About Me
The professional side
I am an editor and writer with twenty years’ experience. I offer:
- Intelligent and sensitive editorial skills
- A friendly, flexible, can-do attitude
- A tailored service to each individual client and project
- Excellent knowledge of the market
- A passion for organisation and efficiency
- A meticulous eye for detail
I started my publishing career in 2001 as an editor at Hodder Education, working on their adult trade non-fiction list for four years. In 2005 I moved to Orchard Books, an imprint of Hachette Children's Books, where I was an editor for six years on their fiction list for 5+ to YA.
In 2011 I began my own freelance business, offering editorial and writing services, mostly within the children's book industry.
I'm passionate about improving inclusion and representation in children's books; in 2021 I founded the All Stories mentorship programme for underrepresented writers unable to pay for editorial support.
For my writing I am represented by Penny Holroyde of Holroyde Cartey.
The personal side
I was born in Lowestoft*, Suffolk, which is the most easterly town in the UK. I loved my childhood; being brought up by the sea meant I was able to spend every summer day on the beach – and many spring, autumn and winter days, too. As a child, I never seemed to care as much about the cold as I do now! (*In case you were wondering, the photo was not taken in Lowestoft – this is me on holiday in Japan!)
I moved to London when I went to read English Literature at Roehampton University. As an undergraduate, I already knew I wanted to become an editor; the fantastic opportunity to study children’s literature for a year during my degree reaffirmed my passion for children’s books and made me absolutely determined to achieve my dream. I lived in London for seventeen years, until moving to Leuven (Belgium) with my husband in 2015, then on to Stockholm in 2016.
I enjoy a variety of interests in my free time – my constant challenge is trying to fit them all in! I love to travel, read (of course), write (ditto), jog (I ran the London Marathon in 2010), eat sushi, drink wine and, most of all, spend time with my husband, friends and family.