Editing Ken Follett (section)

== Public life ==

Follett is a member of various organisations that promote literacy and writing, and is actively involved in various organisations in his home town of [[Stevenage]].

* Chair of the National Year of Reading 1998–99, a British government initiative to raise literacy levels.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.greatertalent.com/kenfollett/ |title=Ken Follett – Greater Talent Network Speakers Bureau }}</ref>
* Fellow of University College, London (1994)
* Fellow of [[Yr Academi Gymreig]] – the Welsh Academy (2011)
* Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
* President, [[Dyslexia Action]] (1998–2009)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nottinghampost.com/Charley-Boorman-s-visit-young-offenders/story-12233012-detail/story.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131204114228/http://www.nottinghampost.com/Charley-Boorman-s-visit-young-offenders/story-12233012-detail/story.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 December 2013 |title=Charley Boorman's visit to young offenders |date=19 February 2009}}</ref>
* Patron, Schools Radio (2007–)
* Chair of the Advisory Committee, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) UK (2003–)
* Board Member, National Academy of Writing (2003–)
* Trustee, [[National Literacy Trust]] (1996–)

He is active in numerous Stevenage charities and was a governor of Roebuck Primary School for ten years, serving as the Chair of Governors for four of those years.

On 15 September 2010, Follett, along with 54 other public figures, signed an open letter published in ''[[The Guardian]]'' stating their opposition to [[Pope Benedict XVI]]'s state visit to the UK.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/sep/15/harsh-judgments-on-pope-religion |title=Letters: Harsh judgments on the pope and religion |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=16 September 2010 |location=London |date=15 September 2010}}</ref>

He has also donated £25,000 to the [[Yvette Cooper]] campaign in the [[2015 Labour Party (UK) leadership election]],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Donations/C0204458 |title=The Electoral Commission (donations search) |access-date=2015-08-19}}</ref> as well as another £25,000 from his wife [[Barbara Follett (politician)|Barbara Follett]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://search.electoralcommission.org.uk/English/Donations/C0204457 |title=The Electoral Commission (donations search) |access-date=2015-08-19}}</ref>

Follett's archival papers are housed at the [[Saginaw Valley State University]] in Michigan, United States. They include outlines, first drafts, notes and correspondence, original manuscripts, and copies of early books now out of print.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ken Follett {{!}} Biography {{!}} Archives |url=http://ken-follett.com/biography/archives.html |website=Ken Follett |access-date=2016-01-15 |archive-date=13 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113181904/http://ken-follett.com/biography/archives.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Ken Follett has cited ''The Cruel Sea'' by Nicholas Monsarrat as his favorite book, praising its realistic depiction of naval warfare and its exploration of human endurance during World War II.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gomes |first=Maria Leticia |date=2025-04-19 |title=Ken Follett says obscure 1966 French thriller is his favourite book of all ti... |url=https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/books/2042769/ken-follett-obscure-favourite-book |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Express.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>