Helen Freeman

Helen Freeman FRSA brings a rare blend of editorial rigour, creative leadership, and global perspective to her role as Editor of the Children’s Media Yearbook. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, she has held senior leadership roles at Oxford University Press, most recently as Director of Oxford Children’s Books, and previously as Publishing Director at Scholastic and Vice President, Associate Publisher at Capstone.

Across these roles, Helen has shaped some of the UK’s most influential children’s publishing and media initiatives, including BBC 500 Words and Oxford Children’s Word of the Year, working at the intersection of editorial excellence, cultural relevance, and public engagement.

Helen has lived and worked across the UK, US and Australia, leading print and digital product innovation. She has also designed and delivered undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in writing, editing, and publishing in Western Australia. She now runs her own consultancy projects, including the development of a digital wellbeing app.

Her career is united by a clear purpose: to champion children’s literacy, reading for pleasure and socially impactful media that helps young people thrive.