Tricia Willis, Freelance Writer

Tricia Willis Freelance Writer Biography

1996 – 2000 Psychology/Sociology BSc joint honours degree at Brunel university >>

Specialisation: discourse analysis

2000 – 2002 18 month travel stint around south-east Asia and Australasia >>

Work: everything from mustering cattle in the outback to running a trendy north Sydney café
Adventure sports: sky diving, glacier hiking, bungee jumping, white water rafting and caving
Holistic introduction: learning Thai massage, pressure points and meditation with a Buddhist monk on a remote Thai island

2003 - 2004 PR Consultant and Copy Writer for Quay West Communications >>

Working for an agency ranked in the UK’s top 100, my role ranged from media relations to event organisation on accounts spanning a national pub chain, industrial trade companies and consumer clients, plus an overseas property developer.

2004 – present Freelance Journalist and PR Consultant >>

My property journalist portfolio spans real life case studies, specific destination reviews, plus advice pieces on the topics of self-build projects, period renovations and investment. A mix of lengthy independent research travels and shorter, organised press trips have enabled me to reach a diverse and extensive network of contacts in the countries I have visited. The blend of solo and assisted trips have also permitted me the liberty of taking my time to find the most interesting interviews and experience adventures that I have a personal passion for.

To date I have written for UK nationals such as the FT, The Times, Telegraph, Evening Standard, Mail on Sunday and Sunday Mirror, overseas property magazines including A Place in the Sun, Homes Overseas, Homes Worldwide (now Living in Cyprus), Holiday Villas and Nexus, as well as health publications such as Yoga magazine, Kindred Spirit and Natural Health.

Oct 2004 – Northern Cyprus research trip for Holiday Villas magazine >>
>>Highlight – trying to map read when the roads hadn’t actually been built yet with a
>>streaming cold

Jan & Feb 2005 – 2 month independent stint in Sri Lanka researching the property
>> market and Tsunami effects, plus research at a yoga haven and jungle retreat >>
>> Highlight – being surrounded by four armed jungle boys in the midst of leopards and >> elephants on the prowl

Jul & Aug 2005 – 2 month mixed independent and press trip to Croatia researching >> the property market from northern Istria to Dubrovnik in the south >>
>> Highlight – discovering how the country’s preservation laws and national pride has >> produced sound ecological development and sensitivity to local culture

Jan 2006 – press trip to Bulgaria to research ski resort case studies >>
>> Highlight – knowing that I was returning to sunny Cyprus!

Feb 2006 – independent trip to Barbados to research the holiday market >>
>> Highlight – the experience of living in a local village

March 2006 – press trip to Portugal, visiting the beautiful region north of Lisbon >>
>> Highlights – dining at John Malkovich’s Lisbon restaurant and horse riding whilst >> >> at CampoReal resort

Jul 2006 – independent trip to Siwa, located in the Sahara desert in Egypt for specific >> property case study and holistic review of sand bath therapy >>
>> Highlight – surviving a terrifying jeep expedition into the Sahara

2007 Cyprus Journalist and PR Consultant >>

Settled in Cyprus on a year round basis, my local journalistic work now includes:

Cyprus Mail - property features
Paphos Times - restaurant reviews, activity features, business case >>studies, village reviews and lifestyle pieces
Sports in the City - holistic features and real life success stories
In Touch – holistic features

As a PR Consultant I organise advertising, feature placement, events and marketing for clients spanning: a property developer of a pioneering construction method, a property magazine and an award-winning Hollywood skin care and cosmetics company.

Please see Published Material to view examples of my features work in pdf format

Many thanks to the many people who have assisted my travels, whether it be organising a press trip, pointing me in the right direction when I’ve been lost (on countless occasions), translating (on countless occasions), or sharing their aspirational stories. I hope that my work demonstrates how people have changed their lives towards a positive and satisfying direction, and that like-minded souls can go on to outwit their limitations and achieve their wildest dreams.