Chrissie Gittins

Chrissie Gittins is an English poet who writes for children and adults.

Life
Gittins was born in Lancashire. She studied at Newcastle University and St. Martin’s School of Art. She has worked as an artist and a teacher, and now works as a freelance writer.

She has been writer in residence at twelve Southwark primary schools, Croydon Libraries, Maidstone Borough Council, the Refugee Council, and Belmarsh Prison. In 2010 she was appointed the first honorary Writer-in-Residence in Lewisham.

She has read her poetry at the Royal Festival Hall, Keats House Hampstead, Oxford University, Newcastle University, the British Council Bangkok, the Poets House New York, and the Aldeburgh, Edinburgh, Hay, Ilkley, Wigtown and Shetland poetry festivals.

Her children’s poems have been animated for Cbeebies TV and are widely anthologized. Her three children's collections have all been Poetry Book Society choices.

Recognition

 * 2010 Poetry Book Society Choice
 * 2009 Arts Council Writers' Award
 * 2007 CLPE Award (shortlisted)
 * 2007 Authors Foundation Award
 * 2006 Poetry Book Society Choice
 * 2005 Arts Council Writers Award
 * 2003 CLPE Award (shortlisted)
 * 2002 Belmont Poetry Prize (for individual children's poems)
 * 2002 Royal Literary Fund Award
 * 2001 Society of Authors Award

Except where noted, information courtesy The Poetry Archive.

Publications

 * A Path of Rice: Poems. West Bromwich, UK: Dagger Press, 1997.
 * Pilot: Poems. West Bromwich, UK: Dagger Press, 2002.
 * Armature. Todmorden, UK: Arc, 2003.
 * I'll Dress One Night As You. Cambridge, UK: Salt Publishing, 2009.
 * Professor Heger's Daughter (illustrated by Helen Porter). Paekakriki Press, 2013.

Short fiction

 * Family Connections. Cambridge, UK: Salt Publishing, 2007.

Juvenile

 * Now You See Me, Now You - (illustrated by Gunlaug Moon Henberry). London: Rabbit Hole, 2002.
 * I Don't Want an Avocado for an Uncle: Poems (illustrated by Kev Adamson). London: Rabbit Hole, 2006.
 * The Humpback's Wail: Poems (illustrated by Paul Bommer). London: Rabbit Hole, 2009.
 * Stars in Jars: New and collected poems London: A. & C. Black, 2014.

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat. Search results = au:Chrissie Gittins, WorldCat,