Ella M. Peebles

Ella M Peebles is the author of Watch Us Begin, which was written for older adolescents and young adults who are navigating the bright sting and soft glow of becoming. Though she keeps that audience in mind, she hope readers of any age can find something that resonates.

She holds a BA in English Literature with a placement year from the University of York, along with the York Award for my commitment to personal and professional development. She now works as a Marketing and Events Executive with the Science and Technology Facilities Council in Warrington, and her creative life has always been centred on storytelling. For example, her dissertation explored hope and resilience in Samuel Beckett’s dramatic works, studying the ways grief shifts and reforms rather than disappears. That project shaped much of her approach to writing, reminding her that human emotion is rarely simple and never still. During her placement year, she also led a STEAM marketing campaign, speaking to people across her organisation about how creativity and science intertwine in unexpected ways. Sharing their stories through blogs, podcasts, and social media was a privilege and remains one of her proudest achievements.

Outside of work, she is happiest when she is creating. She has loved video editing since childhood, stitching scenes and songs into something new. Photography has become a recent passion, often paired with her love of travelling, with Scandinavia sitting at the top of her list of places to explore. Music is the soundtrack to everything she does, especially anything with thoughtful or poetic lyrics. Her favourite artists range from Kate Bush and Suede to Arcade Fire, Interpol, Placebo, and Pavement. The best concert she ever attended was Richard Ashcroft at the Albert Hall in Manchester. She plays the piano too, although she is a little rusty these days.

Her path into marketing was shaped by both study and experience. English Literature honed her communication and her eye for detail, while her time as Editor of my college magazine showed her how to connect with readers and share stories that matter. Personally and professionally, her passion is the same. She cares deeply about human-centred storytelling. In her writing, she explores the emotions we are often told to quieten. In her career, she aims to celebrate people and their work, and to connect others through shared experience.

People often describe her as mature for her age, an old soul. They also tell her they value her writing and her kindness, which she hopes shines through everything she creates.

On ‘Watch Us Begin’ – My Debut Coming-of-Age Poetry Collection