Dr Lauren Pope | Programme Manager
Lauren Pope has a PhD in Creative Writing from the University Of Edinburgh with an emphasis on écriture féminine in the early poetry of Medbh McGuckian and Louise Glück. Her poetry has appeared or is forthcoming from various publications including Gutter, Magma, New Writing Scotland, The North, Poetry Wales, The Rialto, Best New British and Irish Poets (2017) and The Brotherton Poetry Prize Anthology (Carcanet). Her poetry pamphlet, Announce This (Templar Poetry), was shortlisted for the 2018 Callum Macdonald Memorial Awards. She is a 2019 Manchester Poetry Prize finalist, and winner of the 2021 Brotherton Poetry Prize. Her debut collection, Always Erase, was published by Blue Diode Press in January, and her second pamphlet, Close Your Eyes When You Look At Me, is forthcoming from Broken Sleep Books in November. She is a 2022 Scottish Book Trust Debut Lab writer.
Dr Carly Brown | Co-Director
Dr Carly Brown is an award-winning poet and fiction writer based in Scotland. She is the author of a bestselling children’s picture book, I Love St Andrews, and two poetry pamphlets. Known for her lively and witty spoken word poetry, Carly was Scotland’s National Champion of Slam Poetry (2013) and ranked fourth at the World Series of Slam Poetry in Paris. Her debut novella, All the Orphans in the Galaxy, was published in 2022 with Speculative Books and shortlisted for Best Novella in the 2023 Saboteur Awards. Carly holds a Doctorate of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and she works as a Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow.
Previously, Carly taught Creative Writing at SUISS for several years. She’s excited to serve as SUISS Co-Director for part of the summer, and she loves the fun, international atmosphere that only SUISS can provide!
Dr Gina Gwenffrewi | Co-Director
Gina Gwenffrewi (pronouns: she/her) is a researcher and tutor in English Literature and the interdisciplinary Queer Studies and Trans Studies at the University of Edinburgh. She recently graduated with a PhD in Trans Studies / English Literature in June 2021, with the thesis ‘Transgender Gaze, Neoliberal Haze: the impact of neoliberalism on trans female bodies in the Anglophone Global North.’ Her research interests include trans-exclusionary ideologies and the impact of media representations on trans bodies, and she is currently writing an academic paper on the JK Rowling furore of June 2020. More broadly, and happily, Gina is passionate about trans arts, and she blogs with particular joy during the Edinburgh Festival on her favourite acts.
Originally from Wales, Gina spent a fifteen-year career as a teacher and academic manager in several countries. Her lockdown hobby became playing the bass guitar (badly) to her favourite progressive rock songs.