Alan Powers writes about art, architecture and design, mainly of the twentieth century in Britain. He has published several texts on Eric Ravilious (his 2013 book, Eric Ravilious, Artist and Designer will appear in paperback in September 2022) and was guest curator for the exhibition 'Eric Ravilious: Imagined Realities' at the Imperial War Museum in 2003. He has also curated exhibitions and written books about the architect Serge Chermayeff and artists Edward Ardizzone and Enid Marx.
 
In the architectural field, Alan has written the only survey history of architecture through the whole twentieth century in Britain, part of the Reaktion Books series, Modern Architectures in History, as well as other survey books and monographs. His book Bauhaus Goes West, coinciding with the centenary of the Bauhaus, looked at the impact of this famous German school on Britain and America. He is Chairman of Pollock's Toy Museum Trust, and has written Abbatt Toys: Modern Toys for Modern Children.
 
In the days when print journalism offered more opportunities than today, Alan was a regular architecture columnist for the Spectator and a frequent contributor to Country Life and Crafts. He continues to contribute obituaries of artists and architects to the Daily Telegraph. He has played an active role in the conservation of modern buildings through the Twentieth Century Society, of which he is a past chairman. Alan has taught in a number of architectural schools, including the University of Greenwich, London School of Architecture and University of Kent. He is a Tour Director for ACE Cultural Tours.