Ewan Clayton is Professor in Design at the University of Sunderland where he assists with the direction of The International Research Centre for Calligraphy. In 2009 he initiated the University’s new Foundation Degree in Calligraphy with Design, which runs from studios in Kensington Palace, London. Ewan grew up near Ditchling Sussex, home to the calligrapher Edward Johnston. He, and three generations of his family, worked as craftsmen in a Guild on Ditchling Common founded by the sculptor and letter designer Eric Gill. For 12 years Ewan also worked as a consultant to Xerox PARC, the lab that invented the first networked computer. Today he divides his time between commissioned work, exhibition curation and teaching. He has lectured and exhibited widely across Europe, North America and Asia. His publications cover historical material such as the Lindisfarne Gospel Book and medieval scribal depictions; the life and work of twentieth century lettering artists Edward Johnston and David Jones; Sumner Stone and the intersection of calligraphy with Digital type, and in the year 2000/1 Ewan curated the Arts Council funded exhibition Springlines the first project to bring together work by contemporary calligraphers from China, Japan, Iran, six Arab countries, Europe and North America. In August 2012 , Ewan’s book The Written Word: a history of writing will be published by Atlantic Books.