About Me
Originally from Oxford, I am a writer and copywriter now living in Amsterdam. I’m also a mum to two daughters, who are keeping me young and ageing me rapidly.
You can read my professional and socially-acceptable pitch below. But if you want the ‘real’ story, the best place to start is by reading my poems :)
Following a degree in English Literature, I acquired diplomas in News Journalism (London School of Journalism), Writing Therapy and Journal Therapy. I’ve had my poetry and writing published in The Times, Popshot Magazine, Acumen, The Rappahannock Review, The Fish Anthology, Eunoia Review, Prairie Fire, Beyond Words Literary Journal, Literary Mama - and elsewhere. I’ve also been a prizewinner in one of Arvon’s poetry competitions and was shortlisted for the Creative Ink Poetry Prize in 2023. I have completed workshops and courses with Breadloaf (USA), Arvon (UK) and the International Writers Collective (Netherlands) and am currently studying for an MSc in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes (CWTP) with the Metanoia Institute. I am an Assistant Poetry Editor at Narrative Magazine, and my first poetry collection, ‘Sunlight Later’, was published by Cathexis Northwest Press in 2025.
As a copywriter I have helped a wide variety of clients to find their unique voice, including Nike, Uber, Uniqlo, Converse, Oxfam, UEFA, IKEA and Booking.com. You can read more about my professional work at www.jo-matthews.com. As a coach and CWTP practitioner, I also work with individuals and organisations — you can find out more about that here.
About ‘sunlight later’
I am fascinated by the power of words to transform and transcend the often messy experience of being human.
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember - journals, poems, scribbles, musings, stories - mostly as a way to make sense of the world and my place in it.
And for as long as I can remember, I have felt a stubborn resistance to sharing what I write. So ‘sunlight later’ is a modest but determined attempt to share my work (hoping it may speak to you at some level) and to keep that inner self-saboteur at bay (if you know, you know).
Ongoing reflections
Alongside my poetry, I also write reflective prose exploring many of the same questions: how we live, how we change, what we carry, and how writing helps us make sense of our place in the world.
My essays and commissioned pieces have appeared in Yoga Easy, Humanitarian Exchange Magazine, Motherhood Uncensored, Mother’s Day Magazine, and The Times, among others. I also publish new reflections and poems on Substack. You’re welcome to join me there!