51³Ô¹Ïapp

Siobhan Logan is a storyteller, poet and small press publisher with Space Cat Press, as well as a lecturer in Creative Writing at de 51³Ô¹Ïapp University. Her first collection of poems and non-fiction, ‘Firebridge to Skyshore: A Northern Lights Journey’, (Original Plus Press 2009) was sponsored by auroral scientists at the University of Leicester. Researching it took her to Norway to experience the Northern Lights and the Arctic world at a time of change. This work was performed at the British Science Museum, the National Space Centre and the Ledbury Poetry festival.

‘Mad, Hopeless & Possible: Shackleton’s Endurance Expedition’, a poetic account of a polar expedition to Antarctica in 1914-17, was also published by Original Plus Press. She toured UK science festivals as part of the Polar Poets duo, including the British Science Festival in 2011, with a show exploring the Arctic and climate change. She led a WW1 residency for 14-18 NOW and co-edited 'Over Land, Over Sea', Five Leaves Books' anthology for refugee solidarity.

In 2015, her poetic sequence about the Rosetta mission, ‘Philae’s Book of Hours’ , was published on the European Space Agency website. Her latest collection about two rocketeers behind the Space Race was published by Space Cat Press in 2019: ‘Desert Moonfire: The Men Who Raced to Space’. She has co-edited anthologies of space-themed literature for Space Cat Press and teaches Creative Writing at De 51³Ô¹Ïapp University.

Institute of English

Key Publications:

• Uncharted Constellations Anthology, co-ed. Siobhan Logan & Darragh Logan-Davies, Space Cat Press Sept. 2020
• Desert Moonfire: The Men Who Raced to Space published by Space Cat Press 2019 (poetry & creative non-fiction with original illustrations)
• Mad, Hopeless and Possible: Shackleton's Endurance Expedition published by Original Plus Press (2011) (poetry & non-fiction & ink drawings)
• Firebridge to Skyshore: A Northern Lights Journey published by Original Plus Press (2009) (poetry & creative non-fiction: essays/ travelogues & woodcut illustrations)
• Jan 2017 Article/ poetry 'Where Philae Boldly Goes' published in ESA's e-book 'Impressions of Rosetta's Legacy'.
• 4th Oct 2016 Blog extract & original illustrations featured in ESA Rosetta short film on Legacy of mission.
• May 2016 European Space Agency (ESA) published poem sequence 'Philae's Book of Hours on their Rosetta Art Tribute web-page – in a digital narrative format mixing poetry & non-fiction. See:
• or

Magazines and Anthologies:

