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.

She is currently working on her next collection, Otherwhere, 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.

 She is currently involved in performing a Live Literature Production, Weight - an adaptation of three of her short stories, in association with Lewes Live Literature

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  and and you can view her couses here

She also teaches ad-hoc poetry and fiction workshops, and judges poetry and fiction writing competitions.

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.

Please contact Catherine if you are interested in being mentored

‘A fierce talent’ - Ian McMillan

‘Her scary, unsettling voice seems unexpected in poetry. It cuts her free of the crowd.’ Rachel Campbell-Johnson, The Times