Dr Ben Pritchett
- [email protected]
- Website
- http://benpritchett.co.uk/
- Membership Grade
- Advanced Professional Member
About Ben
Editor with a first-class degree in English from Oxford, a master’s in criticism and culture from Cambridge, and an art history PhD from the OU.
I relish the chance to edit texts concerned with art history, cultural criticism, and English literature, since those were my academic specialisms. I’m especially enthusiastic about art and writing with a progressive political purpose. Having some experience of working on various film, television, and video productions, I am particularly fascinated by the relationship between mainstream moving image media, and critical, experimental, or artists’ work. I also enjoy working on texts in the social sciences. Although I normally deal with non-fiction, I also feel confident handling creative writing (including poems, novels, short stories, screenplays, theatrical scripts, and video game texts), since I have studied and analysed many classics in depth.
Training
Copyediting 3: Progress (CIEP): 2021
Copyediting 2: Headway (CIEP): 2021
Proofreading 2: Headway (CIEP): 2021
CE1: Introduction to Copy-editing (SfEP): 2017
P1: Introduction to Proofreading (SfEP): 2017
Experience
Freelance editor since 2015
Assistant Professor in English for Academic Purposes, Heriot-Watt University 2020–1
Collocations Dictionary Assistant, ELT Division, Oxford University Press 2001–2
Qualifications
BA English Language and Literature, University of Oxford, First Class
MPhil Criticism and Culture, University of Cambridge, Distinction Level
PhD Art History, The Open University
CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)
Subjects
animal rights, American literature, activism, anthropology (cultural, social), anticolonialism, anti-racism, art and art history (20th century, 21st century, abstract, academic, conceptual, constructivism, contemporary, graphics, modern, postmodern, sculpture, systems, painting, video, visual), architecture (history of, modern, urbanism), critical theory, culture, cultural criticism, cultural studies, education, design and technology, English language (English as a foreign language, as a second language, for speakers of other languages, grammar, usage, syntax, writing skills), English language teaching (EAP, EFL, ELT, ESOL, TEAP, TEFL, TESOL), English literature (contemporary, drama, modern, novels, poetry, postcolonial, Shakespeare, theatre, Victorian), economics (political, theory), education (distance learning, e-learning, exam preparation/revision, history, teacher training/education, theory and research, further/higher/tertiary), environment/energy (climate change, conservation, ecology, green issues, voluntary sector, renewable energy, sustainable development), feminism, fiction (fantasy, horror, literary, popular, science fiction, screenplays), film (cinema, cinema history, essay films, experimental films, movies, screenplay), food and drink (vegetarianism, veganism), history (20th century, British, political, social), literary studies (critical editions, literary criticism, literary theory, student guides), Marxism, media studies (audio, broadcasting, documentaries, photography, television, video), the New Left, psychiatry, psychoanalyis, psychotherapy (psychoanalytic), music (history of, popular, rock), philosophy (continental), politics/government (aid, British, current affairs, international development, international relations, developing countries), political philosophy, political theory, postcolonialism, poststructuralism, racism, sciences (history of, philosophy of, popular), socialism, social sciences, social studies (class, gender studies, labour relations, sexuality, sociology), theatre, tourism/travel (ecotourism, UK), transport (cycling).
Testimonials
Ben copy-edited most texts of our title, Food & Drink Infographics: A Visual Guide to Culinary Pleasures. English was not our author’s mother tongue, so it was really great to have Ben – a native English speaking copy-editor with an Oxford degree in English language and literature – both to help correct minor technical errors of wording and syntax, and also to put the text into the most clear and natural-sounding form. This was a complex job due to the compendious nature of the book, with its almost encyclopedic content including international vocabulary and specialist jargon, and Ben handled the full range of material with consummate skill. Ben always met our deadlines, and his communication was excellent. He also offered very good value for money. I would not hesitate to recommend him!
Julius Wiedemann, Senior Editor, TASCHEN
In 2017, I was working on turning my PhD thesis into a book, which has since been published by Bloomsbury as John le Carré and the Cold War. Ben really helped me with the revision and adaptation process: he provided editorial guidance on various levels, from recommendations for improvements in vocabulary and sentence structure, through to suggestions for clarifying my overarching arguments in each chapter. He read my work with sharp attention to detail and was particularly impressive in his ability to parse complex passages and communicate insightful feedback to me with precision. Because we have overlapping academic backgrounds in English and critical theory, and a shared academic interest in the Cold War, Ben was also able to provide specialist input on matters of fact and interpretation, all of which was very astutely observed and always in sympathy with what I was attempting to achieve as an author. As such, he is the first person acknowledged in my book.
Toby Manning
Thank you very much … Friends are far too polite and it has been hugely helpful to have a critical eye over the paper; in fact, it has made me more rather than less confident as I feel I have less to worry about.
Elizabeth Read, author of ‘Children’s Hospice Gardens’
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Disclaimer note
The CIEP Directory of Editorial Services should be considered a point of first contact and prospective clients must satisfy themselves that members are capable of the work on offer. The Institute cannot be held responsible for the quality of work provided by any member listed in the directory. The members themselves are responsible for the maintenance and accuracy of their entries in the Directory and the CIEP has not made any attempt to vet them. The institute cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in the Directory. Inclusion in the Directory as a freelance does not necessarily mean that the member is self-employed as defined by HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions.