Writing

Background

Dr Jess Brough is a writer of science fiction, poetry, and cultural commentary. Their stories, interviews and reviews have been published across a range of platforms and they are currently working on their debut novel. Jess is represented by Rory Clarke at Andrew Nurnberg Associates.

Recent

Jess recently took part in a panel on Afrofuturism at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, with Irenosen Okojie, Patience Agbabi and Colin Grant. During the event, Jess read from their novel-in-waiting for the first time.

The full audio recording of this discussion is available on WritersMosaic.

On the Page

Selected work

  • Cover of The Colour of Madness

    No, Next Time

    Poem, published in The Colour of Madness: Mental Health in Technicolour, edited by Samara Linton and Rianna Walcott. 2022.

    Available here.

  • A photo of seed head

    Marriage Problems

    Short story, published in seed head by Spread the Word, edited by Olumide Popoola. 2021.

  • Cover of Extra Teeth issue 1

    Thank God in the Acknowledgments

    Short story, published in Extra Teeth (Issue 1). 2019.

    Available here.

  • Stack of The Bi-Ble: Bew Testimonials

    Erotic Computer: Janelle Monáe’s Black queer femme representation through the lens of Audre Lorde’s writing

    Essay, published in The Bi-Bible: New Testimonials Vol 2 by Monstrous Regiment. 2019.

    Currently sold out.

  • Cover of The Best of British Fantasy

    Thank God in the Acknowledgments

    Short story, re-published in The Best of British Fantasy 2019, edited by Jared Shurin. 2019.

    Available here.

Online

Selected work

Response: Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden

(Publishing Scotland, 2022)

A Response to Angelou on Burns

(Glasgow Film Festival, 2021)

Creating Space: Fringe of Colour

(The Skinny, 2019)

Alongside low pay, Edinburgh Fringe must confront its majority-white audience problem

(Gal-dem, 2019)

Editing

If you are looking for a dedicated and experienced editor with an eye for detail, I may be your guy! In addition to writing my own work, I take great pleasure in helping others produce and refine their own writing.

I have been fortunate enough to do this through the Fringe of Colour Responses platform as Editor-In-Chief since 2020. This passion project is home to essays about film and live performance that centre subjectivity and experimentation, with writing that goes beyond reviews.

A photo of the Diverse Artists' Guide

Our Voices - A Diverse Artists Guide (2023)

Edited a 39-page document for Culture Collective, including testimonies from artists and practitioners to inform industry best practices.

Other Editing Experience

2022: Reviewer for Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, for their 2022 Dehumanization special issue.

2019 - 2022: PhD Tutor, University of Edinburgh (advising students on their written academic work).

2015 - 2016: Writer and New Music Editor, Drunken Werewolf (Bristol).

2015 - 2016: “bite” Magazine Editor for University of Bath Student Publication bathimpact (now “BathTime”).