Noo Saro-Wiwa - Editor
Award-winning author and editor with 16 years experience on various books and newspapers, including The Times, Lonely Planet and UCL Press.
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Overview
I’m an award-winning author, journalist and copy editor with versatile writing and editing skills.
My book, Looking For Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria (Granta, 2012), was BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week in 2012; The Sunday Times Travel Book of the Year, 2012; shortlisted for the Author’s Club Dolman Travel Book of the Year Award in 2013; named by The Financial Times as one of the best travel books of 2012. In 2016 it was awarded Italy’s Albatros Travel Literature Prize.
I have contributed to four anthologies: An Unreliable Guide to London (Influx Press, 2016); A Country of Refuge (Unbound, 2016); La Felicita Degli Uomini Semplici (66th and 2nd, 2016); The New Daughters of Africa anthology (Myriad Editions, 2019).
In 2019 I became a Rockefeller Foundation Arts & Literary Fellow at the Bellagio Center in Italy.
As a journalist I write book reviews, travel, opinion and analysis articles for The Guardian newspaper (UK), The Financial Times, The Times Literary Supplement, City AM, Prospect magazine and The New York Times, among others.
I also edit and proofread copy for The Times, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, as well as academic papers and books for UCL Press.
As an editor I will breathe life into your prose, making it sharp, succinct and engaging, while removing all those repetitive rhythms and sentence constructions. And through my experience as an author I can advise you on how to structure your long-form narrative, be it fiction or non-fiction.
Services
Languages
English (AUS)
English (UK)
English (US)
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Political Science & Current Affairs
Sociology
Travel
Certifications
- Msc Journalism, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, NY
- BA Geography, King's College London
Awards
- Italy's Albatros Travel Literature Prize
Work experience
Copy editor
News International
December, 2014
–
March, 2020
(about 5 years)
The Sunday Times & The Times:
Edited, fact-checked and proofread digital and print news articles and features; wrote headlines and photo captions
Freelance copy editor
The Guardian newspaper (UK)
March, 2020
–
Present
(7 months)
Editing web articles, creating headlines and photo captions, fact-checking, proofreading; uploading photos; ensuring SEO
Freelance copy editor/proofreader
University of Neuchatel (Switzerland)
October, 2019
–
Present
(12 months)
I edit and proofread academic research papers and dissertations for the Institute of Geography.
Temporary production manager/proofreader
Thomson Reuters
March, 2018
–
September, 2018
(6 months)
As the temporary production manager/proofreader for employment law, I edited and proofread employment law handbooks and the IDS Employment Law Brief, a twice-monthly journal that reports on new employment legislation.
Freelance proofreader and copy editor
UCL Press
January, 2018
–
Present
(over 2 years)
Freelance proofreader and copy editor of academic journals and papers.
Freelance journalist
Various
January, 2015
–
Present
(over 5 years)
I write book reviews for The Times Literary Supplement. I also write travel, opinion and analysis articles for City AM, The Guardian, Prospect magazine, The Financial Times, The New York Times and Condé Nast Traveler magazine.
Online sub-editor (maternity cover)
New Scientist magazine
April, 2012
–
October, 2012
(6 months)
I copy edited and proofread articles, using the bespoke content management system to upload and format articles and images. I delivered content that was accurate, scientifically literate, libel-free, adhered to house style, and contained hyperlinks and multimedia content where appropriate.
In addition, I wrote accurate, attention-grabbing headlines and captions that promoted the stories while conforming to New Scientist's consumer-friendly style and SEO requirements.
Copy editor/proofreader
NHS Choices website
May, 2008
–
November, 2011
(over 3 years)
Edited the NHS website to produce accurate copy that conformed to house style and contained appropriate cross-links and relevant multimedia content, while meeting the standards for search engine optimisation.
Portfolio (10 selected works)
Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria
Saro-Wiwa, Noo
Urban Claims and the Right to the City: Grassroots Perspectives from Salvador da Bahia and London
Walker, Julian, Walker, Julian, Carvalho, Marcos Bau, Diaconescu, Ilinca
Lonely Planet Africa on a Shoestring
Kevin Anglin, Becca Blond, Jean-Bernard Carillet
The Rough Guide to West Africa (Rough Guides)
Richard Trillo
A Country of Refuge
Popescu, Lucy, Popescu, Lucy, Barry, Sebastian, Boyd, William, Kennedy, A.L., Kureshi, Hanif
An Unreliable Guide to London
Budden, Gary, Caless, Kit
Noo has 3 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
Noo did an amazing editing job on my manuscript. She was not only courteous and professional but also provided timely and useful feedback. Highly recommended.
George Ndege, August 2020
From when I first began discussing the concept of my work with Noo, it was clear that she understood where I wanted to go with my book and the vision that I had for it.
As a novice writer, I wanted someone that would be both critical and constructive, and the feedback, along with the edits that Noo provided did just that. The notes that she wrote were insightful but to the point, allowing me ...
Read more
Hannah Cairns, August 2020
First time using the site and had an excellent experience working with Noo Saro-Wiwa. She represented Reedsy exceptionally well and produced quality work. Highly recommended. An asset to your company.
Hayley Jack, August 2020
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