About Rachel

I’m a poet, prose-poet, short story writer and journal keeper. I write regularly for enjoyment, self-exploration, and as a form of reflective practice, and I’m passionate about the link between creative expression and wellbeing.

“I’ve loved stories, poems and language since I was young. I’m fascinated by the different means we all use to communicate with others, and how we strive to overcome the blocks we encounter in our attempts to hear and be heard by others.”

— Rachel Godfrey

I'm also a qualified and experienced Creative Writing for Wellbeing facilitator, offering interactive courses and workshops for adults, as well as one-to-one mentoring. I create and hold a space where participants can take creative and emotional risks to express themselves on the page in short (5-25 minute) bursts of 'live' spontaneous writing (poetry, narrative, prose-poetry, autobiographical fiction, memoir, and other forms), in response to a range of prompts. Participants can choose to share their writing and/or to discuss their reflections on the writing process, knowing that anything they do share will be held supportively. I constantly marvel at the diverse pieces generated by a single prompt and a time limit, and it’s a privilege to witness people grow in confidence as they entrust themselves, their writing and their creative process to the group.

I have a background in ELT / TESOL (English Language Teaching / Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), and I’ve been a published author in this field for about 15 years. This work draws on my years of experience as a teacher and teacher trainer, and satisfies my deep interest in the patterns, sounds, and nuances of meaning of English.

For many years, I held my two writing worlds apart in my mind, only recently recognising just how much each feeds the other. Now, I celebrate how my creative mind comes into play when writing texts for ELT / TESOL course books and workbooks, and how my ‘language aware’ mind informs and shapes my poetic and narrative voice. I’m excited to bring all of this, as well as my own lived experience of creative writing for enjoyment, healing and growth, into the different Creative Writing for Wellbeing courses that I run.

I live in Somerset, where I enjoy walking and swimming on Exmoor and the nearby Dorset coast. The natural world and all its forms inspire much of my writing, and I’m intrigued by the relationships between our inner and outer landscapes, and the stories to be found there.

I completed an MSc in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes with Metanoia Institute/Middlesex University in 2021. I am a member of Lapidus International, the Writing for Wellbeing community. https://www.lapidus.org.uk/