Dr Gemma June Howell

  • she/her
Hay Festival Author. Poet. Editor. Academic. Cultural Critic. Activist.
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Academic writer, Educational writer, Ghostwriter, Historian, Independent / self-published author, Journalist, Literary editor, Memoirist, Novelist, Playwright, Poet, Scriptwriter, Short fiction writer, Spoken-word artist
Available for:
Collaboration, Editing, Festivals and other events, Ghostwriting, Judging, Lecturing and teaching, Library visits, Live readings and performances, Media, Mentoring, Proofreading, Public speaking, Reader reports, Residencies, School visits, Workshops

Academic, poet, editor, cultural critic, and published author with 27
years of active involvement in Welsh academia and the literary scene. I hold a BA in Political Communication, an MA, a PGCE and a PhD in Creative & Critical Writing, and my research focuses on marginalised and working-class lives in post-industrial Britain.

With a background spanning academia, publishing, journalism, editing, writing and community activism, I’ve published widely; most notably with Bloodaxe Books, The London Magazine and Poetry Wales. My debut poetry novel, The Crazy Truth, (Seren Books: 2024), launched at Hay Festival to critical acclaim – the same year, I was named one of ‘Wales’ Most Influential Women’ (Buzz Magazine). A Hay Writers at Work alumna, I have a strong grasp on the professional realities facing Welsh writers today.

A member of the SoA and NUJ, I’ve worked as Honno Press’ Production Editor for four years and am currently editing for (un)common, a brand-new magazine showcasing emerging writers, which launched at Hay Festival this year. 

In 2022, I edited Land of Change: Stories of Struggle & Solidarity from Wales (Culture Matters), a ‘record of resistance’ prose anthology of 54 marginalised writers and artists.

Founder and Director of Women Publishing Wales – Menywod Cyhoeddi Cymru, I helped foster a community to elevate and champion women in the publishing industry. A member of Swansea University’s Industry Expert Panel, I have taught in UK and UAE universities, and have engaged with the global publishing industry at the London Book Fair and Frankfurt.

I have a broad yet grounded outlook, alongside a commitment to supporting marginalised and underrepresented writers and literary communities from across Wales and beyond.

My forthcoming poetry collection, Hinges, is due to be published by Broken Sleep Books in August 2027, and I’m currently seeking literary representation for the sequel to my debut novel which is called, Diary of a Crazy Dreamer – ‘Bridget Jones meets Irvine Welsh for the 21st Century’.