​About Me

'Prompt, professional and personable. It's been an enjoyable experience working with Tess.'

          — Phil Horey, poet, In Search of the Unwelcome

I have been in love with words ever since I was a child. I could read before I went to school (thanks, Mum!) and I 'published' my first poetry pamphlet on an old typewriter when I was in primary school. When my first collection, Breakfast at the Origami Café, was published in 2020 it was a long-held dream come true. I have a first-class honours degree in English literature and a master's degree in creative and critical writing.

My work has always revolved around language and words. Before starting Poems and Proofs, I worked as a TEFL teacher, a teaching assistant in English, and a library assistant. I also spent many years facilitating creative writing workshops for children and young people, running individual and group sessions and working in schools.

As well as running my freelance business, I work part-time as an admin assistant for West Sussex Mind. To see my CV, please click here.

​​Training and CPD
​
Getting to Grips with Grammar and Punctuation – Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders
​Copyediting: Headway – Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders
Copyediting: Introduction – Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders
Cadman Training - Introduction to PerfectIt
Word for Practical Editing - Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders
Proofreading: Headway, Merit – Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders
Proofreading: Introduction – Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders
Postgraduate Certificate in Primary Education – University of Chichester
Master of Arts Degree in Creative and Critical Writing, Merit – University of Sussex
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages – GEOS English Academy
​BA in English Literature, First Class Honours – University of Surrey