Mslexia

Mslexia, the magazine for women who write | www.mslexia.co.uk

About the magazine

Daneet Steffens

Editor

Daneet Steffens was born in Berkeley, California but was educated primarily in London and New York (including an MA from UCL and a Ph.D from New York University, both in comparative literature). For more than 20 years she has worked as a book critic, writer, editor, reporter and fact-checker for a variety of magazines and newspapers including Entertainment Weekly, Time, Time Out New York, Time Out London, the Chicago Tribune, the Scotland on Sunday, US Magazine, The Crack and the Accent Magazine Group. She has been the editor of Mslexia since June 2006.

Wendy Macdonald

Marketing

Wendy Macdonald is a New Zealander who moved to the UK in 2002. Her background lies primarily in sales and marketing within the hospitality and sports industries. Three years after arriving in the UK Wendy decided on a career change and joined Mslexia as the listings editor. Since then she has also been involved in producing Mslexia's Writer's Diary, and the website, and is now managing the marketing of the organisation. Her biggest challenge since joining Mslexia has been learning where to put her apostrophes.

Sarah Mitchell

Advertising

Sarah comes from a varied work background which includes both publishing and advertising and has a undergraduate degree in English and Philosophy from the University of Leeds. She is a new addition to the team taking over from Elizabeth as Mslexia's advertising contact. She enjoys reading, writing, music and food – the good stuff!

Isabel Smales

Finance

Isabel joined Mslexia in the Spring of 1999, narrowly missing the first issue, and has been shackled to the finances and administration ever since. Despite the years these will be the first words that she has contributed for wider circulation.
She is a qualified accountant and has a number of years experience in such varied fields as cattle breeding, farming and estate management, and retailing. She has two grown-up rugby playing sons, is an active Pony Club mother and commentates and stewards at horse trials up and down the country. When not working she enjoys sailing and when other commitments allow she plans to circumnavigate the world.

Helen Baynes

Office manager

Helen Baynes is Mslexia's office manager and looks after the books section of the magazine. She has an undergraduate degree in English studies from Stirling University and a postgraduate Masters in arts management from Northumbria University. Home is a working dairy farm in the village of Slaley, Northumberland, where she lives with her husband Richard, and a whole menagerie of animals including a dog, three cats, ducks, chickens, horses and of course a whole herd of pedigree Shorthorn & Ayrshire cows! Life is busy, but she loves it.

Sophie Baker

Listings

Sophie Baker is Mslexia's listings editor and has recently graduated from an MA in Creative Writing at Newcastle University. She is a poet who creatively blogs at www.catalogue25.blogspot.com She enjoys baking (true to her name), writing poems and reviews, ballroom dancing and drinking too much coffee in cafés around Newcastle.

Victoria Levay

Administration/subscriptions

Victoria has recently graduated from Newcastle University with a Creative Writing Masters and is set to begin her literary career as administrative assistant here at Mslexia. She is passionate about all kinds of literature and has a lifelong love of film which she indulges far too frequently at the local cinema. She has just completed her first feature length screenplay and one day hopes to see her work appear on screen. Aside from writing she loves a good book, travelling back to the shire to see her family and of course, a deep pan pizza.

Martha Lane

Intern

Martha found out about Mslexia last year and has been dying to be the intern ever since. She is currently studying English Literature at Newcastle University and loves the vibe of the city so much she refuses to go back home to visit her parents! She loves art, music, traveling and of course reading which she seems unable to escape from.

Colette Bryce

Poetry advisor

Colette Bryce has been Mslexia’s poetry advisor since 2006. Now, she’s pioneering a new poetry workshop for our pages as well as taking the ‘Making a Poem’ reins from long-term contributor Kate Clanchy. ‘Listening to talented poets talking about their creative process? Nice work, I’d say,’ enthuses Colette. ‘The poetry workshop column is more experimental, a promising vehicle for exploring editing principles.’ Self-Portrait in the Dark, her third collection, is out in September. Colette's poem 'The Full Indian Rope Trick' has recently been voted the favourite National Poetry Competition winner of the last 30 years. To read the poem visit www.poetrysociety.org.uk.