Beda Higgins

Beda Higgins is a poet and writer living in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Beda Higgins is an 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]}

Source:^[8]

• Higgins, Beda (2020). Ourselves. Indigo Dreams Publishing. ISBN 978-1-912876-42-6.
• Higgins, Beda (2014). Little Crackers: Tales from the edge. Saraband Press. ISBN 978-1-908643-68-1.
• Higgins, Beda (2011). Chameleon. Cullercoats: Iron Press. ISBN 978-0-9565725-0-9. Collection of short stories.

Source:^[8]

• 2021 THE CULTURAL AFTERLIFE OF RUINS National Museums NI
• 2020 THESE ARE THE HANDS Fair Acre Press ISBN 978-1-911048-40-4
• 2018 THE HIPPOCRATES PRIZE ISBN 978-0-9935911-2-9
• 2018 POEMS FOR THE NHS The Onslaught press ISBN 978-1-912111-74-9
• 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 ANTHOLOGY 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 1-903914-24-8
• 2002 ADRIFT FROM BELIZE TO HAVANA. Biscuit Publishing ISBN 1-903914-07-8
• 2001 BISCUIT POETRY ANTHOLOGY. ISBN 1-903914-03-5

• 2022 Arts Ireland: A nurse bears witness http://www.artsandhealth.ie/perspectives/ourselves-a-nurse-poet-bears-witness/
• 2021 Intima Journal of narrative medicine A LIFE
• 2017 Mslexia Magazine EAN 977-1473-939-03-6 ISSN 1473-9399
• 2009 Mslexia Magazine first prize winner story EAN 977-1473-939-01-2 ISSN 1473-9399
• 2003 Mslexia Magazine EAN 977-1473-939-00-5 ISSN 1473-9399
• 2001 Mslexia Magazine ISSN 1473-9399

Multiple articles and opinion pieces published in Independent Nurse.

Source: ^[9]

• 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

Source:^[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)