SUE GERRARD BIOGRAPHY

Welcome.

  Multi award winning poet SUE GERRARD has published nine collections of poetry and one spoken word compilation called ‘Word of Mouth.’  She has also written five local history books, a collection of ghost stories and two novellas.

   Her latest book ‘Secret St. Helens’ was published by Amberley Press in December 2019 and Sue is now working on her second book in this series due to be published in 2012.  Her next volume of poetry ‘Poems from the Cottage’, which will be a limited edition, will be published by Pear Tree Press, New Zealand 2020-2021.

   Her latest work is a murder mystery play called ‘Busman’s Holiday’ which was commissioned in 2020.

Poetry.

     Sue has had more than 250 poems published in national anthologies, magazines and online. Her work has appeared in leading poetry magazines as well as general publications such as ‘She’ and ‘Lancashire Life.’ Formerly Poet in Residence at St. Helens College, where she lectured in Creative Writing, she is now the Poet and Writer in Residence at Victoria Park, St. Helens and runs a ‘Young Writer of the Year’ competition on their behalf.  Since 2018 she has been the Poet and Writer in Residence at Lucem House Community Cinema Plus where she runs free writing workshops called The Writing Project.

 Sue has won several national poetry competitions including the ‘Pets Poetry’ competition in 2018, was placed second in the Poetry Box’s International Halloween Poetry competition and has been their Poet of the Month on several occasions.  She has been poet of the month for The Buck’s Mill Poetry Magazine several times. Sue was placed third in the Chapel Gallery’s (Ormskirk) Poetry competition and was highly commended in the Pendle War Poetry competition in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Sue was also winner of the national American Bicentennial Poetry competition, The Bridge Arts Centre (Widnes) Poetry competition’ and she was awarded The Adrian Cowell Special Award in The Ormskirk Writers and Literary Club Poetry competition 

    She was Highly Commended in the Chiltern Writers Group Open competition, the United Kingdom Alliance Poetry competition, the Beehive Poetry competition and ‘Shrewsbury Poets Poetry competition.  She also won third prize in the Castle Writers Open Poetry competition’ and was Highly Commended in the ‘Strokestown International Poetry competition satirical section in 2005. In 2009 she reached the last 25 out of 600 entries in the Big Issue National Poetry competition and won the Ouse Valley November National Poetry competition.’ She has been short listed in the Countryside Tales Poetry and Article competitions. Her poem ‘Where wildflowers Grow’ has just been accepted for the ‘Poetry in the Plague Year’ on-line anthology published by the Poetrykit.

    Her poems have been broadcast regularly on Radio Merseyside, Radio City, Halton Community Radio and more recently on radio in New Zealand.  Sue’s poetry has been featured on Manchester Live Television and Channel Eight’s Bay Television.

  In 2020 her work was featured in New Zealand’s ‘Poems in the Waiting Room’ publication.

Short Stories.

 Sue has come second in the Lancashire Magazine’s Murder Mystery Short Story competition and has won both their Science Fiction and Ghost Story competitions. She was highly commended inthe NAWG Ghost Story competition and has won other national competitions and been published in anthologies. She narrated, directed and wrote the ghost story ‘The Pale Boy’ which was presented as a play at Victoria Park in November. This is also available in book form and on You Tube. Her story ‘Sensitive Souls’ was performed in Salford in 2015. Her short stories have also been broadcast on Radio Merseyside and Radio Hallam.

Performances.

   Sue has read her own work at numerous venues throughout the United Kingdom including The Edinburgh Fringe Festival (with The National Poetry Society), The Warrington Festival, The Edinburgh Folk Festival and The Bolton Festival.  She has also appeared at The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester.  Sue was invited to perform at The Poetry Society Café, Covent Garden in the summer of 2015.  In 2018 she was invited to open the Grantham Writers Book Fayre and judge their ‘Poetry Slam Competition’ at Grantham Museum.  She also performed at this event.

   In 2007 Sue premiered her new show ‘Poetry in Motion – A Journey’ at the Leigh and Wigan Words Festival and later presented it as a pre- festival event at the St. Helens Arts Festival. She took part in the Leigh and Wigan Words Festival presenting her own show and presenting workshops in Creative Writing and Journalism.

 She performed the second show in the series ‘Poetry in Motion – the Journey Continues…’ in 2008 and the third show at the St. Helens Poetry Fest and St. Helens Arts Festival in 2009.

   This show brought together her poetry, acting, dance, music and AV material making it truly multi- media. Her latest show ‘Choices’ was performed at the above festivals in 2010 and at Grantham Museum in 2012.  She regularly performs poetry readings and ghost /horror stories readings of her own work throughout the North West.’

Sue also gives talks on Local History, Creative Writing and Journalism.

 ARTWORK

Sue is a computer -generated artist and exhibits regularly throughout the North West. In 2020 she exhibited at the Millennium Art Gallery and in April/May 2020 had a virtual online exhibition courtesy of the Village Art Gallery, Shevington. She has two exhibitions planned for 2021.

     As part of The Poet and the Painter Sue has staged forty-four exhibitions throughout the North West with artist Carol Anne Eaves including at art galleries in Manchester and Liverpool. The work was featured on Radio Merseyside and Manchester Live Television.  

  Stage Work.

Sue has co-written a musical play ‘The Childe of Hale’, with singer/songwriter Chris Roach, which has toured the North West including The Bury Festival.   Sue took part (playing the part of the thief) in an Arts Council Funded film about The Childe of Hale which toured the North West before going to the British Film Institute, London.

        Sue was the performance Director of the St Helens College Poetry Fest for five years, the Jacobean Fest at the Citadel in 2014 and coproduces an annual show at Lucem House.

Career.

She qualified as a Chartered Librarian at Manchester University and worked in the Beecham Music Library and as Readers’ Advisor in St. Helens Central Library. Sue then moved into journalism and worked for the St. Helens Star and associate newspapers for more than twenty years. She also wrote a ‘Coronation Street Corner’ for the ‘Britannia Magazine’ in Toronto, Canada and freelanced to magazines in Australia.  She worked for the KITS website and is a regular contributor to ‘Evergreen’ magazine as well as still supplying the occasional story to the local press.

  After leaving the newspaper Sue worked at St. Helens College and graduated as a lecturer from John Moores University, Liverpool.  Sue also worked for this university and Salford University.  Sue now works as an online tutor in Creative Writing, Proof Reading and Social and Political History.

   Her books are requested from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, United States of America, Canada and Hong Kong.

  Sue was awarded the Robert Lord Writing Residency 2019 in New Zealand. Sue is Chairperson of The Len Saunders Writing Room, committee member for the Friends of Victoria Park, St. Helens and a member of the Millennium Art Academy Committee.

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CONTACT DETAILS: 07985556539

E Mail: gerrard156@btinternet.com