About Me
In The Beginning
I was born in 1973 in a Royal Air Force Hospital in Wegberg, Germany, to two incredible human beings I came to know and love as Mum and Dad.
Since then I have often wondered about the importance of an Oxford comma, compared to actually rolling up your sleeves and being paid to be professionally curious about life.
After a stint at Cardiff Journalism School, I came to the conclusion that the Oxford comma is important, but not as important as: 1) writing for pleasure and 2) writing to raise up people’s voices who don’t have as much of an equal footing in the mainstream media.
Early in my career as a staff journalist at the turn of the millennium, I found myself drawn to the more pleasurable stories such as human interest, the funnies and the occasional animal star turn.
Going Freelance
These days as a freelancer based in Lancashire, my writing interests cover all kinds of stories in a unique signature style of writing that blends blogging and professional journalism skills.
Through the love and support and belief of my family and friends, life has carved me into a blogalist who writes blogalism. And do you know what? It’s not going too bad so far…
Writing
Artist David Shrigley described my piece on his show How Are You Feeling? as the ‘best of the bunch’. Luck knew no bounds, when I was able to follow in the footsteps of one of my writing heroes Hunter S. Thompson, some forty years after his original piece and write about the 138th Kentucky Derby. Actor and comedian Sophie Willan’s TV debut Alma’s Not Normal became a BIG hit during coronavirus lockdown, this much I already knew from years before. This piece of blogalism on Sylvia Plath was written for pure pleasure. And why not? I’ll always have a special place in my heart for The World’s Shortest Poem and Muhammad Ali because of its subject matter and its regular number 1 position in the Google rankings. And here’s a last little toot on my own trumpet, amazingly the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, emailed me his appreciation of this blog on him and the Lancashire accent.
Client Work
Another equally important string to my bow is helping people who are stuck for words.
I like to work with people in a thoughtful and collaborative way. I tend to find myself working with artists, producers, creatives in general, communication experts, entrepreneurs and business people, disabled and dyslexic people, health and food people, academics and students, all in order to help them grow in confidence, develop their ideas, their voice and fulfil their potential.
Please see recommendations on Welcome and Services.
My way with words is well-researched, informative, often humorous, told in an easy conversational style I call blogalism. The resulting read often turns out to be threaded with humour, hope and humanity. Oh and the odd snarky comment from time to time too.
Literally yours,
Nikki Smith
About The Author
Nikki
I live in Lancashire, in the North of England. I write for pleasure and to amplify people's stories who might not have such an equal footing in the mainstream media. Follow my blog, subscribe to my newsletter, join me to help build word-bridges between people, across the English Channel, over the Irish Sea and beyond the Atlantic Ocean. Oh you can hire me as well if you need words, because I really like helping people too :-)