• June 2021 a selection of poems from unpublished The Seasons of Your Going’ chapbook got longlisted in the Erbacce Pamphlet Competition. They had 13,000 entrants and whittled it down to a longlist of 100. 2021 long-list - erbacce-press (webeden.co.uk)
• July 2021 Vigil 7 Across poem, from The Seasons of Your Going’ poetry pamphlet, was longlisted in the Single Poems category of Dempsey & Windle Pamphlet competition and published in the competition anthology, 'Horses of a Different Colour' ( Dempsey & Windle July 2021). D & W Publishing - books, pamphlets and poems - D & W PUBLISHING - POETRY BOOKS PAMPHLETS (dempseyandwindle.com)
• Nov. 2020, ‘The Seasons of Your Going’ poetry pamphlet wins Highly Commended and is Shortlisted in PROLE pamphlet competition, judged by John McCullough
• Uncharted Constellations Space-themed Anthology, co-ed. Siobhan Logan & Darragh Logan-Davies, Space Cat Press Sept. 2020
• July 2020, 4 poems published in The Blue Nib print & online mag, (‘Another North’, ‘Google Man in the Sky’, ‘Story Man’, ‘Co. Clare in Black & White’).
• 2020 Poem ‘The Quiet Man’ published in The Journal poetry magazine, Issue #60
• April 2017 Short Story 'Switching Off the Metronome' selected for anthology by Leicester Writes after winning 2nd prize in their 2017 inaugural Short Story competition.
• February 2017 Short Story 'Red Feet' accepted for anthology 'Mrs Rochester's Attic' by Mantle Lane Press to be published in April 2017.
• September 2016 Poems 'Dawn' and 'Honour Letter' from WW1 sequence accepted for Issue #49 of The Journal magazine.
• August 2016 Short Story 'Red Feet' was short-listed for anthology 'Mrs Rochester's Attic' by Mantle Lane Press. Final selection to be made in autumn 2016.
• August 10th 2016 Poem 'Leather' from WW1 sequence accepted for Issue #63 of The Interpreter's House magazine.
• July 26th 2016 Three poems, "Sky Lines", "Grand Union Canal" and "Space Blanket City” accepted for Dahlia Publishing Welcome to Leicester Poetry Anthology. Published Oct. 2016.
• June 2016 Short Story 'Whitby Jet' commissioned and published by Dahlia Publishing in 'Lost & Found' short fiction anthology.
• Nov. 2015 Co-edited 'Over Land, Over Sea' anthology, published by Five Leaves Books, featuring two of my poems, 'The Gate of Grief' & 'The Humans Are Coming'.
• Feb. 2015 'Desert Blooms 1: Yucca' poem accepted for 'Crystal Voices: Ten Years of Crystal Clear Creators' anthology
• Nov 2014 'Frau Im Mond' accepted for The Interpreter's House magazine spring edition
• Oct. 2014 Poem 'Traffic Light Girls' reprinted in new Kindle edition of Twin Peaks themed 'A Slice of Cherry Pie' anthology published by The Private Press, ed. Ivy Alvarez.
• September 2014 WW1 Poem 'Tommy's Scarf' selected (as 150 of the 21,000 letters from website) for Letters to the Unknown Soldier anthology, published by 14-18-NOW.
• July 2014 Six space poems ( Ignition I & II, Black Sedan, Moon Bride, Second Stage and Desert Blooms:Tulip) accepted for Envoi magazine.
• June 2014 Space poem 'Khrushchev's Ingenieur' accepted for Second Light anthology, 'Her Wings of Glass'.
• May 2014 2 Space poems 'It Came from the Deep' and 'Martian Watermelon' accepted for Under the Radar magazine.
• Jan. 2014 4 poems from new space collection published in The Journal poetry magazine: Tango, Tango Rebound, Wild Duck Hunting, Desert Blooms I
• January 2011 2 poems accepted for The Journal poetry magazine
• December 2010 3 poems accepted for 2011 Soundswrite Anthology
• September 08 Poetry Nottingham (62/2) published 2 poems: Cargo + Hearing Voices.
• Summer 08 The Journal published 4 poems: Polar Night, Joiku for Wind Voices, Skywatchers and Flyttsamer on Postcard.
• Sept. 07 'Bodywrapped' short story accepted for publication in Tripod magazine
• March 07 4 Colour Catcher poems published in ‘The Journal’: ‘Seeing Red,’ ‘Fire-bridge to Sky-shore’, ‘Last Breath Singing’ and ‘Naming the Lights’.
• Jan. ’07 Article on Colour Catchers event published in ‘Stanza’ magazine (LPS) and review of LPS reading.
• August 2006 Poem ‘Traffic Light Girls’ published in a chapbook anthology based on Twin Peaks TV serial, called A Slice of Cherry Pie, by The Private Press.
• June 2006 Poem ‘A Stone’s Throw’ published in Current Accounts magazine, issue no 22 – won 3rd prize in Poetry section of Bank Street Writers Competition 2005/6.
• March 2006 Poem ‘Begettings’ won Highly Commended in Single Poem category in 2005 ‘the new writer’ competition. Later published in magazine The New Writer.
• March 2006 Prose piece, ‘Frog Island Lessons’ won 3rd prize in Three Cities Writing competition and published in Three Cities Anthology, along with another poem, ‘The Golden Mile’.
• Jan 2006 Poem ‘Windows’ appeared in Poetry Nottingham magazine, after winning Merit prize in Nottingham Open Poetry competition in September 2005.
• Jan 2006 Poem ‘The Builder’ appeared in Body and Soul anthology by United Press.
• 2002 Poem ‘Abbey Park’ published in Leicester Mercury as part of Everybody’s Reading festival in Leicester.

Narrative Poetry; Poetry from Performance to Page; Memoir Poetry; World-Building through language in SFF; Myth, Magic & Weird Fantasy; Small Presses; Arts & Science Collaborations

My published work has often focused on themes around science, history and nature, as well as myth or magical realism. Topics have ranged from the aurora borealis, polar exploration and climate change to space travel. My writing practice often moves between poetry on the page and stage, and in blending poetry with media and other forms of discourse such as non-fiction or lecture. I am especially interested in how to communicate complex concepts around science and history to non-specialist audiences, by engaging them imaginatively with scientific discoveries or historical narratives. This practice has sometimes included collaborations with scientists to present shows blending myth and science, performance and illustrated presentations.

