Bettany

 Bettany Mary Hughes OBE FSA was born in May 1967. She is an English author and historian who is an expert in the field of classical history. Her books cover mythology, classical antiquity as well as the historical background of Istanbul. She is actively involved in efforts to encourage the teaching of the classics in UK state schools. Hughes was awarded the OBE in 2019.In 2010 she gave the Hellenic Institute's Tenth Annual lecture "Ta Erotika: The Things of Love", and in 2011, gave the Royal Television Society's Huw Wheldon Memorial Lecture. In it, she claimed that the history of television is flourishing and enjoying an exciting new golden time. Hughes was chair of the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2011, which is the only annual award for stories written exclusively by women. Hughes is patron of The Iris Project, a charity that promotes the teaching of Latin and Greek in UK public schools. She is also an honorary patron of Classics For All, a national initiative to bring classical languages and the study of ancient civilisations into the state curriculum. She serves as an advisor to the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation which aims to encourage large-scale collaborative initiatives between East and West