Goldfinch Publishing

Gary is the owner of Goldfinch Books, a writer and contributor to creative writing courses at Goldfinch. He is experienced in the world of self-publishing, having published five of his own novels and provided support to other self-published authors in typesetting, book internal design, cover design, and distribution.

Eleanor is a copy-editor, proofreader, translator and writer who has worked for many of the major UK publishing houses. She has many years’ experience working across genres, from popular nonfiction to literary and commercial fiction, graphic novels to thrillers, YA to children’s fiction. She is also a ghostwriter and translator from German, while her short stories have been published in magazines and online. She leads creative writing and editing workshops, and moonlights as a book reviewer.

Florence Waters is an award-winning illustrator and animator specialising in children’s and young adult illustration, editorial work, and 2D/stop-frame animation. A First-Class graduate of Southampton University and MA graduate of the Royal College of Art, she has exhibited at the Bologna Children’s Book Festival, received the Annual Varley Memorial Grant, and has won two Webby Awards.

Lisa believes in the power of stories to inspire people to drive positive change. For more than two decades, she has worked with businesses, charities and individuals to help them to develop, refine and share their own stories and narratives. After beginning her career in California in the late 1990s, Lisa moved to the UK in 2001 where she worked with agencies in London before founding Parker Robinson Communications in 2015.

Lisa is committed to helping her clients’ voices to be heard, understood and respected. She works closely with spokespeople, experts and authors to create and refine compelling, credible and human content to communicate, inform, build trust, inspire, entertain and engage audiences.

I am a novelist, creative writing tutor, workshop leader and mentor. I have a Creative Writing MA and my first novel won the inaugural Bath Novel Award in 2014, and was subsequently published by Penguin Random House, along with a second novel in 2017. I have 8 years’ experience in editing and proofreading for individuals and organisations. I also work as a counsellor and live in Surrey with my family.

Louise Morrish is an author of historical fiction. a writing tutor, and a bookseller. Her debut novel, Operation Moonlight, won the Penguin Random House First Novel competition in 2019, and since then she has published two more novels with Penguin. Whilst working on future novels, Lou teaches creative writing with 'Write Your Way', and she is also a bookseller with Goldfinch. She lives in Hampshire with her family, and loves to trail run.

Mel Stephenson is a painter, illustrator, and writer. Her illustrations explore spiritual and heart-minded concepts, bringing them to life through images and picture books for children (and adult children!) and created using traditional mediums. A former arts psychotherapist, her work blends the seen and imagined, capturing the essence of magic rooted in the real.  

 Inspired by her exploration of how things work through the lenses of quantum science, spirituality and psychology, her wish is to touch people’s hearts, inspire wonder, and awaken the spark within.

I began my career as a stylist assistant working on fashion magazines and music videos which transitioned over to feature films where I found my feet as a photographer. From my early career experience I love styling out my clients + catching stray hairs or wonky ties before I click my shutter. I’m driven by wanting to make a positive impact in our beautiful world and when I am creating images or working with my families + clients, we have fun, we joke, laugh and have a positive interaction. I can be serious and I am professional but also human + most people will do their best to avoid a camera so the more fun we can have the more relaxed our images and better the moment.

With nearly two decades of editorial experience, I bring a sharp eye and collaborative spirit to every manuscript. My background includes nine years as a professional copywriter and eight years as editor of a trade magazine, complemented by a BA in English Literature and current training with a Bloomsbury Managing Editor through the Become A Book Editor course.

For twelve years, I've been an active member of creative writing communities, offering structural feedback on both excerpts and full manuscripts—several of which have gone on to publication. As an avid reader with particular expertise in romance, fantasy, dystopian fiction, and YA, I understand these genres from both a technical and passionate reader's perspective.

I offer proofreading, copy editing, and structural editing services for authors seeking thoughtful, detail-oriented feedback. While I work across multiple genres, I'm not the right fit for dark romance themes.

Alison is a writer and avid reader of all genres. She loves anything with a strong female character and interesting plot. She has written for multiple issues of Chaotic Creators Magazine and has published first children's story in Little Thoughts Press. When she is not reading or writing, you can find her in a cosy coffee shop with her husband, her Red Fox Lab, Chester, and a delicious sweet treat.

Brian is a freelance writer and editor, with a background in advertising copywriting, PR and editorial. He is also an eagle-eyed proofreader. Along with content creation for business clients, he is currently ghostwriting and editing a transformational memoir. His enjoyment of creative writing also includes short stories and poetry. Brian was a reader for the 2025 Goldfinch Novel Award, and is a regular at Goldfinch literary workshops and music events.