Freelance writer + journalist

I’ve been a freelance writer for more than a decade, working across health, research, education, lifestyle, travel, and social impact.

If I had to sum it up, I’d say most of the job comes down to the same thing: talking to people about something complicated, then writing about it in a way that makes sense to someone who wasn’t in the room.

What I write

A magazine feature and a page of campaign material are the same job, just with a different format.

  • Commissioned features and magazine stories, often built around research or a particular angle a publication wants covered.

  • Writing for universities, research institutes, and health non-profits about work that’s often technical and needs a plain-English version.

  • Sitting down with a researcher, a health professional, or someone with a story worth telling, and finding the version of it worth reading.

  • The people and projects behind an organisation’s work, told as a story that connects to people rather than a report that shows just data.

  • Copy that explains what an organisation does and why someone should care.

  • Flyers, banners, radio scripts, digital ad copy, and campaign pages for health organisations and non-profits.

  • Someone’s life, or an important part of it, written either for publication or just to keep.

Who I work with

I’ve worked with health organisations, universities, research institutes, and non-profits who ned someone who can get across a subject quickly and write it in a way everyone can understand.

Clients have included

  • Palliative Care Australia

  • Deakin University

  • The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health

  • Icon Cancer Centre

  • Cancer Council Queensland

  • BlueCare

  • nib

I’ve also written for

  • Australian Women’s Weekly

  • MiNDFOOD

  • The Guardian

  • The House of Wellness

  • WellBeing

  • Travel Weekly

  • Africa Geographic

  • Rough Guides

  • + more

  • “Sarah is a brilliant writer who never fails to nail a brief while also managing to inject her own personality into a story. She’s always happy to workshop ideas and feedback and is a great communicator, regularly keeping our editors updated on how a story or project is progressing. Would highly recommend!”

    — Jo Davy, Hardie Grant Media

  • “Sarah is a wonderful asset to our team of writers. She always has great content ideas – match that with a fabulous contact list and you have a recipe for high quality, interesting and informative story telling. She has the sought-after ability to take complex information and turn it into engaging copy. I love that Sarah will always go the extra mile for us – whether it is for an additional comment or another case study – to deliver what we need, all by deadline.”

    — Laeta Crawford, House of Wellness editor

  • “Responsible for our People of Palliative Care series, Sarah has supplied engaging and impactful content on a regular basis. Her work elevates our key messages, builds our reputation and standing, and grows a community around our advocacy. Sarah’s skill allows the reader to process complex emotions and ideas in an accessible and meaningful way that leads to change at an individual and community level. Often the people Sarah engages with on our behalf are fragile and bereaved. Her approach is empathetic and human centred, and I believe often plays a part in that person’s ongoing healing – such is the power of her work and the way she goes about it.”

    — Ian Campbell, National Communications Director, Palliative Care Australia

Published work

  • Write your life story | The Australian Women's Weekly

    The Australian Women's Weekly | Write Your Life Story

    Like a good book, every life is filled with meaning. And sharing our stories can bring us joy, help us heal and draw us closer to those we love.

    Read It
  • The Journey, coffee table book

    The Journey

    A coffee table book celebrating Australia’s great rail journeys, The Journey traces the country by track, from vast interiors to coastal edges. Through striking photography, archival material and carefully crafted features, the book moves beyond the spectacle of travel to explore the people, places and moments that define life on the rails.

    Find out more
  • Journey Beyond, COMO The Treasury

    Urban Sanctuary | COMO The Treasury

    When a hotel is repeatedly branded Australia’s best within the first decade of opening its doors, suffice to say there’s an element of sui generis at play. It’s in a class of its own.

    Read It
Portfolio of work

Where you’ve seen my words