Heidi Williamson

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. The Print Museum (Bloodaxe, 2016) won the Poetry Award in the East Anglian Book Awards. Return by Minor Road(Bloodaxe, 2020) featured in The Guardian and was a Poetry Society and Out-Spoken Press Book of the Year.

In 2023, with Sylee Gore, she co-commissioned and edited a transatlantic chapbook (Postcards from the Archive) for the Rothermere American Institute, bringing together poets affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania, Kelly Writers House, and Oxford University.

She teaches and mentors poets worldwide for the Poetry Society, Poetry School, Scottish Book Trust, New Writing North, National Centre for Writing, and The Writing Coach. She has led writing workshops in pubs, science centres, schools, cafés, libraries, community centres, and multinational businesses. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing from Oxford University and is an accredited Writing Coach.

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 to 2014). She enjoys working with scientists in cross-curricular collaborations.

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.