After graduating with an honours degree in psychology in the last century, I undertook coffee and washing up duties for the editor of a busy local London newspaper. While there, I worked my way up to senior reporter and gained the NCTJ news qualification.
One of my biggest investigative successes was to uncover hush-hush plans to close a London hospital. It's open to this day. I now write, edit and coach groups and individuals – as well as working as a freelance journalist.
Joy Persaud
Content • Journalism • Podcast • Coaching • Biography • Consultancy
Words are my addiction. I turned a childhood passion for creating makeshift magazines and books – not to mention pressing record on my cassette player to capture a story – into a profession I love.
With a solid professional background in all aspects of editorial, I can help you to capture your stories and messaging, whether that's for business, editorial or a personal project. My news training makes me a tenacious and skilled listener and interviewer, able to find the kernel of a subject quickly, meaning your messaging and story will be captured authentically and accurately.
I work for national news and magazines, corporate B2B/C and trade publications, private and public organisations across all sectors, and private clients who partner with me for bespoke editorial projects.
I'm also an author – I've written non-fiction books and ghostwritten biographies. For all of these, I had to develop a strong rapport with interviewees, who – I'm privileged to say – have trusted me with sensitive personal information. Jimmy Osmond described my interview with him for Reader's Digest as "better than therapy," a sentiment shared by many people I've had the pleasure of working alongside.
Interested? Let's talk.
Services
Content & Thought Leadership
The fact you are reading this shows you understand that content matters - and that partnering with an expert who grasps your USP, vision and tone will take your business forward.
Most of us can tell when someone has run a content idea through AI (useful though it is) to churn out words that fill space but don't hit the mark.
If you want your content and marketing comms to be authentic and faithfully reflect your brand, let's chat.
Ask me about: B2B/C content, thought leadership, marketing content, content strategy, blogs, advertorials, business storytelling, profile, website content, consultancy, editorial training or anything else that involves your business and the written/ spoken word.
Stories, Biography & Podcast
You don't need to be Jimmy Osmond, Lorraine Kelly, Bill Bailey, Ian Rankin, or Suzi Quatro to invest in capturing your story as a written piece, or as an audio file that will last as a legacy for future generations. While I have interviewed the names above, plus dozens more famous types, I relish interviewing so-called ordinary people, whose stories are often just as, if not more, interesting – and (always) equally as worthy of telling.
Would you like to record your story? Let's have an informal chat.
Ask me about: biography, ghostwriting, writing and interviewing workshops (run in south east England in person and globally by video session), podcast, audio stories, legacy stories, business stories, stories about heritage and family history, gifts for loved ones who would like to capture their story, and anything else that piques your story-related interest.
Bespoke & Consultancy
Not sure what service best suits you? Or maybe you have an idea for a words-related project but don't know where to start? Great – I love new challenges and am all ears and eyes to see how we might work together.
Please get in touch for a no-obligation chat and let's see what creative sparks might fly.
Ask me about: new projects, ideas, proposals, collaboration, contracting, audio-visual projects, documentaries and consultancy.
Clients
Telegraph • The Times • Good Morning Britain •
BBC Radio 4 • BBC Radio 5 Live • BBC News •
ITN • BBC Radio Sussex & Surrey • Daily Mail • Reader's Digest • The Guardian • The Independent on Sunday • The Independent • i • Evening Standard • Saga • Closer • RBS/NatWest • Aviva • Microsoft UK • Barclays Bank • Redactive Media • New Statesman • Medeconomics • HR • Raconteur • People Management • UKCP • FAIRER Consulting • The Fatherhood Institute • Pharmaphorum • NHS Confederation • The Work Foundation • Nursing Standard • Cobb Digital • Moneywise • Greater London Authority • MSUK • HFEA • NHS Careers • GP • Health Cheque • Ghostwriting clients
