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My Story
Barbara Bensoussan is the quintessential Jewish dropout who never finished her Ph.D. (in psychology). Instead, she married and raised six children while working part time as a social worker, ESL teacher, and helping with her husband's consulting business.
She began penning articles as a hobby in the late 1990s for publications like Horizons, The Jewish Homemaker, and The Jewish Observer, and before long had written articles for every major Orthodox Jewish publication. She has been part of the Mishpacha Magazine writing team since 2006 and writes regularly for Jewish Action.
In addition to journalism, Barbara published the bestselling novel Pride and Preference (a retelling of the Austen classic in the modern shidduch scene), a young adult novel entitled A New Song, a Sephardic food memoir entitled A Well Spiced Life, and an Agatha Christie-style whodunit entitled Seven Blessings and a Murder. Barbara also helps private clients with editing and ghostwriting projects, counting six adult books and three children's books among her accomplishments.
She lives in Jackson, NJ with her husband in an not-so-empty nest, as some of their married children live nearby and pop in frequently with grandchildren--a sure guarantee she'll abandon her computer screen from time to time.
Personal Services
Ghost Writing
Dreaming of writing a book, but you're just not a writer?
Barbara is a top-tier editor and ghostwriter with close to ten nonfiction books to her credit and several children's books.
She'll help you organize your ideas, create a chapter structure, put your material into lively, readable prose, and decide on the best route to publication.
Copywriting
Barbara has worked with a number of marketing firms, helping to write brochures, letters, dinner journals, newsletters, etc., and is available to help with yours.
Speaking Engagements
Barbara has spoken at Jewish writers’ conferences, women’s events and for school English classes. She has done cooking demos at Chai Lifeline and Puah events, showcasing Sephardic food. She is available to speak on topics such as feature writing, novel writing, personal essay/memoir writing, Sephardic culture and food, and transitioning into an Orthodox lifestyle.
Coaching
Need some help getting started, or taking your writing to the next level? Barbara loves working with writers to bring out their message in the most effective way possible. Whether individually or with a group, whether you're writing fiction or non-fiction, she will help you develop your ideas, structure your work and express yourself with fluency and color.