Feedback & Mentoring

From first lines to full collections —

Sarah enjoyed a twenty-year career as a national newspaper journalist whilst developing her own poetry. She is an experienced and sensitive reader and editor and offers bespoke feedback ranging from line edits on a single poem to appraisals of full collections.

She also works with poets on a variety of short and longer-term projects including targeted pamphlet submissions, portfolios for MA applications and achieving publication in journals and magazines.

Prices range from £50 for detailed feedback on a batch of three poems and sessions can be carried out in-person or online.

Sarah has run poetry workshops for festivals and schools, the Second Light Network, Poets for the Planet and The Poetry School. She has been a poetry tutor for City Lit in Covent Garden since 2019 and has created and taught courses on eco-poetry, ways into poetry and experimental writing.  She holds a BSc in Human Sciences and an MA in poetry.

If you would like Sarah to run a workshop or help you develop your work please contact her for further details.

Photo of Sarah writing notes in her shed

Praise for Sarah

  • “Sarah Westcott has been my poetry mentor for over three years. She has been absolutely instrumental in me getting a number of my poems published. Insightful  and honest but always constructive, she has taken my poetry to levels I could not have reached alone. I could not have wished for a better person to help me develop in my poetic journey.”

    ⎯ J.B, poet

  • “Sarah is a generous and warm tutor. She loves her subject and stimulates the same love in her students.”

    — Former Student

  • “Can’t speak highly enough of this terrific course and the excellence of the tutor. An absolutely brilliant starter course with so much critical support and reading recommendations.”

    — Former Student

  • “My world of words has just grown larger and richer thanks to the insightful and exceptional poetry teachings of poet Sarah Westcott.”

    ⎯ Fi Burke, artist and writer

  • “Sarah’s reading of my poems was careful and detailed, and her comments were intelligent, perceptive, and constructive. Her critique was rigorous but sensitive, and I was left feeling encouraged and inspired.”

    ⎯ S.D. - Poet working towards full first collection