Writing a poem is rarely just a matter of finding the right words.

Often, the deeper challenge lies in discovering what the poem is truly carrying: what sits beneath the surface, what gathers pressure, what seeks form, and what hasn’t found it’s language – yet.

I offer one-to-one editorial support for poets and artists at all stages of their practice, from individual poems to pamphlets, full collections, performance texts, and practice-led research projects.

Rather than imposing solutions, I work collaboratively with writers to identify what is already present within the work. Through close textual attention, with an interest in embodiment, voice, and the lived experience, together we’ll explore questions of structure, somatic awareness, poetic risk, pacing, and coherence, while remaining curious about the deeper currents that shape a poem’s movement, and meaning.

I’ve delivered workshops for The Poetry School, Arvon, Writing West Midlands, LABRC, Verve Poetry Festival, HAY (Young Women’s Writing Programme), Poetry by Heart, Poetry International the National Trust and others.

Editorial Philosophy

I’m interested both only what a poem says, and how it moves.

My editorial approach is rooted in the belief that language is not separate from the body. Poems emerge through sensation, memory; embodied narratives and learned perceptions. By listening, carefully, to both the text and the processes that inform it, we can discover new possibilities for clarity, depth, and surprise.

Whether you’re working on a single poem or a larger manuscript, my aim is to help you nurture your relationship with the work and embolden the decisions that shape it.

Areas of Support

Individual Poems

Detailed feedback on one or several poems, focusing on craft, language, imagery, structure, rhythm, and development.

Pamphlet and Collection Development

Support with manuscript shaping, sequencing, thematic coherence, editorial refinement, and preparing work for publication or submission

Practice-Led Research and Cross-Disciplinary Work

I welcome conversations with writers, artists, researchers, and practitioners working across disciplines, particularly where questions of embodiment, movement, performance, and language intersect.

Enquiries

If you would like to discuss working together, please get in touch with a brief outline of your project and where you currently are in the process. I welcome enquiries from both emerging and established artists, from all artistic backgrounds.

Please email helen@beyondwordsdance.com or use the contact form below.