Sarah read English at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and pursued an initial career in publishing with imprints including Methuen and Secker & Warburg. She then joined the Cheltenham Literature Festival and was promoted to Director in 1999, with responsibility for shaping the strategic vision of the Festival and managing the literature festival team.

She was Artistic Director of the Festival from 2011-2014, during which time she was responsible for the continuing artistic breadth and richness of the Festival programme, and helped to cement its status as one of the world’s leading arts festivals.

During this 19 year period Sarah saw the extraordinary 500%  growth of the Literature Festival from an audience of 28,000 in 1995 to 140,000 in 2014 including moving to a two-site model and increasing in size from 168 events in 1996 to 450 events in 2014.

From 2001 – 2004 Sarah was also Science Festival Manager responsible for the successful management and launch of the first Cheltenham Science Festival.

She is also a former ITV regional board member, has served as a member of the steering group of the British Arts Festivals Association, and has acted as an adviser to the Charles Dickens Museum.