Cathy Galvin
Writer
ABOUT
and thanks for visiting my website. I am a writer with a passion for poetry, journalism and the short story.
To know more about me and my work, I hope you will find everything you need here. If not, feel free to contact me.
Hello
As an editor, I have commissioned anthologies of fiction, prose and long-form journalism and worked as an editorial consultant to a variety of magazines and organisations, including Arts Council England. I have held senior editorial positions on national and international newspapers including the Sunday Times and Newsweek.
As a literary entrepreneur, I have founded Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award; the UK national short story organisation, Word Factory, and its mentoring award, The Word Factory Apprentice Award; and curated the UK’s first literary festival focussed on citizenship: Citizen: The New Story.
“ Cathy Galvin has created a remarkable community of writers around the Word Factory. Inspiring.” A.L.Kennedy
Awards
Shortlisted for the 2017 & 2019 Listowel Poetry Collection Prize. Judge, Thomas McCarthy
Shortlisted for the inaugural Goldsmiths/ Spread The Word Life-Writing Prize
Selected to participate in Disappear Here: a film and poetry project 2017
Received a Hawthornden Fellowship 2016
Writer In Residence, The Heinrich Boll Cottage,
Achill Island, Ireland 2016
Highly commended, Ilkley Poetry Prize 2014.
Judge Blake Morrison
Mentor
 CuratorCitizen: The New Story. UK's first festival on citizenship and literature. |  Founder memberWomen in Journalism |  PatronVisual Verse |
|---|---|---|
 MentorWord Factory |  Co-founderThe Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award |  Co-curatorThe Tablet Literary Festival |
 Board memberThe Tablet and English Pen |  JudgeEdge Hill Prize, 2016 SWWJ poetry prize, 2016 Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize, 2015 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, 2013 Inaugural awards: Spread the Word Short Story Award/ London Magazine Short Story Award/ Charleston-Chichester Lifetime Achievement in Short Fiction Award. |
With a sensitivity to where writers turn for inspiration, I have curated creative writing masterclasses with leading authors including Tessa Hadley, Carys Davies, Kit de Waal, Toby Litt and Neil Gaiman for the Word Factory and Arts Council England.
I’ve given poetry workshops at festivals including the Winchester Writers’ Festival and Charles Causley Festival.
I mentor writers through the Word Factory Apprentice Award and privately.