of ThinkingBigger resources into Spanish for use within public schools. This work is supported by the Let’s Think Council and forms part of a wider, ongoing programme exploring how metacognitive and creative approaches can be embedded across different cultural and educational contexts. This depth of engagement informs the way Authors Hub UK has been designed, grounded in real educational practice rather than theory alone.

Learning, thinking, and how we work

At the heart of ThinkingBigger’s work is a strong focus on how learning happens, not just what is taught. Our books, games, and creative projects are shaped by principles of neuroscience, drawing on decades of educational research into how children and adults develop understanding.

This includes influence from the Let’s Think approach, which emphasises:

• learning through structured challenge

• thinking about thinking (metacognition)

• dialogue, reasoning, and reflection

• creating the conditions for cognitive growth rather than rote learning

These principles are embedded across ThinkingBigger’s publishing and creative outputs, encouraging learners to explain ideas, consider different perspectives, make connections, and reflect on their own thinking processes. This approach supports depth, inclusion, and confidence, particularly for learners who may not thrive in purely content-driven or exam-focused environments.

Rather than positioning creativity and cognition as separate, our work brings them together, recognising imagination, language, play, and discussion as powerful drivers of understanding and long-term learning.

Our work is informed by partnerships with respected education and research organisations, helping ensure that creative engagement is grounded in evidence, inclusion, and classroom experience.

This work sits across a number of creative and publishing strands developed through ThinkingBigger, each exploring learning, creativity, and engagement in different ways and formats. While these strands vary in audience and medium, they share a common foundation in research-informed practice, inclusive design, and meaningful creative engagement.

Creative thinking and play

Alongside this work, ThinkingBigger is developing ThinkingBigger Games, an expanding strand of projects exploring how play, language, and creativity can deepen learning.

One of these projects is Extreme Calligrams, a creative thinking card game explored with people of all ages, from children in schools during lessons and break times, to home use, adult learning, corporate and social settings, and care homes, where it has supported cognitive engagement in older adults.

Extreme Calligrams has shown particularly strong impact for SEND and EAL learners, supporting communication, confidence, and inclusive participation. The game draws on principles from cognitive acceleration research developed at King’s College London, alongside poetic form and collaborative dialogue as tools for thinking.

Through play, participants engage in lateral, social, and reflective thinking; making connections, exploring perspectives, agreeing and disagreeing, explaining ideas, negotiating meaning, and developing empathy. The game also naturally supports oracy, encouraging players to speak, listen, respond, challenge, and reflect meaningfully.

Some schools choose to explore Extreme Calligrams alongside author visits and creative sessions, while others simply engage with the ideas and approaches that underpin it. Both sit comfortably within the wider ThinkingBigger ethos.

For those interested in exploring Extreme Calligrams further, the game is available directly through the ThinkingBigger shop.

Authors Hub UK

Authors Hub UK grew out of this wider ecosystem of work. It exists as a simple, transparent discovery platform that allows schools to find authors who are open to delivering talks, workshops, and creative sessions, and to make contact directly.

The platform brings together UK-based authors in one place, enabling schools to explore opportunities beyond their existing networks. Author listings provide key information, allowing schools to discuss suitability, safeguarding, availability, and practical arrangements directly with the author.

Authors Hub UK does not take commission, does not act as an intermediary, and does not require exclusivity. It is designed to be clear, accessible, and supportive of genuine, meaningful engagement between schools and authors.

Below, you can explore the Authors Hub UK directory and discover authors who are open to working with schools.

View Author Directory