Work with Laura

Can you write something for us?

Chances are that if it aligns with my interests - social class and social mobility, grief, memory, the experience of the Irish in Britain, the 90s, deindustrialised Northern towns and ‘New Towns’, drag, mother/daughter relationships, the relationship between identity and place etc - the answer is likely to be a resounding ‘yes’. I write narrative non-fiction, essays, short stories, interviews, articles and more.

We have an idea around grief and creativity…can you help?

Absolutely. Check out Projecting Grief and take a look at our portraits and stories of people finding comfort, distraction or hope in creative pursuits after being bereaved.

We can help you set up a bespoke exhibition, be part of your festival, speak at your event, present a webinar, facilitate creative workshops or interview and photograph a group - the options are plentiful.

Can you show us how to write more effectively?

I’d love to. As a former English teacher, Assistant Head and occasional communications consultant, tough audiences (stony-faced Year 11s, Gen Z digital natives) don’t faze me at all. I love finding creative and inspiring ways to teach people about language, from dissecting the brilliance of @TheMERL’s tweets (seriously, take a look) to exploring Patrick Kavanagh’s mastery of voice in Tarry Flynn – oof, it’s really something. In-person or remote workshops available.

Can you help us pin down our tone of voice?

Oh yes - tone of voice is my favourite commercial writing task.

How it works: first we’ll find out more about your work and the values that drive it. Then we’ll work out your brand personality: four or five adjectives, with an exploration of what each of those looks and sounds like in terms of language. The final step: loads of practical, tangible examples of your new voice in action with no marketing waffle. You’re welcome.

Can you help us tell our story?

We’ve been telling stories since we were kids, so how come it’s so - well, hard? Especially when you’re trying to get to the very essence of what you do and why - the most critical of narratives.

Divvn’t worry. I’ll ask the right questions to end the overwhelm and bring things back into focus; then together we’ll find confidence in words. Proper, authentic voices 4eva.

We need some varied, ongoing comms support…

Variety is my middle name (actually it’s Marie, but you know what I mean).

I spend a limited number days a month helping organisations on a retainer basis. It’s a great option for companies that can’t quite justify a full-time PR/comms team member but need a degree of support. You can use your time to fire anything at me – blog posts, website content, press releases – or we can talk and I can work out a comprehensive comms strategy for you.

I have a podcast/need a speaker - can we talk?

I thought you’d never ask!

If it falls into my areas of interest and expertise – life writing/memoir, books, Drag Race, working-class narratives, being Irish in Britain/2nd generation Irishness, freelance life or why Whitecaps is the best Sopranos episode ever – I’m totally up for it. 

Do you do social media?

I don’t do day-to-day social media management, but I can help by providing no-nonsense campaign and broader comms strategies with accompanying rules of engagement, tone of voice and content pillar guidance to get you feeling super confident about your approach.