Claire Armitstead is a journalist and author. Currently, she is Associate Culture Editor at The Guardian, where she has worked since 1992. She also presents The Guardian's weekly books podcast.Armitstead is a cultural commentator on literature and the arts, and makes appearances on radio and television, as well as leading workshops and chairing literary events in the UK and at international festivals. She has judged literary competitions including the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books, the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, the PEN Pinter Prize and the Scotiabank Giller Prize.