Amanda Dalton

Amanda Dalton is a poet and playwright specializing in theatre and radio drama. Her first poetry collection, How To Disappear (Bloodaxe 1999), was shortlisted for a Forward prize. She was selected as one of the Next Generation poets in 2004 and her most recent publication is Stray (Bloodaxe, 2012). She has had numerous original dramas broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and 4. Adaptations include re-imaginings of the silent movies The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari and Nosferatu and dramatizations of classic fiction including novels by Henry James, E.M. Forster and Tove Jansson. Her theatre writing to date is for large scale outdoor and site-specific performance, and drama for young people, including several commissions with Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre.

Before embarking, in 2017, on a freelance career, Amanda has been a deputy head in comprehensive schools, Centre Director for the Arvon Foundation and Engagement Director at the Royal Exchange Theatre, where she is currently an associate artist. She has held writing residencies and fellowships in many setting including Leeds University, the Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University, Barton Moss Secure Care centre and the Bronte Parsonage museum. Much of her career has been focused on teaching, mentoring and the curation and artistic leadership of innovative cross-artform projects, focused on community engagement and empowerment, and on collaboration between outstanding professional artists and the public.

She lives in Hebden Bridge where she especially enjoys the landscape and community and is currently working on a new poetry collection alongside several projects for theatre and radio.