Avoid unconscious bias in your work
I've been doing sensitivity reading since 2017, both on my own and through agencies, specialising in issues of race, anti-blackness, and mixed heritage experiences. I’ve read books in many genres (including SFF, historical fiction, children’s books and YA, detective novels, and so on) as well as working on several tabletop roleplaying games, video games, some scripts, and even a podcast or two.
I’m also available for hire as an editor and creative writer, particularly within the TTRPG sphere.
Why hire me?
I’ve got tons of experience from working on almost 200 projects, from eldritch horror games to contemporary family drama
I explain all the notes I make and give you suggestions, so you won’t be scratching your head trying to figure out how to fix things
I'm tried and tested; just check out my testimonials below
Testimonials
'We hired Helen as a sensitivity reader on our book Spire RPG.
She did more than we asked faster than we asked her to, and she did so with tremendous enthusiasm.'
- Grant Howitt, co-founder, Rowan, Rook and Decard
'Helen was such a great asset to the projects we've worked on together. Her sensitivity reading feedback is concise, considered, and practical.
Her experience as a writer means she is also able to make helpful suggestions for alternative phrasings where text is falling short, or hasn't taken cultural context into consideration…she made these projects demonstrably better.'
- Philippa Warr, co-creator of A Monster’s Expedition
'Helen provided thorough and thoughtful feedback on my manuscript. It not only helped me shape the character she was reading for, but also gave me insight into other areas of characterisation and arc that needed work[…]
I would highly recommend Helen for your sensitivity reading needs.'
- Lex Croucher, author
'She was pleasant to work with; her writing was both clean and timely; and she displayed an unusual ability to be impactful without being lurid.
This was my first time working with her, but she is on my (rather short) list of freelancers to approach for pitches going forward.'
- Jeffrey Moeller, line editor, Stygian Fox Publishing
'Helen worked with us developing scripts for a narrative game.
She brought a flair for storytelling and a polished style to the project. She quickly grasped what we needed, was responsive to feedback, and was extremely diligent in keeping to deadlines.
In all, it was a privilege to work with her.
- Amy Goodenough, product manager, Tripledot Studios
'It was an absolute pleasure to work with Helen, who was professional from start to finish.
She wrote excellent text to tight deadlines, responded well to my feedback and produced exactly what I was looking for. I'd absolutely recommend her for any creative project.'
- Graham Walmsley, author of Cthulhu Dark
'Helen was so great to work with on Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall!
Sen-Foong Lim and I had a wonderful time going through the scenarios with her, building a conversation and opening up dialogue with our collaborators, rather than working in a silo. I cannot recommend Helen enough!'
- Banana Chan, designer/writer/publisher
'Helen has been an absolute joy to work with. They have been consistently professional and wonderfully thorough, with a quick turnaround time that startled me.
She has great respect for the hard work I put into my project and I always felt as though she wanted the best for it just as much as I did.
I can't thank them enough for their work and I would recommend them to anyone who asked.
- Alastair Motylinski, author
My appearances in the media
23 May 2023 - Beastly: The stories of David Walliams, The Slow NewsCast
23 February 2023 - Roald Dahl's works and the role of sensitivity readers, Sarah Hucal for Deutsche Welle
20th April 2023 - The book industry's maligned helpers, Pål Vegard Hagesæther for Aftenposten (written in Norwegian)
14th April 2023 - Roald Dahl, rewrites and the truth about ‘sensitivity readers’, Imogen West-Knights for the Financial Times
11th April 2023 - featured on BBC’s The One Show with Kevin Duala
9th April 2023 - Sensitivity readers: How fiction became the latest frontier in the culture wars, Katie Spencer for Sky News
9th April 2023 - video interview for the above story for Sky News
15th March 2023 - Sensitivity readers: what publishing’s most polarising role is really about, Lucy Knight for The Guardian
6th January 2022 - ‘It’s the opposite of censorship’: How sensitivity readers are changing publishing, Ellie Broughton for i News
Let's chat!
Use the form below to get in touch! I usually respond within 24 hours, so if you don’t hear from me by then, remember to check your Spam folder.