Heidi Williamson is an award-winning poet and creative-writing tutor. Her first collection, Electric Shadow (Bloodaxe, 2011) was a Poetry Book Society Recommendation and shortlisted for the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry prize. Her second, The Print Museum (Bloodaxe, 2016) won the Book by the Cover award and the poetry category of the East Anglian book awards.
She works worldwide with poets by Skype for the Poetry Society — with students in the UK, India, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Russia and the US. She teaches for The Poetry School, The Writing Coach and SAW Trust, a charity bringing research science into schools.
Although not a scientist by trade, she finds all branches of science, engineering and mathematics fascinating and fruitful for writing. Her first two books were inspired by residencies in the London Science Museum’s Dana Centre (2008 and 2009) and the John Jarrold Printing Museum (2011–2014). Her third book concentrates on her time living in Scotland.
Before becoming a full-time poet, Heidi worked as an advertising copywriter and editor for brands including Virgin Money, HSBC, Scottish Amicable and Prudential. She developed and led writing workshops on various topics at all levels in the companies. She believes passionately that any writing can be lively and interesting — even the most technically challenging.
Born in Norfolk, she studied and lived in central Scotland for over a decade. She lived for a year in Brussels, then Salisbury before returning to Norfolk. She currently lives in Wymondham with her husband and son.
