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:
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Debut pamphlet, Guerrilla Brightenings
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Tears in the Fence Issue 80: Two Poems and Two Reviews
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Tears in the Fence Issue 78: Two Poems
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Under the Radar Issue 31: Two Poems
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Young Poets' Stories - 'Date Night'
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The Interpreter's House - 'Love Song of the NHS Receptionist'
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Poetic Justice, Selected Poem
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Tears in the Fence Issue 76: Editorial on the Poetry Ecology
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Fourteen Poems Issue 6: 'Crisis'. Interview with poem reading available here
Academic publications:
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(Forthcoming, 2025) Nissel, J., Parsons, K., and Nash, S., 'The Contemporary Poetry Ecology: Production, Reception, and Plurality', Journal of British and Irish Innovative Poetry
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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:
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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
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Home and Belonging, an SWWDTP Research Festival (2024): 'Making Collaborators Feel at Home', a panel by the Health Humanities Research Cluster
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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
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Poetry & Care, Plymouth University (2023): 'We Critique The Poetry, Not the Poet: Care in the HE Workshop'
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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
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Changes, an SWWDTP Research Festival (2022): 'Changing the Dominant Narrative: A Multidisciplinary Conversation', jointly presented with Josip Martincic and Lawrence Rees.
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Changes, an SWWDTP Research Festival (2022): 'Navigating Change During the COVID-19 Pandemic', a panel by the Health Humanities Research Cluster
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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
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Poetry and Mentoring Symposium, University of Southampton & ArtfulScribe (2021): 'How Have Mentoring Practices in the UK Shaped the Contemporary Poetry Ecology?'
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Follow the Sun Transnational Writing Conference, Bath Spa University (2021): 'The Great Margin: Collaborative Practice and Creative Research'
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National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE) Annual Conference (2021): 'Paper Nations - The Writer's Cycle'
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MIX, Bath Spa University (2019): 'Writing For All'
Support at:
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Co-organiser - 'Shame, Loneliness, and the Body' Symposium, University of Bristol, 2023
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National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE) Annual Conference (2018-19, 2021-22)
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MIX, Bath Spa University (2019)
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Captivating Criminality, Bath Spa University (2017-18)
Past and Current Organisations
Services
I am available for freelance work in any of the following areas:
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Project management
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Research design
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Copywriting (internal and external audiences, both academic and general; print and digital)
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Marketing and branding
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Social media, communications, and engagement
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Evaluation for creative and/or research projects
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Event planning and management
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Website design
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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.
Contact
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