Gerry Stewart

Background

About Gerry Stewart

I am a poet, creative writing tutor and editor based in Finland. I am available as an editor and proof-reader for individuals or organisations. I have experience with creative and academic texts as well as marketing and have worked in the fields of drama, literature, theology, chemistry and market research. I can give your work a final polish or give a deep read to help improve the quality and impact of your text. I am also available as a Poetry Mentor with many years experience in publishing and creative writing teaching. I can help poets develop and find outlets for their work, helping them advance to the next stage of their writing career. I have two blogs about my writing life and which looks at life in Finland through the eyes of a foreign family, with suggestions of things to do and explore. In Scotland, I established and was Editor of Grimalkin Press from 2005-2011 which published books connected with the creative writing and community groups she worked with. I was part of the Composition Artist Collective from 2004-2006 with poet Nalini Paul and artist Frances Robertson which ran writing and art workshops and produced a collection Leaf Fall: Seeing by Touch of their work. I was Writer in Residence for North Ayr in 2001-2 and Assistant Editor at Chapman Publishing from 1997-2001. I have recently won Hedgehog Press’ ‘Neglected or Selected Collection Competition’ and will be publishing the collection with them in 2020. My first poetry collection Post-Holiday Blues was published by Flambard Press, UK in 2008. In 2005 she received a Scottish Arts Council New Writer’s Bursary for her unpublished novel Talking Italian in my Sleep which has been long-listed for Linen Press’s First Chapter Competition in 2015 and Cinnamon Press’s Debut Novel Competition in 2017. My poetry has been widely published in the UK, Europe and United States since 1997, including Black Mountain Review, Cencrastus, Crannog, From Glasgow to Saturn, Hanging Loose, Hidden City Anthology, Iota, Island, Orbis, Poetry Quarterly, Poetry Salzburg Review, Pushing Out the Boat, Scrittura, Skylight 47, Southlight, The London Magazine and zvonainari.hr. Born in the US, I have lived in Europe for over 25 years in Norway, Greece, Scotland and now Finland. I write and maintain a blog on experiencing Finland with emphasis on activities and experiences aimed at families. My second blog, focusing on writing, can be found at http:/thistlewren.blogspot.fi/ and I am @grimalkingerry on Twitter.