Sarah Halford

 

Address:

98 Lodge Road

Stratford upon Avon

Warwickshire

CV37 9DN

Email: sarah.halford38@hotmail.co.uk

 

At a glance:

•  NCTJ qualified journalist – 19 years’ experience in newspapers and magazines

• permanent and freelance posts include senior reporter; editor, senior subeditor, managing editor and group managing editor
  
• extensive experience in news, feature and advertorial copy writing and editing; layout subediting (including headline and caption writing) using Adobe InDesign
  
• strong organisational skills across editorial planning and production process
• current PhD English literature student, University of Warwick; hold MA English with Distinction and BA (hons) 2:i
  
• fully equipped for remote working – software includes Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Office.

 

Recent career history

2007 to present ­– freelance journalist

Group Managing Editor and feature writer, International Media Services – June 2017 to present

• Calibre magazine issue 14: freelance commission to oversee relaunch of first issue of men's luxury lifestyle magazine under new ownership. Involved in entire publication and production process, from planning and commissioning editorial content; researching, interviewing and writing news and features; editing and subediting; liaising with designer, freelance writers, advertisers and sales staff; representing magazine at functions and press events; signing off pages for press. I have written on everything from fashion to whisky and interviewed comedian Ed Byrne at Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the issue's cover story.

Editor, Art of England magazine – May to November 2012 issues:

•  successful relaunch of a high-end national arts magazine under new ownership, Blaze Publishing

• responsible for all editorial content and involved in all aspects of production process, from planning, sourcing, commissioning and writing news stories, features, advertorial and listing sections to editing and ghostwriting contributors’ work; subediting InDesign pages, final proofing and approving for press; working closely with design and sales staff
  
• immensely proud to have delivered a completely transformed, luxury magazine with beautiful production values that saw sales and subscriptions soar within six issues; demand outstripped supply at newsagents such as WH Smith and we received extremely positive feedback from galleries, advertisers and readers alike – as well as endorsements from celebrities such as Ronnie Wood.

Other freelance editorial work includes writing, subediting and proofreading across Blaze Publishing’s various specialist titles, 2007 to 2013; subeditor for Observer Standard Newspapers, 2007 – 2009 and subeditor at Bullivant Media 2009 to present.

2005 – 2007: senior subeditor, Observer Standard Newspapers (on staff):

• worked in central subs department on 18 weekly titles, including tabloids and broadsheets. Involved page layout using Adobe InDesign; writing headlines and captions; editing and proofreading copy to ensure writing quality, clarity and adherence to law and house style and checking for factual, spelling and grammatical errors

• additional responsibility for managing central subs department’s production and work flow processes, passing approximately 100 pages per day for press: involved liaising with page-planning, advertising, production and editorial staff across the group to advise on and oversee pagination and content; designating pages ready for layout across the subediting team; final check, approval and exporting PDF of each page ready for press.

 

2003 – 2005: editor, Stratford upon Avon Observer (Observer Standard Newspapers):

• responsible for editorial direction of the newspaper; news gathering, reporting, writing, interviewing and heading news team
• determining news content and placing of stories in the newspaper; editing reporters’ copy, sourcing and choosing pictures and compiling news pages to send to central subs department
• establishing and maintaining relationships with public and local figures and organisations, such as police, politicians and charities, and acting as figurehead for newspaper, both at public events and group editorial meetings.

1999 – 2003: reporter, Stratford upon Avon Observer:

•  began as direct entry trainee reporter, sourcing and writing news; features, human interest stories, theatre reviews; reporting on local events and meetings; interviewing local figures and so on

• attended day-release NCTJ course and secured rapid promotion once qualified, to senior reporter then editor.

 

Education

 

2010 to present: PhD English Literature

Expected thesis submission December 2018

University of Warwick

 

2007-2009 MA English Literature

Grade: Distinction

University of Warwick

 

1992-1998 BA (hons) Literary and Cultural Studies

Grade: 2:i

University of Warwick

 

Professional Qualifications

 

2000-2001 National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ):

Public Affairs Part I – awarded a credit

Law Part I – awarded a credit

Public Affairs Part II

Law Part II

 

References and work samples available on request

S dot J dot Halford at warwick dot ac dot uk