Hi, I’m a writer – born in Wales, raised in Merseyside and currently living in Greater Manchester.

I’m the proud recipient of a 2020 Northern Writers’ Award from New Writing North for my weird-literary short story collection Girls Who Get Taken, judged by Amy Liptrot and Kris Doyle. The book is complete but unpublished, interested parties are very welcome to request a copy via my email, or through my agent Laura Williams at Greene & Heaton. I was also shortlisted for the 2024 Northern Writers’ Awards for my novel-in-progress, Shadows and shortlisted again for the 2025 Northern Writers’ Awards for my second short story collection, A House That Refuses To Be Haunted.

I’m the proud recipient of an Arts Council England Developing Your Creative Practice Award, for developing my novel writing skills and in November 2024 I represented Manchester as a UNESCO City OF Literature (virtual) writer in residence for Melbourne City Of Literature.

Some other cool things that have happened since I started writing: I was longlisted for the 2022 BBC National Short Story Award, I’ve won first prize in the Bath Flash Fiction Award, first prize in the Mairtín Crawford Short Story Award, placed second in the Bridport Prize, been shortlisted for the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award, been a ‘notable contender’ in the Bristol Prize and have won, placed or shortlisted in other writing competitions. My short fiction has been selected for the Wigleaf Top 50, and three times for the Best British and Irish Flash Fiction. In 2018 I was named ‘Northern Writer of The Year’ at the Northern Soul Awards. My novella-in-flash Among These Animals was published by Ellipsis in March 2021 and shortlisted in the Saboteur Awards.

I’ve performed my work at many spoken word nights in the North West, including as a headliner at Verbose, and a featured guest at That’s What We Said. I’ve also written and performed bespoke pieces for the Not Quite Light Festival and the Words & Music Festival and performed at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe with For Books’ Sake.

When I’m not writing, I am a carer and home educator for my autistic daughter. In the rare free time I get, I enjoy watching scary films, listening to 90s music and reading short stories.

You can contact me using the form below, or it’s not working then feel free to email me on gaynor@jonzey.com

P.S. Headshot by Tom Barker Photography 

Originally posted 2018-06-04 15:55:29.