Martin Cutts is one of the founding figures of the modern plain language movement. In 1979, he co-founded the Plain English Campaign in the UK — one of the world’s first organisations dedicated to fighting gobbledygook in public and official communication. The campaign attracted national attention and helped shift public attitudes toward clear language.
In 1994, he founded the Plain Language Commission, through which he continued to offer editing, training, and consultancy services to government, business, and the legal profession. He is the author of the Oxford Guide to Plain English, now in multiple editions and one of the most widely used reference works in the field.
Martin received the Christine Mowat Award in recognition of a career that helped invent plain language as a profession. From the provocative early campaigns of the Plain English Campaign to the meticulous guidance of the Oxford Guide, his work shaped how a generation of writers and editors think about clarity.
His practical, no-nonsense approach — always focused on the reader — influenced plain language practice across the UK, Europe, and internationally.
