Shirley Dent is an Associate Fellow and former Communications Director for the Institute of Ideas, the Battle of Ideas and development editor of Culture Wars, the reviews website of the Institute of Ideas. Shirley writes and comments widely on arts and literature, including a regular blog at Guardian Arts Unlimited.

Shirley researched the editorial and bibliographic history of William Blake’s works for her PhD, and co-authored a book on the subject with Jason Whittaker, Radical Blake: afterlife and influence from 1827. In 2007 she contributed to two essay collections on Blake: Women Read William Blake: Opposition is True Friendship and Blake, Modernity and Popular Culture.

Shirley has been involved has contributed to Battle of Ideas debates on the arts since the festival’s launch in 2005, including debates on poetry and dance. In 2010 Shirley is directing the Battle Satellite programme.

Previously, Shirley was assistant editor of the New Humanist magazine, and Head of Communications at the Policy Studies Institute.