Roo Read

Writer | Filmmaker | Journalist

United Kingdom

Roo Read is currently studying at the University of Oxford, where she is pursuing an Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing. She is a scriptwriter and researcher for Eleanor Neale, a leading figure in the UK's true crime community with over 2.7 million followers. Roo has also written and directed three short films and is the creator and host of the podcast series "Abducted Art and Cultural Theft."

Roo is passionate about writing fiction across multiple genres, from thriller to fantasy to comedy, pulling on the imaginative strings of 'what-ifs' to see where her characters will take her. She is equally fascinated by true stories and enjoys challenging the boundaries between fiction and nonfiction. This interest is rooted in her experience as a journalist and podcast presenter where her work was driven by a belief in the transformative power of storytelling.

As an individual, Roo aims to inspire the collective imagination to envision and strive towards a better future for all. Through her work, she has hoped to inform, inspire and create change.

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Portfolio

Creative Writing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1r4hISfiiw
Eleanor Neale
07/30/2024
Hazed to Death by an Elite Social Club: The Tragic Story of Sanda Dia

I was the scriptwriter and researcher for a true crime episode on Eleanor Neale’s channel, a leading figure in the true crime podcast and YouTube space with over 2.7 million followers. I first heard Sanda Dia's story while I was studying at Maastricht University and it immediately struck me due to its profound social, racial, and class-based injustices. His story stayed with me for many years, and after I began working with Eleanor, I knew I wanted to bring awareness to it. I pitched the...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWPhxuwPqSM&t=1s
Eleanor Neale
06/18/2024
Murdered Minutes From Her Front Door - Zara Aleena’s Story

I was the scriptwriter and researcher for a true crime episode on Eleanor Neale’s channel, a leading figure in the true crime podcast and YouTube space with over 2.7 million followers. The episode focuses on the tragic story of Zara Aleena but also aims to raise awareness about the dangers and challenges women face in London when exercising their human right to walk home freely. Through meticulous research and sensitive storytelling, the episode aims to foster empathy and highlight the urgent...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8WO0e_cT8o&t=30s
Eleanor Neale
05/16/2024
How the ORIGINAL True Crime reporter became a murder victim herself...

I was the scriptwriter and researcher for a true crime episode on Eleanor Neale’s channel, a leading figure in the true crime podcast and YouTube space with over 2.7 million followers. This feature-length episode deep dives into the tragic death of famous BBC presenter Jill Dando, exploring the various theories and conspiracies surrounding her murder. We investigate whether new leads could finally answer the question that has lingered for 25 years: Who killed Jill Dando?

https://vimeo.com/315412056
A Short Film by Roo Read
01/01/2019
Maggie's Room

One day, when her estranged daughter comes to visit Maggie, trapped in an endless cycle of misanthropy, is forced to face the realities of her past and the consequences of her actions. Will she be able to give the world a second chance and learn to forgive it for all its problems? Or is that just too impossible? Premiered at Cine Detour in Rome, Italy.

Journalism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0UNNAQvF58&t=8s
The Maastricht Diplomat
03/20/2022
Cultural Crime and the Market for Illicit Antiquities

In this episode Rhiannon and Simon launch their new series “Abducted Art & Cultural Theft” where they will be interviewing experts to discuss the modern fight for the restitution of cultural artefacts and the illicit trafficking of looted objects. In their first episode they will be joined by Professor Donna Yates, an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Law and Criminology at Maastricht University to talk about her research on the global trade of trafficking culture. Together...

Maastricht Diplomat
05/06/2022
Who is ensuring the Rights of Refugees? The Poland-Belarus Border Crisis

Mustafa Mohammed Murshed Al-Raimi, a 37-year-old Yemeni migrant, was buried in Bohoniki, Poland, Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021. He was one of the 21 reported people from the Middle East and elsewhere who have died in the freezing forests and bogs along the Poland-Belarus border.