Jennifer Upton

My Story

Featured in GQ UK Magazine and Courier's 100 Ways to Make a Living

Memoirs are about journeys, whether they be personal, professional, or somewhere in between. We all start out in one place in life and end up somewhere else. I grew up in America in a small town in northern New York near the Canadian border renting horror and sci-fi films from my local video store during the long, cold winters. After working in local TV Production at WSTM in Syracuse, I headed west where I worked for 15 years in Los Angeles in the film and television industry in various roles at small production companies before finally settling at 20th Century Fox Broadcasting. I always had one foot in the writing world on the side but, it wasn’t until I finished my Master's Degree in London that I realized how important cultural understanding and historical research is to the writing process. I completed my dissertation on the films of Kiyoshi Kurosawa in 2012 and, after a brief stint back in Live TV operations, began working as a writer of memoirs in late 2016. I became a British citizen in 2018 and now consider the UK my home where I enjoy the vibrant punk music scene.

Now with 5 years and more than 40 projects under my belt, my most valuable skill is adaptability. In my own essays, film, and book reviews, I strive to develop my own literary style. When approaching ghost and editorial projects, I research the background of the subject and write in the voice of the client. For editing projects and re-writes, I always consider the author's original intent and audience. I've worked with people from all walks of life ranging in age from 27 to 92 to help them create books both for private limited runs and commercial publication.