About Me
I’m a poet and author of radio drama and short fiction. A former freelance writer, I’m now professor of Creative Writing and Transcultural Literature at Lancaster University. I’m an eLearning specialist and convene the distance learning MA whilst supervising a number of PhD students in poetry and fiction. I am also co-director of the Centre for Transcultural Writing and Research.
I’ve published nine full-length collections of poetry and won a number of literary prizes, including a major Eric Gregory award for my first collection, A Country on Fire, from Littlewood Press. Visibility a volume of new & selected poems, appeared in 2007. I also write BBC radio drama and short fiction, winning the Bridport Prize for short fiction in 2007 and the Edge Hill Prize for short fiction in 2011 for my book Touch. My latest poetry book, Cusp, was published in December 2011 by Seren. In 2014 I was winner of the Short Fiction Magazine International Short Story Prize. A new collection of short stories, Terroir was long listed for the Edge Hill prize in 2016
My recent and current academic action research projects include the British Council-funded Crossing Borders (2001-6) and Radiophonics (2006-2009) development programmes for African Writers. These have have taken me to Uganda, Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Zimbabwe in the past 9 years. In 2014 I was Writing Fellow at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa and also helped to design and implement Many Women, Many Words, a new project in Kurdistan. Visit the Centre for Transcultural Writing and Research and follow the links to find the projects. Under Transcriptions you’ll find other links to a range of projects encompassing regionality, conflict, migration and diaspora.
I’ve worked on writing and arts projects throughout the UK, tutored on many Arvon Foundation and Taliesin Trust courses - and held a number of writing residencies, including the Aldeburgh Poetry festival, The Times Educational Supplement, and the Creative Scientist project in Shropshire schools.
I’ve performed my work across the UK and overseas and am available for readings at festivals and other literary events: email me on the link below for details and availability.