I am also interested in all aspects of how literary small presses contribute to the publishing eco-system, including how they have weathered the daunting challenges of the pandemic. I have been closely involved for several years in the Leicester Centre for Creative Writing's efforts to organise 51³Ô¹Ïapp's annual States of Independence publishing fair and am developing research interests around that. In addition, I have co-directed a small press, Space Cat Press, since 2019 and edited several anthologies with them. This industry experience feeds into both my research interests and my teaching.

Current writing projects also include a fantasy novel series set in the near future and a series of poetry pamphlets moving into memoir and exploring themes around bereavement. 

Creative Writing modules on Writing & Identity (1st Year B.A.), Word-Image-Sound (2nd Year B.A.) (writing for traditional media and New Media, including short films, website or gaming narratives, scripts for radio or podcasts and scripting for comics or graphic novels ), supervising 3rd Year Creative Writing B.A. dissertations in all forms, an MA module on Ecosystems: Navigating Networks( looking at how writers navigate their way through publishing and media industries) & supervising MA Creative Writing dissertations. 

• June 2005 Pg. Dip. in Creative Writing (Novel Writing) from Manchester Metropolitan University.
• June 1991 PGCE Teaching in FE qualification from Huddersfield University.
• Sept 1984 MA in the Modern Novel from University of East Anglia.
• July 1983 BA in English + Drama from Hull University (First).

CREW 1001, CREW 2000, CREW 3000, CREW 5014, CREW 014 

Prizes / Funding Awards & Judging of Competitions:

• Nov. 2021 Won Ena Young Award for Poetry at Leicester Writers’ Club Annual Awards.
• Nov. 2019 Won Trude Dub Non-Fiction Award for Desert Moonfire book at Leicester Writers’ Club Annual Awards.
• Nov. 2017 Won Margaret Penfold Media Award for work with European Space Agency website at Leicester Writers’ Club Annual Awards & Nick Leach Award for supporting other writers in their development.
• Sept. 2017 Served as judge for East Midlands Heat of Superhero Poetry Slam September 15th at 2 Funky Music Cafe.
• April 2017 Short Story 'Switching Off the Metronome' selected for anthology planned by Leicester Writes after winning 2nd prize in their 2017 inaugural Short Story competition.
• Nov. 2014 Won Ena Young Award for Poetry for magazine successes, guest poet slots etc. Presented at Leicester Writers Club Annual Awards. Also inaugurated the Siobhan Logan Spoken Word Award for writers producing work for performance which was presented to Carol Leeming.
• April 2012 - LWC review competition adjudicated by Wayne Burrows. Won 1st Prize for House of Horrors, a review of Curve's production of Buried Child.
• January 2012 - won 1st prize in LWC Poetry competition for Vogelherd Song, adjudicated by Mark Goodwin.
• November 2011 - won Ena Young Award for Poetry for Mad, Hopeless & Possible collection.
• March 2011 - Won 1st and 3rd prize for poems in LWC Poetry competition for 'Dancing with my Father and Mother' and 'Sometimes Long-term Lovers Forget to Kiss Like This' - adjudicated by Steve Carroll
• 16th June 2009 Won first prize for 'Found Song' in LWC Poetry Competition, adjudicated by Alison Dunne.
• Feb. 23rd 2009 Judged short-listed poems for the Muslim Writers’ Award 2009 and attended awards ceremony in London on May 27th.
• Thursday 11th Dec. 2008 Won 1st prize in LWC Travel Writing competition adjudicated by Richard Guise for ‘Night Fishing in Skjervoy’ travelogue.
• Thursday 20th Nov 2008 - won Ena Young Poetry Award at LWC Annual Awards dinner –the LWC piece in Leicester Mercury led to card from Principal and college press release in December.
• June 19th 2008 Travel feature ‘Little Bombay Mix’ was Highly Commended by Nicola Monaghan for the LWC Local Writing competition.
• May 2008 - secured another donation from the Radio and Space Plasma Physics group at Leicester University to cover printing costs for Stories Drummed to Polar Skies show.
• March 13th poem ‘Neighbourhood Stoning’ was Highly Commended in LWC Poetry competition, adjudicated By Robert Hamberger.
• 15th November 2007 – won Short Story Award 2007 at Leicester Writers' Club Annual Awards Dinner.
• August 07 'The Chatterbox' story was placed 2nd in the Leicestershire Libraries Short Story competition 2007 (won £100).
• July 07 The Radio and Space Plasma Physics group at Leicester University agreed to co-fund a trip to research the northern lights and produce new writing and performance in 2008. They will contribute funds and contacts at the EISCAT auroral research base near Tromso.
• Aug 06/ Jan. ‘07 Longlisted for Cinnamon Press Pamphlet Competition + poem ‘Northern Hides’ published in anthology Wherever.
• November 2006 Story ‘The Chatterbox’ placed 3rd in Leicester Writers’ Club (LWC) Ghost Story competition.
• Nov. 06 Won Leicester Writers’ Club Annual Award for Poetry 2006.
• Sept. 06 Story ‘The Dead Walk Box’ shortlisted in PCS/ WORDS magazine competition.
• June 2006 Poem ‘A Stone’s Throw’ published in Current Accounts magazine, issue no 22 – won 3rd prize in Poetry section of Bank Street Writers Competition 2005/6.
• May 2006 Selected for Advance, a weekend of professional development for Fiction Writers by Leicestershire LDOs. June 24th – 25th at Hothorpe Hall.
• May 2006 Shortlisted for Leicestershire Libraries Short Story competition with The Dead Walk Box story.
• May 2006 Short Story ‘Body Wrapped’ performed by Retina Dance Company at Leicester Phoenix Theatre, as part of the Eleven stories for the body, distance to our soul production. The story was selected in an international competition and won prize of £200.
• March 2006 Poem ‘Begettings’ won Highly Commended in Single Poem category in 2005 ‘the new writer’ competition. Later published in magazine The New Writer.
• March 2006 Prose piece, ‘Frog Island Lessons’ won 3rd prize in Three Cities Writing
• competition and published in Three Cities Anthology, along with another poem, ‘The Golden Mile’.
• Jan 2006 Poem ‘Windows’ appeared in Poetry Nottingham magazine, after winning Merit prize in Nottingham Open Poetry competition in September 2005.
• Nov. 2005 Won Leicester Writers’ Club Short Story Award for 2005.
• Sept 2005 Poem ‘Space for Sincerity’ got Highly Commended prize in Yorkshire Open Poetry competition and ‘Global Warming’ was placed as Runner-up by judge Michael Longley.
• August 2005 Short Story ‘The Black Dog’ won Commended prize in Leicestershire Libraries Short Story competition 2005.
• 2001 short story ‘Under Hill’ short-listed and Marked Highly in ‘An Ink’ competition.

