Catherine Smith

Catherine Smith is an award-winning poet and fiction writer; she has also written radio drama, (Jellybelly, broadcast May 2005). Her first short poetry collection, The New Bride, (Smith/Doorstop) was short-listed for the Forward Prize for Best Collection , 2001.Her first full collection, The Butcher’s Hands (Smith/Doorstop) was short-listed for the Aldeburgh/Jerwood Prize and was a PBS Recommendation. It earned her a place, in 2004, as one of Mslexia’s ‘Top Ten UK Women Poets’ and as one of the ’Next Generation’ poets - ‘the most exhilarating new voices to have emerged in the last ten years’ (PBS/Arts Council). Her third book, Lip, (Smith/Doorstop) was short-listed for the Forward Prize, 2008.Her most recent collection, Otherwhere, was completed with financial support from the ‘Grants for Arts’ scheme, Arts Council England.Catherine’s short stories have been published extensively in the UK and have won both local and national prizes. Her first collection, The Biting Point, is is now out from Speechbubble Books.Catherine teaches Creative Writing for the University of Sussex The Arvon Foundation and runs an enrichment group for teenager writers at Varndean 6th Form College in Brighton. Catherine is also a teacher at The Poetry School Catherine has also mentored poets, both adults and teenagers - most recently Rowyda Amin as part of London's 'Spread the Word' initiative, which resulted in Ten, from Bloodaxe, an anthology of black and Asian poets.