About Me

I grew up next-door to a chicken farm in rural Pennsylvania but now live in Spain, which is pretty wild. My historical novel Lightborne, about the mysterious death of queer Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe, was a finalist in the Irish Writers Centre Novel Fair 2022 and is currently out on submission with my wonderful agent, Brian Langan of Storyline Literary Agency. In 2019 I was longlisted for the Bridport Prize in Short Fiction. My fiction and poetry have appeared in The Bridport Review, the époque press é-zine, Embark: A Literary Journal for Novelists, Emerge Literary Journal, Roi Fainéant Press, Erato Magazine, and is forthcoming in Pangyrus. I am a graduate of Grub Street Boston’s Novel Incubator Program and I have a PhD in Drama from Tufts University.

From crayon scribbles to my first attempt at a “novel” at the age of fourteen, I’ve been in love with storytelling. But I didn’t come to writing by the usual channels. Instead of majoring in English or taking an MFA, I studied theatre and history while writing novels on the side. My formal education in creative writing didn’t begin until I’d already started a PhD in Drama, when I discovered the legendary Grub Street writing center.

Suddenly, writing was no longer a lonely hobby, but real work, requiring discipline, drive, but above all, community. Through Grub, I met many incredible writers who are ready with invaluable critiques, advice, and cheerleading when I need it. But I also remember what it was like to be on the outside of that world, toiling away in the dark, never quite sure whether I was on the right track.

That’s why I’ve decided to start offering Manuscript Consultation and developmental editing services, at competitive prices. Every work-in-progress needs a second set of eyes, and can benefit from an outside reader at any stage. If you are interested in learning more about my Manuscript Consultations, please click the link above or check out my blog below for more information about my process. I can’t wait to read your work!

Happy writing!

Hesse (she/they)