Personal statement

Dr Elen Caldecott is a creative writing practitioner with an active, 17 year career in the publishing industry. Her novels for young people have been long- or short-listed for the Waterstones Children's Book Award and the Carnegie Medal; her novel 'The Short Knife' won the Tir na n-Og Award for Welsh writing. Since 2015, her creative career has dovetailed with practice-led research in academia.

Elen specialises in writing, researching and teaching literature for young people. Much of her work is concerned with positive representations of working class childhoods and of non-traditional families. She also have an interest in transnational literature, especially the creative potential of artists working between languages.

Academic qualifications

  • FHEA.

Professional memberships

  • Young Adult Studies Association
  • Society of Authors
  • National Association of Writers in Education.

Teaching subjects

  • Current role: Module Leader 'Writing Workshop Spring'.