I’m a writer, editor, proofreader, ghostwriter, life story writer …
Having been in the business for over 20 years, and in a range of different roles in the UK and Australia before starting my own editorial consultancy Zest Communications, you could say my experience is widespread.
These days I edit everything from government documents and reports to non-fiction books, particularly memoir.
I was managing editor at John Brown Publishing in London and Hardie Grant Publishing in Melbourne, as well as editing medicSA – the member magazine for the Australian Medical Association (SA Branch) – for eight years, and Vital Health magazine for National Pharmacies for six years before that.
I have worked in communications roles in government and other organisations. I know how to make your documents and publications sing. Whether it’s a magazine article, newsletter, website content, blog post, annual report or brochure, I can help. I also specialise in turning complicated bureaucratic material into plain English.
As a life story professional, it is my passion to help people tell their stories. It started with recording my father's memoirs before he passed away, then I began volunteering at the Calvary Hospital in North Adelaide as a biographer, recording the memoirs of palliative care patients. I saw the gift it gave them – having their story witnessed before they died and what a great legacy it was for the family. Here's an article I wrote about it.
That's when I started working as a ghostwriter and life story writer more generally, helping people shape their stories into a book, and when I joined the international group of 'biographers without borders' at scribiomemo.com. You can find out more about my life story work at Life Stories Ink.
I am on the board of Life Stories Australia and a former board member at the Cancer Care Centre. I offered communications support and edited their newsletter Healthy Living. I was also on the Board of Australians Against Racism, for whom I co-edited two books of refugee stories: Dark Dreams: Australian Refugee Stories and There’s No Place Like Home (Wakefield Press).
My educational qualifications are as follows:
- BA in Psychology and English from the University of Tasmania
- Diploma in Professional Writing and Editing from RMIT
- Diploma in Transpersonal Counselling from the IKON Institute.
You can see my LinkedIn profile here
