Poetry in Motion for Martha

Martha Sprackland is now in the heart of literary London as Assistant Poetry Editor at the publishing house Faber & Faber and her experiences about her career in poetry to date have recently been featured in The Guardian.

"I have had ambitions to work at Faber since I was a teenager, mainly due to their place on the UK poetry scene as one of the great publishing houses. My passion for editorial work developed as I began to work in literary publishing, translation and in proofreading, as well as working more seriously on my own writing, and it's lovely to have everything I love come together in this one job."

After A-levels Martha taught English and Spanish in Madrid before enrolling at Lancaster University, where she graduated with a first class degree in English and Creative Writing in 2011. This was followed by an MA with Distinction in 2012, earning her the Princess Alexandra Chancellor's Medal.

"As far as my time at Lancaster goes, I had an amazing time. Being supported in directing my own pathway of study - focusing on contemporary literature, for example - was a great advantage, and something Lancaster offers over other institutions."

A writer since childhood, Martha was twice the winner of the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award in 1999 and 2005 and her work has been published in several publications including Poetry Review, Magma, Iota, Brittle Star, Literateur, The Cadaverine, 14, The Salt Book of Younger Poets (Salt, 2011) and Lung Jazz: Young British Poets for Oxfam (2012).

Her passion for poetry led to her setting up Cake magazine in her first year at university and she now combines her full-time job with editing the magazine, which publishes contemporary poetry and review from new and established writers. Cake will from this year be available to buy in bookshops.