Julie-ann Rowell is a Devon-based poet, teacher and editor, whose poetry has won and been shortlisted for many awards. Most recently, her poem “Fata Morgana” from her 2019 Turas Press collection “Exposure,” was Highly Commended in the Best Single Poem category of the prestigious Forward Prize Awards 2020.
Poetry Publications and Awards
Julie-ann’s first pamphlet collection, “Convergence”, published by Brodie Press, won a Poetry Book Society Award. Her first full collection, “Letters North” (also Brodie Press), was nominated for the Inaugural Michael Murphy Poetry Prize for Best First Collection in 2011. Her many awards include:
-First prize in the Frogmore Poetry Competition
-First prize in The New Writer’s short collection competition
-Commended in the BT Section of the National Poetry Competition 2000
-Commendeed in the Bridport Prize
-Shortlisted in the Open Poetry International Sonnet Competition
– Shortlisted prizewinner for the Strokestown Poetry Competition 2018
-Shortlisted in the Wells Festival Poetry Competition, Writer’s Inc, Ware Poets and Mslexia Poetry Competitions (three times).
Julie-ann’s work has been published in many magazines and journals. She has poems in several anthologies, including Furies (For Books’ Sake), edited by Eve Lacey, which was runner-up in the Saboteur Awards 2015. Her work has been published in Poetry Ireland Review and Cyphers and in a new anthology called ” Pale Fire, new writing on the moon,” from Frogmore Press.
Rebecca Gethin reviews Julie-ann’s collection “Voices in the Garden” (Lapwing, 2018) here:
https://rebeccagethin.wordpress.com/2018/03/18/julie-ann-rowell-voices-in-the-garden/
Creative Writing Teacher and Editor
Julie-ann holds an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University, where she was also editorial assistant and assistant editor at the academic journal Irish Studies Review, for three years.
“Exposure” is the first of Julie-ann’s books to be published by Turas Press (September, 2019). It evokes the landscape, spirit and culture of Orkney, where Julie-ann has a home.
Poetry Readings and Events
Julie-ann is much in demand for readings and performance events. One very successful recent event included a reading at the Orkney Library and Archive in Kirwall, Orkney on January 8th, 2020. Visit http://www.orkneylibrary.org.uk/ for information about the Library. Here below is Julie-ann reading there on a wild, stormy January evening that nevertheless attracted a large audience.
Any poetry enthusiasts in Orkney who would like to get a copy of “Exposure” straightaway should call in to the Stromness Bookstore in Orkney http://bit.ly/37JHnaH where Julie-ann’s books are now available.
More exciting news: Julie-ann is currently working on a specially-commissioned poem for the Stanza international poetry festival, which will be held in Edinburgh from 4th – 8th March, 2020. For details of the festival, visit http://www.stanzapoetry.org/. To see Julie-ann’s Festival poem, check back here in a few weeks!