David Swann

Dave Swann is a poet and fiction writer, who is inspired by the resilience of people who live on the edge. His novella, Season of Bright Sorrow (Ad Hoc Press, 2021), was named 2023 Rubery Book of the Year. The novella is set on Morecambe Bay, where Dave lived for several years. It was inspired by incidents he witnessed while working as a writer in residence for the Arts Council of England in HMP Nottingham, where he helped in the rehabilitation of lifers and long-term prisoners. The residency also inspired Dave’s book, The Privilege of Rain (Waterloo Press, 2011), which was shortlisted for the Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry. In 2017, Dave was awarded a doctorate for his PhD about the role played by writing in the rehabilitation of offenders. He worked for many years as a Senior Lecturer in English & Creative Writing at the Universities of Chichester and Lancaster, where he taught and designed courses in journalism, 

screenwriting, poetry, nonfiction, and fiction. Dave’s stories and poems have won many awards, including eleven successes at the Bridport prize and two in the National Poetry Competition. He enjoys collaborating with artists and musicians, and has performed his work across the country. A former newspaper reporter, who once covered Accrington Stanley’s matches for a living, and later worked as a freelance journalist in Amsterdam, Dave finds that most of his creative work continues to be inspired by the landscapes of the North. He has taught in many settings, including homeless centres, Greek harboursides, and schools — and remains committed to helping students to develop their self-expression.