{"id":74,"date":"2020-03-19T18:28:39","date_gmt":"2020-03-19T18:28:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vicpickup.com\/?page_id=74"},"modified":"2025-04-22T08:27:45","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T08:27:45","slug":"about-me","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/vicpickup.com\/?page_id=74","title":{"rendered":"About Me"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

I\u2019m a poet, writer, reviewer and doctoral researcher based in Hampshire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having completed my MA in Creative Writing, I worked as an editor and freelance writer for fifteen years. In 2018 I co-founded a creative writing group, Inkpot, which led to a regular slot on BBC Berkshire\u2019s book club. I\u2019m currently co-host of Poets\u2019 Caf\u00e9 at South Street Arts Centre and Poets’ Cafe Online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My interest in the positive effects of writing has led me to being interviewed several times on BBC Berkshire about bibliotherapy and the impact creative writing has upon mental health. I am passionate about poetry as a tool to encourage creativity, aid expression and boost confidence. Having recently completed a PGCert in Teaching Creative Writing at Cambridge University, I am now based at Reading University, researching for a PhD based upon the Mills & Boon archives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Formal qualifications:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • English Literature BA from Loughborough University <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • Creative Writing MA from Loughborough University<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      • PG Cert in Teaching Creative Writing course at Cambridge University <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Poetry\/Publishing History<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        My work has been published widely both online and in print (Mslexia, Acumen, Ink, Sweat & Tears, Reach Poetry, Lucent Dreaming, Dawntreade<\/em>r) and anthologies (In the Beginning, The Art of Poetry, Arrival at Elsewhere<\/em>). Poems have also been featured on a number of notable webzines (Ink, Sweat & Tears, Atrium, RiversSide, The Poetry Village, The Ekphrastic Review, Nine Muses<\/em>) and my short story about a toenail(!) was cited in full (Write Short Stories and Get Them Published: Your practical guide to writing … <\/em>) by Zoe Fairbairns, HarperCollins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        I have written three poetry books, Lost & Found (<\/em>Hedgehog Poetry Press, 2020), What Colour is my Brain? , <\/em>a collaborative work with Jules Whiting (Hedgehog Poetry Press, 2022) and The Omniscient Tooth Fair<\/em>y (Indigo Dreams, 2023). I also edited Reading Poetry: A new anthology<\/em>, published by Two Rivers Press in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Awards & Recognition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        • Ernest Frost Prize 2005 (1st Prize) <\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Caf\u00e9 Writer\u2019s Award 2009 (1st Prize) <\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Shortlisted Poetic Republic (MAG) poetry award 2009 <\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Shortlisted Poetic Republic (MAG) poetry award 2010 <\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Shortlisted for National Poetry Day 2020 #speakyourtruth poem on YouTube 2019 <\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Poem included in Healing Words exhibition in Paternoster Square, London, 2019 <\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Bracknell Poetry Slam finalist 2020 <\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Poem included in #HapWrap exhibition at St Andrew\u2019s University, Happenstance Press, 2020<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Shortlisted Candlestick Press ‘Getting Older’ competition <\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Pamphlet longlisted – Verve Press 2020<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Longlisted for Butcher’s Dog Magazine <\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Mslexia \u2018Poet Laureate\u2019 \u2013 publication \u2018Social Distancing\u2019 <\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Pushcart prize nominated \u2013 \u2018Social Distancing\u2019 2020 <\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Cupid\u2019s Arrow Prize 2020 (1st<\/sup> prize)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Baker\u2019s Dozen competition March 2020 (1st<\/sup> prize and publication of my pamphlet \u2018Lost & Found\u2019) <\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Atrium \u2013 featured publication of the month (January 2021) <\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Micro-collection \u2018Stickleback\u2019 competition run by Hedgehog Poetry Press \u2013 collaborative work with Jules Whiting \u2013 (1st<\/sup> place and publication forthcoming in 2022).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • ‘Exposure’ commended in the Ballad of Reading Gaol competition, May 2022<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Shortlisted for ‘Christmas Stories’ competition run by Candlestick Press, July 2022<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Pamphlet longlisted for Paper Swans Poetry Prize 2022<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Pamphlet shortlisted for Geoff Stevens Prize, Indigo Dreams, 2022<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Nominated for the Forward Prize by Orbis, 2023<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Highly Commended for the John McGivering Prize, 2023<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Nominated for the Pushcart Prize, 2024<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Shortlisted for the FreeVerse Prize, 2025 <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          I\u2019m a poet, writer, reviewer and doctoral researcher based in Hampshire. Having completed my MA in Creative Writing, I worked as an editor and freelance writer for fifteen years. In 2018 I co-founded a creative writing group, Inkpot, which led to a regular slot on BBC Berkshire\u2019s book club. I\u2019m currently co-host of Poets\u2019 Caf\u00e9 at South Street Arts Centre and Poets’ Cafe Online. My interest in the positive effects of writing has led me to being interviewed several times on BBC Berkshire about bibliotherapy and the impact creative writing has upon mental health. I am passionate about poetry as a tool to encourage creativity, aid expression and boost confidence. Having recently completed a PGCert in Teaching Creative Writing at Cambridge University, I am now based at Reading University, researching for a PhD based upon the Mills & Boon archives. Formal qualifications: Poetry\/Publishing History My work has been published widely both online and in print (Mslexia, Acumen, Ink, Sweat & Tears, Reach Poetry, Lucent Dreaming, Dawntreader) and anthologies (In the Beginning, The Art of Poetry, Arrival at Elsewhere). Poems have also been featured on a number of notable webzines (Ink, Sweat & Tears, Atrium, RiversSide, The Poetry Village, The Ekphrastic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-fullwidth.php","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vicpickup.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/74"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vicpickup.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vicpickup.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vicpickup.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vicpickup.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=74"}],"version-history":[{"count":31,"href":"https:\/\/vicpickup.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/74\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1227,"href":"https:\/\/vicpickup.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/74\/revisions\/1227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vicpickup.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=74"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}