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.

Published Work
Recent creative publications:
-
Debut pamphlet, Guerrilla Brightenings
-
Tears in the Fence Issue 80: Two Poems and Two Reviews
-
Tears in the Fence Issue 78: Two Poems
-
Under the Radar Issue 31: Two Poems
-
Young Poets' Stories - 'Date Night'
-
The Interpreter's House - 'Love Song of the NHS Receptionist'
-
Poetic Justice, Selected Poem
-
Tears in the Fence Issue 76: Editorial on the Poetry Ecology
-
Fourteen Poems Issue 6: 'Crisis'. Interview with poem reading available here
Academic publications:
-
(Forthcoming, 2025) Nissel, J., Parsons, K., and Nash, S., 'The Contemporary Poetry Ecology: Production, Reception, and Plurality', Journal of British and Irish Innovative Poetry
-
Nissel, J., Thurston, S., Fitzsimons, M. & Spence, S., (2024) 'Conference Report: Poetry & Care', Journal of British and Irish Innovative Poetry 15(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.16995/bip.11688
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)
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.