LICAF Board


We are very pleased to introduce our inspiring Lakes International Comic Art Festival Board!


Dinah Rose QC

Dinah practises as a barrister at Blackstone Chambers. She was called to the Bar in 1989 and took silk in 2006. Dinah’s areas of expertise include human rights, public law, discrimination, employment law and competition law. Dinah has a particular interest and expertise in discrimination and diversity issues. She has appeared in many landmark discrimination cases both in the UK and internationally. Dinah also has experience advising on the human rights issues that arise from the clash between principles of equality and other values, including religious freedom.

Peter Kessler MBE

Peter is an avid reader of comics (and a proud owner of a personal letter from Stan Lee). His work includes being author of ‘The Complete Guide to Asterix’, founder of the Oxford University Comics Network and panellist and host at LICAF. Peter has worked as a TV producer, where he won a BAFTA for comedy and a Gold Award for History from the New York Festivals. He has contributed to education, as Chair of Governors at two schools, founder of a cross-communal primary school in London and as a secondary school English teacher.

Gemma Sosnowsky

With upwards of eleven years’ experience as a secondary school Librarian, Gemma is passionate about promoting literacy and reading for pleasure through the diverse and exciting medium of comics! She enjoys advocating the benefits of comics in the classroom, facilitating extra-curricular activities in her roles as Excelsior Award short list judge, Bronze and Silver Arts Award Adviser and coordinating a lively Comics Club. Continually inspired by comics, she is always on the lookout for opportunities enabling students to find their love of reading through this magic medium.

Maheen Murtaza

Maheen Murtaza is a student of Sociology at the University of Manchester with a keen interest in comics, anime and gaming. Maheen is the programmer of LICAF’s new anime festival which will now launch in 2021. She also acts as a volunteer at the University’s Counselling Service and joined the LICAF Board in 2019.