Leicester Writers' Club, President 2016-17 and 2006-7 (elected annually from membership)

Leicester Writers' Club 2000 - 2022, community of professional writers
Poetry Stanza, Leicestershire branch, 2012 - 2022

Nov 2018, co-tutored a free workshop on The Language of Worldbuilding with Rod Duncan for The Writing Shed, as part of SledgeLit SFF Convention in Derby.

Oct. 2019, led a free workshop on Writing to the Moon and Back! for Space Cat Press as part of Leicester’s Everybody’s Reading festival, in collaboration with Leicester Central Library and Writers’ Showcase organisation.
Nov 2018, co-tutored a free workshop on The Language of Worldbuilding with Rod Duncan for The Writing Shed, as part of SledgeLit SFF Convention in Derby.
Oct. 2018, co-tutored a free Creative Writing Taster workshop with Rod Duncan for The Writing Shed, as part of Leicester’s Everybody’s Reading festival, in collaboration with Leicester Central Library and Writers’ Showcase organisation.
Feb. 2018 Tutored a 6 week course on 'Building Your Poetry Collection' for The Writing School / WSEM
Feb. 2018 Co-tutored a one-day Masterclass on 'Narrative Drive & Narrative Voice' with The Writers' Shed.
October 2017 Booked to provide writing/storytelling workshops for YMCA residents in Leicester as part of a project by East Midlands Institute of Physics to engage public with science through creative writing.
October Co-tutored a one-day Masterclass on 'Narrative Drive & Narrative Voice' with The Writers' Shed.
Sept. 2017 Tutored a one-day Masterclass on Plotting your Story Pathway for Leicester Writers' Club.
April 2017 Writing workshop on 'Pitching, Reviewing & Networking' for Leicester Writers' Club
July 28th - 3rd August 2014 - commissioned by Writing East Midlands to run a week-long digital writer's residency, linked in to the national 14-18-Now '' project.
Wide experience of providing creative workshops for children, adults and writers - .