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Graduation

Honorary Graduates 2024

 

Susanna Clarke, Honorary Graduate 2024

Susanna Clarke, Doctor of Letters (honoris causa)

Susanna Clarke is an author best known for her debut novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, a story of two magicians set in York during the Napoleonic wars in the early 19th century. 

After graduating in philosophy, politics and economics from St Hilda's College Oxford, she began a career in publishing, taking some time out in the early nineties to teach English in Turin and Bilbao. Susanna then returned to England to take up the role of managing editor at the publishing company Simon and Schuster, during which time she continued to pursue her dream of writing and started to craft Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Published in 2004, and celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the book was met with widespread critical acclaim, going on to win the British Book Awards Newcomer of the Year, the Hugo Award and the World Fantasy Award. 

The Ladies of Grace Adieu, a collection of her short stories, was published in 2006. Her second novel, Piranesi, won the 2021 Women's Prize for Fiction. Susanna’s work appears across several programmes at York St John University, including: the English Literature and Creative Writing degrees, the MA in Contemporary Literature and the Liberal Arts Foundation Year.

 

Sarah Fiori, Honorary Graduate 2024

Sarah Fiori, Doctor of Science (honoris causa)

Sarah Fiori is a senior nurse who has dedicated her career to providing and improving health care for individuals across York and North Yorkshire. She is Principal Nurse at North Yorkshire Council, and is Head of Quality Improvement at the Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, York Place Health and Care Partnership, where she works to provide quality oversight and support to providers across the care sector. 

Sarah has held nursing posts in both acute and community NHS settings and was previously a research sister for academic and commercial trials. Sarah became a Queen’s Nurse in 2021, a title bestowed on those who have demonstrated a high level of commitment to patient care and nursing practice. 

In July 2023, Sarah received the prestigious Chief Nurse Adult Social Care Gold Award, which celebrates the outstanding contributions of social care workers and nurses. The award recognised her work to introduce innovations in care, improving support for care homes, domiciliary care, and supported living providers. This has helped establish a bedrock of safer care culture, creating more resilient care settings, confident staff and ensuring individuals receive high quality care.

 

Paul Kissack, Honorary Graduate 2024

Paul Kissack, Doctor of the University (honoris causa)

Paul Kissack has been the Group Chief Executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust (JRHT) since 2020. JRF is a social change organisation, working to support and speed up the transition to a more equitable and just future, free from poverty, where people and planet can flourish.  

Prior to joining JRF, Paul spent over 20 years working in Government. He was Director General of Children’s Services, Equalities and Communication in the Department for Education, with a particular focus on children’s social care services, and has also held Director General roles in the Cabinet Office and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as well as supporting the Department of Health and Social Care during the COVID response.  

He served as Deputy Chief Executive for Policy and Organisational Strategy at the Ministry for Children in New Zealand and has held senior roles at HM Treasury and a local authority. He has worked throughout his career on economic and social policy issues and public service reform.