Paula Akpan

historian. writer. author.

Editorial work

Photographed by Maëva Vitéla

Paula provides predominantly sensitivity reading services on manuscripts, as well as editing and proofreading, for editors and authors at various UK publishing houses.

Her lens, insights and expertise as a Black queer woman historian and researcher come to the fore as a sensitivity reader. Paula’s background in histories of the African diaspora, colonisation and language aids her work across genres, from cookbooks and non-fiction texts to dialogues and descriptions in fiction works.

With detailed notes, line edits and clear feedback, her approach is collaborative with a view to ensure that the material is accessible, streamlined and fact-checked.

Titles Paula has worked on include:

Testimonials

I’ve worked with Paula on multiple books and each time I knew the author was in safe hands. As a sensitivity reader, Paula doesn’t miss anything, but gives nuanced, thoughtful and expert advice to authors, who are seeking perspectives and histories they may have missed. She also works to deadline and to brief – I cannot recommend her more highly. 
— Lauren Whybrow, Editorial Director, Batsford Books

Paula is a wonderful and trusted authenticity reader who we have used on a number of our fiction titles by key brand authors. She provides thoughtful and considered feedback based on the brief, carefully considering the ramifications and inferred meaning at both structural and line levels, and delivers this in a constructive and sensitive manner.
— Fabrice Wilmann, Senior Managing Editor, Bloomsbury

One of our authors was keen to have a sensitivity read on a first novel. We approached Paula and she was wonderful. She gave us a detailed, careful and thoughtful response to the manuscript, and was happy to answer further questions. Her editorial notes were enormously helpful, and I would recommend her without hesitation.’
— Anne Meadows, Publishing Director, Pan Macmillan

Paula is a thoughtful, thorough and a very caring editor. Paula is also a great communicator, especially in-between edits, which was very reassuring as a debut author. Because of the subject matter – Paula was able to add additional value as a historian, which was glorious – she made meaningful suggestions of where I could strengthen and dig deeper with research and historical references. She was confident to push back with the wider editorial team and be a boundary for me when cultural references were misunderstood. I loved working with Paula and recommend her wholeheartedly.
— Nova Reid, author of THE GOOD ALLY

I have used Paula’s sensitivity reading services for two books now and each time I’ve been immensely grateful for her wisdom, clarity and attention to detail. She is able to bring a nuanced lens to examining the representation of race (and especially Blackness) in my work, at a level that goes well beyond mere vocabulary, and her comments consistently manage to combine kindness with precision. Her work is an essential part of ensuring my writing lives up to its ethical ambitions.
— Kit Heyam, author of BEFORE WE WERE TRANS and forthcoming OUR TREE HAS ROOTS

Paula has provided us with an insightful and thorough sensitivity read for one of our titles. Her suggestions and flagged issues were well organised, easy to understand and informative and her work was prompt. I would very happily work with Paula again.
— Rhiannon Roy, Managing Editor, Vintage Books

Paula provided a thoughtful, thorough and enormously helpful read-through for We Are Your Children by David Roberts. The breadth of her knowledge and the nuance and clarity in her comments were invaluable to finessing the text and making amends with a focus on accuracy and inclusivity. She also provided comments very quickly, which was appreciated given the tight schedules involved. I would not hesitate to recommend her work to anyone looking for a consultant or sensitivity reader.
— Helen Weir, Editorial Director, Two Hoots

If you’d like to enquire about a sensitivity read or other editorial work, please get in touch via the contact page.