Jane Cornwell is a versatile music presenter, arts critic, writer, and event host known for her wide-ranging work in festivals, television, and radio.
Born in Australia and now based in London, she regularly moderates, hosts, and conducts interviews on stage at prestigious festivals like WOMAD, the EFG London Jazz Festival, Love Supreme Festival, and La Linea London Latin Music Festival. Her reach extends internationally, having presented at WOMADelaide in Australia, the Gibraltar World Music Festival, Jazz Ahead Bremen, and Oslo World at the Nobel Peace Center in Norway. In 2023, she notably hosted Patti Smith Live at the Palladium.
Jane’s contributions to jazz have earned her accolades, including the Jazz Media Award at the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Awards in 2022. In 2023, she was also part of the jury for the Moods Jazz Prize in Switzerland. She has been a long-standing jazz and world music critic for the London Evening Standard, writes for Jazzwise magazine, and is a contributing editor at Songlines magazine.
Contact Great British Speakers today to book journalist, author and speaker Jane Cornwell for your next event.
A former press officer at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts, with a Masters from SOAS, University of London, Jane Cornwell is a jazz and global music critic at the London Evening Standard, a contributing editor of Songlines and Jazzwise magazines and has interviewed a wealth of A-List artists, musicians and actors for major global publications.
She has written for and been featured in the likes of The Australian, Weekend Australian Review, London Evening Standard, Australian Financial Review and Musicians Union Magazine.
In 2016 she published her memoir The Whirl: Men, Music and Misadventures (HarperCollins), excerpts of which were featured in Vogue, The Guardian and Weekend Australian Review, and which is described as a ‘witty and wonderful journey from country to country, taking in everything from rituals and subcultures to music, relationships and the importance of female friendship.
She has also written music chapters for Lonely Planet, contributed to the coffee table books The Road Less Travelled (2009), Janet Jackson (2002) and The Corrs (1999).
She was the Jazz Media Award winner at the 2022 Parliamentary Jazz Awards and has been a compere, chair, and moderator at festivals including WOMAD, the EFG London Jazz Festival, and the La Linea London Latin Music Festival.
London Latin Music Conference, Jazz FM Awards, Latin Music Conference, La Linea Festival, AMPLIFY, Oslo World.
EFG London Jazz Festival, Jazzahead, Songlines Music Awards, WOMAD UK, WOMADelaide, Brightmed & Gibraltar World Music Festival, Hull 2017 City of Culture, 50 Days at the House of St Barnabus, Unamplifire Festival, Celebrating Sanctuary Festival.
New Polish Jazz: Ones to Watch online series, Mundial Montreal, WOMADelaide, EFG London Jazz Festival, Love Supreme Festival, WOMAD Festival, Real World, Australasian World Music Expo.
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– Journalism
– Jazz Music
– Arts and Culture
– Travel Writing
– Global Music (Cuba, West Africa etc)
– Women, Ageing and Visibility
Informed, entertaining, engaging and personable, an expert on music, arts, travel and culture, Jane is a popular after-dinner and keynote speaker, awards host and event compere and will broaden your audience’s minds and enliven your event.
“I thought your contributions were great. Really thoughtful, considered and they framed the show perfectly”.
Higher Ground: A Night with Patti Smith