Emma is Director of Operations and Development at SAPERE and was awarded an MBE for services to innovation in the 2020 New Year Honours.In her previous role as co-founder and co-CEO of The Philosophy Foundation, Emma ran every aspect of the charity, taking it into the SE100 Index (top 100 Social Enterprises in the UK) in 2016. Emma was named as one of the top 100 Women in Social Enterprise in 2017 and 2020 was also recognised for her leadership role in the Social Enterprise 100 Awards.She is President of SOPHIA: The European Foundation for the Advancement of Philosophy with Children and a Non-Executive Director of Thinking Space CIC. She is on the Advisory Board for the Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science at the LSE, is a commissioning editor for The Philosopher’s Magazine.

Research interests 

• Philosophical conversations, skill development and metacognition
• Critical and reflective thinking skills
• Philosophy in schools / with children and communities
• Philosophy in public spaces
• Education and learning

Emma is interested in the practical application of philosophy and specifically philosophical enquiry to all areas of life and learning. It’s impact on cognitive, affective and social skills, including mental health, resilience and flourishing.

Expertise and public engagement

• Keynote at the PESGB Conference (March 2024) with Grace Lockrobin.
• Book Launch of The Life Inside – Chaired the Event at the House of St Barnabas, 2022.
• Cranfield University, interview about Philosophy in Schools, Philosophy for Practical Professions Interview Series 2023.
• Centre for Engaged Philosophy at the RSA, 2019.
• Philosophy in Schools: Enriched Curriculum, Enriched Lives
• Bologna University (December 2018): invited to speak on research with King's as part of the Philosophy and Childhood Conference.
• Federation of Australasian Philosophy in Schools Association (FAPSA) Conference, Perth, Australia (2018)
• International Council for Philosophical Inquiry for Children Conference, Madrid, Spain (2017)
• Good Stories Conference, London (2017)
• Aeon interview with Nigel Warburton on philosophy in schools (2016)
• Victoria Association of Philosophy in Schools Conference, Melbourne, Australia (2016)
• FAPSA Conference, Wellington, New Zealand (2016)

Selected publications

• Swinn, E., & Campbell Harris, S. 'The Individual and the Community' in The Pedagogy of Community of Philosophical Enquiry as Citizenship Education, Routledge, 2024.
• Sherling, H.R. and Swinn, E., ‘Philosophers in Schools: An assessment of the ongoing partnership between The Philosophy Foundation and King’s College London’s Philosophy Department’, in Journal of Philosophy in Schools, 10(2), 2023. Available at: https://doi.org/None.
• Swinn, E., & Campbell Harris, S. 'The Myth of Growing Up bringing philosophy for children into adulthood', in Think, forthcoming.
• Worley, E. & Worley, P. 'Teaching Critical Thinking and Metacognitive Skills Through Philosophical Enquiry, Childhood and Philosophy', Volume 15, 2019.
• Contributing author to: The Philosophy Shop: Ideas, activities and questions to get people, young and old, thinking philosophically (Independent Thinking Press 2012) ERA winner 2013, Foreword Reviews Winner 2013, Winner of compilation/anthology category New England Book Festival