Introducing our plain-English editors and trainers

Martin Cutts (editing director) has worked in the plain-English movement since the mid-1970s. He is one of the most experienced plain-English editors in the UK, with more than 40 years’ work in the field. He has also led more than 2,000 writing-skills courses for every kind of organization. He is author of the Oxford Guide to Plain English (OUP 2020, fifth edition), Clarifying Eurolaw, the Plain English Lexicon, Lucid Law, and Nailing the Lies of the Plain English Campaign. He is co-author (with Emma Wagner) of Clarifying EC Regulations. All these books (apart from the Oxford Guide), are available on free download from this site (see: Books).

Martin was honoured by Clarity, the international campaign for plain legal language, at a conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2023. Pictured with the trophy, he became one of the first three inductees of the Plain Language Hall of Fame along with Professor David Mellinkoff (Language of the Law, 1963) and Dr Ginny Redish (Letting Go of the Words, 2012).

At the International Plain Language Federation conference in Vancouver (2013), Martin received the Christine Mowat Plain Language Achievement Award ‘for outstanding contribution to plain language’. Martin is the editor of Indlish, written by the late Jyoti Sanyal (Viva Books), and is consultant editor of the Adult Learners’ Writing Guide. He has appeared on BBC1’s Watchdog and ITV’s Martin Lewis Money Show as well as numerous radio programmes including You and Yours, Money Box, and Today. He has contributed to The Guardian, The Times, the Mail on Sunday, English Today, The Clarity Journal, and the Information Design Journal. He is a member of Clarity (the campaign for clear legal language) and the International Plain Language Federation. He is on the advisory board of the Kimble Center for Legal Drafting, Cooley Law School, Michigan, US.

In the 1990s Martin visited India four times for the British Council, giving courses and public lectures on plain language – a first in the Indian sub-continent. He has often been invited to give seminars and lectures to European Commission staff including its translation and editing teams.

Ruth Thornton (course leader) has worked in training for more than 30 years. She presents most of our courses on plain language, report writing, minute writing, letter and email writing, writing for the web, and writing for publication. She also provides one-to-one training on writing and speaking skills.

Ruth has a deserved reputation as one of the best writing-skills trainers in the UK. She has run more than 2,500 courses for our high-profile clients in financial services, housing associations, ombudsmen, and local and national government. Ruth has taught Russian, French and English, and has a PGCE with a distinction in practice. Ruth is author of the Adult Learners’ Writing Guide (Chambers), which won a ‘highly commended’ prize in the HRH The Duke of Edinburgh English Speaking Union English Language Award 2006.