Beda Higgins

Beda Higgins is an Anglo-Irish writer from Lancashire who lives in Newcastle upon Tyne, where she works as a Psychiatric and General Nurse. She completed a masters in creative writing from Northumbria University in 2000. In her career as a nurse she has been awarded the Queen's Nursing Institute Awards for her work using creative writing with patients. She is also a poet and short story writer who has won the Northern Writers' Awards on multiple occasions as well as the Geoff Stevens Memorial Prize.[1][2] Her work is published in anthologies as well as two collections of short stories. In 2021 her work was shortlisted for the Pigott Poetry Prize.[3][4][5][6][7]

As Sole Author[8]

2020 OURSELVES Indigo Dreams Publishing ISBN 978-1-912876-42-6   

2014 LITTLE CRACKERS. Tales from the edge, Saraband Press ISBN 978-190864368-1  

2011 CHAMELEON. Collection of short stories, Iron Press ISBN 978-0-9565725-0-09  

ANTHOLOGIES AND COLLECTON:  Prose and poetry

2021 THE CULTURAL AFTERLIFE OF RUINS National Museums NI

2020 THESE ARE THE HANDS ISBN 978-1-911048-40-4 Fair Acre Press

2018 THE HIPPOCRATES PRIZE ISBN 978-0-9935911-2-9

2018 POEMS FOR THE NHS The Onslaught press ISBN 978-1-012111-74-9

2018  POEMS FOR GRENFELL  The Onslaught press ISBN 978-1-912111-55-8

2016  COLD IRON Ghost stories Iron Press ISBN 978-0-9931245-8-7

2013  ROOT Iron Press  ISBN 978-0-9565725-5-4

2010  BOOK OF TEN. Zebra publishing ISBN 978-0-9563887-0-4

2009  THE GRIST ANTHOLGY OF NEW WRITING. ISBN 978-0-9563099-0-7

2006  ON NEW STREET. Biscuit Publishing ISBN 1-903914-28-0

2005  THE POETRY CURE. Bloodaxe Books ISBN 1 85224 690 1

2005  FOR THE KIDS. Biscuit Publishing ISBN 1-903914-24-82001

2002  ADRIFT FROM BELIZE TO HAVANA.  Biscuit Publishing 1-903914-07-8

2001  BISCUIT POETRY ANTHOLOGY. ISBN 903914 03 5

Articles in Journals and Magazines

2022 Arts Ireland: A nurse bears witnesshttp://www.artsandhealth.ie/perspectives/ourselves-a-nurse-poet-bears-witness/

2021 Intima Journal of narrative medicine A LIFE

2017 Mslexia  Magazine ISBN 9-771473939036

2009 Mslexia Magazine first prize winner story ISBN 9 771473 939012

2003 Mslexia Magazine ISBN 9 771473 939005

2001 Mslexia Magazine ISBN 1473-93992003

Multiple articles and opinion pieces published in Independent Nurse.

2019 VS Pritchett short story prize longlist

2018 Hippocrates Poetry Award commendation

2016 Northern Writer New Fiction Bursary

2015 Edgehill Prize Longlist

2015 Frank O’Connor Prize Longlist

2012 Luke Bitmead Novel Award shortlist

2012 Edgehill Prize longlist

2011 Read Regional Recommendation  

2010 Northern Writer Award

2010 Cinnamon Press novel Award shortlist

2009 winner Mslexia short story competition

2007 Residential Prize winner Biscuit Publishing

2004 Northern Promise Award

2004 Novel shortlisted Lit Idol national competition

[9]

2022 Speaker at Sunderland Symposium: Humanities in Medicine

2016- 2020 BBC 2 500 words children’s competition Judge

2013 Writing mentor for New Writing North Cuckoo project

2010 Art’s council representative Toronto short story conference

2010 National Short Story Day commissioned story ‘Cinderella’ broadcast

2008 Queens Nursing Institute Award Creative Writing as a therapeutic tool

2007 Writing mentor regeneration project/New Writing North 2007

2006 Writing mentor Creative centre/New Writing North 2006

Regular contributor to Independent Nurse (Journal for Professional Nurses)

[10]