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Joanna Nissel

Researcher, Project Manager, and Writer

About

Professional:


I am a researcher, project manager, and writer based in Brighton. I have conducted writing education research since 2017 with a range of universities (see below), most notably Bath Spa University’s Story Society. These projects often work towards widening access to creative writing as a practice. As such, my roles typically operate at the intersection between Higher Education, the creative and cultural industries, public outreach, and stakeholders like charities, libraries, councils, and governmental bodies. I particularly enjoy collaborative and co-productive research on interdisciplinary projects.

In 2021, I began an SWWDTP-funded PhD investigating mentoring practices for poets in the UK today, co-supervised between the universities of Southampton and Bath Spa, in association with writer-development agency, ArtfulScribe.

I am about to complete my doctoral studies and am actively looking for job opportunities. Please read on to find out more about my expertise, and visit my LinkedIn.

Poetry:


I began writing poetry while studying Creative Writing and English Literature Bath Spa University but was in denial for many years about being a poet. In fact, I completed an entire MA in nonfiction before I accepted that poetry was where I felt most at home. Now that I have come to terms with the term, poet, I have published over 70 poems in 30 publications, and my debut pamphlet, Guerrilla Brightenings, came out in 2022. I was the runner up for the Poetry Business 2018 International New Poets Prize and was longlisted for the National Poetry Competition in 2023. I am a member of the 57 Collective and an editor for Tears in the Fence literary magazine and press, where I review publications and edit upcoming collections.

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About

Published Work

Recent creative publications:

 

Academic publications:

Academic presentations:​
  • Poetry Off the Page, Around the Globe: Advances in Poetry Performance Research, University of Vienna and Literaturhaus Wien (2025), 'Performing the Mentor', jointly presented with Professor Will May

  • Home and Belonging, an SWWDTP Research Festival (2024): 'Making Collaborators Feel at Home', a panel by the Health Humanities Research Cluster

  • Centre for Modern and Contemporary Writing, Idleness Symposium, University of Southampton (2024): 'The Academic Working Day, Imposter Syndrome, and the Nagging Spectre of Laziness', a panel jointly presented with Isaac Fravashi and Joey Jones

  • Poetry & Care, Plymouth University (2023): 'We Critique The Poetry, Not the Poet: Care in the HE Workshop'

  • Ledbury Poetry Festival (2022): 'Feeling Towns: the role of place and identity in governance and local policy', an AHRC consultation session using poetry as a facilitation tool

  • Changes, an SWWDTP Research Festival (2022): 'Changing the Dominant Narrative: A Multidisciplinary Conversation', jointly presented with Josip Martincic and Lawrence Rees.

  • Changes, an SWWDTP Research Festival (2022): 'Navigating Change During the COVID-19 Pandemic', a panel by the Health Humanities Research Cluster

  • Re-Visions: Configurations of the Visual in Literature and Culture, Universität Hamburg (2022) 'Seen and Unseen: Invisible Mentors in UK Poetry', jointly presented with Professor Will May

  • Poetry and Mentoring Symposium, University of Southampton & ArtfulScribe (2021): 'How Have Mentoring Practices in the UK Shaped the Contemporary Poetry Ecology?'

  • Follow the Sun Transnational Writing Conference, Bath Spa University (2021): 'The Great Margin: Collaborative Practice and Creative Research'

  • National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE) Annual Conference (2021): 'Paper Nations - The Writer's Cycle'

  • MIX, Bath Spa University (2019): 'Writing For All'

 

Support at: ​
  • Co-organiser - 'Shame, Loneliness, and the Body' Symposium, University of Bristol, 2023

  • National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE) Annual Conference (2018-19, 2021-22)

  • MIX, Bath Spa University (2019)

  • Captivating Criminality, Bath Spa University (2017-18)

Published Work

Past and Current Organisations

Services

I am available for freelance work in any of the following areas:
  • Project management

  • Research design

  • Copywriting (internal and external audiences, both academic and general; print and digital)

  • Marketing and branding

  • Social media, communications, and engagement

  • Evaluation for creative and/or research projects

  • Event planning and management

  • Website design

  • Production of data visualisations and diagrams

 

Examples of websites and branding I designed include: The Dare to Write? Platform, The Great Margin, and Paper Nations.

Previous notable projects:

Creative Producer: The Great Margin

Engagement Manager: The Writing For All Programme, Paper Nations

Digital Advisor: The Stay-at-Home! Literary Festival

Regional Survey Officer: ArtfulScribe and the University of Southampton

See LinkedIn for my full working history.

Please get in touch below to enquire about my availability.

Services
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© 2025 by Joanna Nissel. Proudly created with WIX.COM
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