Biography

Born in Sutton Coldfield, Elisabeth studied English Literature at Harris Manchester College, Oxford’s smallest and most progressive college for mature students, where she won an English Literature scholarship. In 2004, Elisabeth won the McDonough Prize and graduated in 2005. After leaving University Elisabeth focused on writing short stories, with the aim of pursuing a postgraduate creative writing course.

Elisabeth moved to Glasgow and in 2008 joined the competitive MLitt in Creative Writing at Glasgow University. She co-edits the Glasgow University online creative writing journal www.fromglasgowtosaturn.com. In 2009, she founded the Glasgow Student Short Story Prize, with the aim of supporting and promoting other new writers across the city.  The prize is guest judged by A. L. Kennedy, and an anthology of the winners, edited by Elisabeth, will be published in mid August.  To find out more: http://glasgowstoryprize.blogspot.com/.

Elisabeth has a blog at iluvwords.blogspot.com about her year of reading dangerously, “an impossible challenge I set myself, to read a book a day, for a year …”. Ultimately she plans to expand this blog into an online journal for more experimental writing.

While a postgraduate, Elisabeth has had a short story published in the annual showcase of the best in Scottish contemporary writing, New Writing Scotland.  ‘Green Line’ appeared in the 2009 anthology In the Event of Fire.  She will also be published in the upcoming MLitt anthology Hunger, with another short story, ‘Moment of Silence’. Elisabeth is considered to be a talented writer with great potential. As well as writing, Elisabeth designs jewellery and keeps a photographic and design blog of her work, for more information see elisabethingram.blogspot.com.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award helped towards the costs of the MLitt.

Since the Award

During a successful year in which she graduated with an MLitt with Distinction, Elisabeth founded the first ‘Glasgow Student Short Story Prize’ which was judged by A L Kennedy. An anthology of the winning entries was published in paperback and online.  She continued to co-edit the online Glasgow University creative writing journal ‘From Glasgow to Saturn’. In 2010 Elisabeth was runner-up in the prestigious Curtis Brown Prize.  She continues to write and be published.