About

Jessica Shelley is a literary, speculative author, poet, workshop facilitator, and creative educator based in Shropshire. She writes for both children and adults. Her work explores voice, power, and reclamation through a feminist, trauma-informed lensโ€”blending myth, folklore, and the uncanny to examine the inner lives of women and the healing force of storytelling.

She holds a Masterโ€™s degree in Creative Writing and Teaching, where she received a distinction for her research into writing for therapeutic purposes in trauma recovery. With over five yearsโ€™ experience teaching English and Creative Writing from KS2 to MA level, Jessica creates safe, compassionate spaces for creative exploration, innovation, and emotional expression.

Jessicaโ€™s writing has been published in places such as Lucent Dreaming and Dear Damsels, and she is a former recipient of SCBWI and Write Mentor underrepresented writers awards. She was previously represented by the Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency, before choosing to step into a new season of creativity, first-time motherhood, community work, and platform-building rooted in the belief that creativityโ€”when guided by up-to-date, trauma-informed, and evidence-based practicesโ€”can be a powerful tool for healing, self-reclamation, and meaningful transformation.

Her narrative therapy-inspired workshop, โ€˜Rewriting Your Narrative,โ€™ launched this May at Swan Hill Studios. She has achieved MHFAiderยฎ certification (MHFAยฎ England), is studying further education in Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Oxford, conducting more creative therapeutic workshops around Shropshire, and is currently working on her debut novel, The Screaming Flowers, an adult literary horror folk tale that examines intergenerational trauma, as well as Bluebeardโ€™s Daughter, a dark coming-of-age literary horror retelling.

Jessicaโ€™s mission is to help others take healing into their own hands by combining creative expression, therapeutic tools, and accessible support. She is building a platform to bring together artists, educators, and experts to offer affordable creative therapy experiencesโ€”a space where those navigating trauma, waiting for care, or seeking deeper self-understanding can find community, creativity, and hope.

  • "Jessica's imagination is so vivid and beautiful. It feels like the visual tableux she creates throughout her manuscripts absoloutly leaps off the page."

    Writers House

  • "She has a beautiful blend of storytelling and myth. It is all perfectly matched."

    Curtis Brown

  • "She has both talent and a unique voice. Her unsual mix immediately hooked me in as a reader. It made me realize I was reading something very special."

    Lee Weatherly, NYT Bestselling Author

  • "A beautiful soul. There's so much magic in her sentences. Her stories are so, so special."

    Hayley Chewins, Award Winning Author

  • "She has a lovely, lyrical, yet accesible quality, with an enviable lightness of touch. She will inspire many and stand the test of time."

    Lee Weatherly, NYT Bestselling Author

  • "Her poetry reminded me of Plath and Dunning. Jessica is very talented."

    Natalie Anne Holborrow, Winner of the Poetry Wales Award

  • "Feels thick with fable and mystery, exactly the sort of telling I love."

    Kiran Milwood Hargrave, Bestselling Author

  • "A lyrical mind."

    Rachel Faturoti, Award Winning Author

  • "A gorgeous literary writer with a controlled and timeless feel."

    Rachel Mann, Jo Unwin Literary Agency

  • "Beautifully explores darker issues."

    Maddy Belton, Agent at MM Agency

  • Atmospheric, flowing, sad and wonderful all at once.

    Write Mentor