Writer
I have recently completed a novel, More and More Beautiful Things, for which I’m seeking representation.
My short story, Walk of Blood, was published in the 2019 Grist Anthology Trouble.
I have also written features for The Guardian and The Independent, including TV reviews and travel features.
Over five years working for Food & Drink News trade magazine, I interviewed many senior people for features on the industry. As a copywriter, I have written hundreds of blogs, news stories, case studies, articles and other marketing content.
Presenter
An experienced presenter of festival events, I have interviewed writers such as Ann Cleeves, Joanne Harris, Alexander McCall Smith, Elizabeth Macneal, Stef Penny, Rupert Thomson and Sally Wainwright, as well as introducing Melanie Sykes and Simon Armitage and chairing discussion events on subjects such as Refugee Tales.
As well as introducing and hosting events at the Huddersfield Literature Festival, I have presented at book festivals in Derby, Durham, Halifax, Ilkley and Todmorden.
For every event I present, I carry out extensive research and preparation.
Festival Director
Director of the Huddersfield Literature Festival (HLF), winner of the Accessible & Inclusive award at the Yorkshire Post Tourism Awards 2022. Since 2013, we have welcomed guests such as: John Cooper Clarke, Kit de Waal, Bernardine Evaristo, Joanne Harris, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Helen Lederer, Helen Pankhurst, Ian Rankin, Nikesh Shukla, Lemn Sissay, Sir Patrick Stewart, Jeremy Vine and Irvine Welsh. Our programme features diverse and innovative projects, new commissions and under-represented artists.
In 2019, I worked with Mslexia magazine to plan and deliver their inaugural women’s writing weekend Mslexicon. In 2021, I helped to set up Sangam Festival: A Celebration of South Asian Heritage, which now runs annually during South Asian Heritage Month (18 July – 17 August).
Copywriter
Blogs, press releases, news stories, advertorials, articles, brochures, website content, case studies, proof reading
– if you are serious about marketing your business, I can craft the words to help you.
I have been running Key Words Copywriting Ltd since 2010 and my clients have included:
bed & furniture manufacturers
compressed air suppliers
design companies
food & drink manufacturers
estate agents / property brochure designers
electrical engineers / rail equipment suppliers
vocational and fitness training companies
and many more…
I have more than 30 years’ experience both as a copywriter and in related fields, from PR and marketing to sub-editing on national newspapers The Guardian, The Independent and The Independent on Sunday, and writing features for Food & Drink News.
Every client receives a bespoke approach, with an initial conversation to discuss your needs, understand your client base and pinpoint practical ways that I can make a difference.
Contact me at michelle at key-words dot co dot uk
About Me
Having been an avid reader and writer from a young age, I was drawn to a career in book publishing, where I worked for major publishing houses (Macmillan, Little Brown) and Midas PR, promoting writers, scientists, politicians, sports personalities, TV presenters and others, most notably Iain Banks and Whoopi Goldberg.
After spending five months on the island of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean in 2000, I worked for eight years as a national newspaper sub-editor and occasional writer for The Independent and The Guardian.
In January 2009, I moved to Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, where I set up a copywriting business and a successful local networking group. I also wrote for magazines, including five years producing features for the trade magazine, Food & Drink News.
At the end of 2012, I took over as Director of the Huddersfield Literature Festival, running my first Festival in March 2013. The Festival has since grown to become a major landmark on the local calendar, winning the Accessible & Inclusive Award at the Yorkshire Post Tourism Awards (2022) and the Examiner Community Award for Arts (2017), and being selected as a finalist in the Kirklees Diversity and Innovation Awards (2022) and the Welcome to Yorkshire White Rose Awards (2016, 2017 & 2020).
In 2021, I secured funding for and helped to launch the first Sangam Festival: A Celebration of South Asian Heritage, to coincide with South Asian Heritage Month. The Festival has since become an annual event, with venue-based events taking place across Kirklees and online activities for a global audience.
In 2013, I was nominated for and featured in the Independent on Sunday’s Happy List, billed as the antidote to lists that celebrate wealth or fame. As a creative and an arts practitioner, I’m keen to promote accessibility and representation.
Get in Touch
Please get in touch if you’d like to talk to me about my writing or a presenting opportunity.
For Huddersfield Literature Festival queries, please visit: http://www.huddlitfest.org.uk
Michelle Hodgson 