Shanta Everington

Dr Shanta Everington is a creative and critical writer living in Leigh-on-Sea. Much of Shanta’s writing explores recurring themes of difference, identity and belonging. Shanta’s debut novel, Marilyn and Me (Cinnamon Press), was narrated by a young woman with a learning disability who models herself on Marilyn Monroe. Shortlisted for the Cinnamon Press Debut Novel Prize, the novel was written for an MA in Creative Writing, for which Shanta achieved a distinction from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2006. Her young adult novel, XY (Red Telephone Books), winner of the Red Telephone Books YA Novel Competition, is set in a dystopian world where humans are born intersex with gender assigned at birth. In addition to novels, Shanta has published short fiction (including ‘Hang Up’, a helpline call shortlisted for the Bridport Prize), poetry, life writing, and academic writing.

She was awarded her PhD in Creative Writing from The Open University with the thesis, ‘Other Mothers’, published as Another Mother: Curating and Creating Voices of Adoption, Surrogacy and Egg Donation by Routledge in 2023. Written in hybrid form, the life writing combines interview material and creative responses, with a poetry sequence from the project shortlisted for the Cinnamon Literature award. Shanta’s latest book, Storying the Menopause: An Evocative Auto/ethnography, was published by Routledge in 2025.

Shanta lectures in Creative Writing with The Open University and carries out freelance work with the Royal Literary Fund. Other creative writing teaching includes the University of East London, The Brilliant Club and FutureLearn. As a qualified school teacher, Shanta has also taught in Alternative Provision for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Her additional experience in the charity sector feeds into her interests in socially engaged writing and links between creativity and wellbeing. Shanta has co-authored educational textbooks for Pearson and written for Disability Now and Rough Guides to Accessible Britain.

Dr Shanta Everington has a background in the voluntary sector, working for a range of charities on the frontline and in management. With a PhD in Life Writing, Shanta tutors with The Open University and has facilitated various projects with the RLF.  As an RLF Writing for Life Fellow, she is passionate about the power of story in crafting compelling fundraising pitches, case studies and reports, and supporting participants in using reflective writing to enhance professional practice.

She is the author of Another Mother: Creating and Curating Voices of Adoption, Surrogacy and Egg Donation and Storying the Menopause: An Evocative Auto/ethnography with Routledge.