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Harry Josephine Giles is a writer and performer from Orkney, now living in Edinburgh. They have lived on four islands, each larger than the last. They have a MA in Theatre Directing and have been making and teaching poetry and performance for ten years, from theatres and libraries to schools to universities.
Harry Josephine has toured North America and New Zealand, featured at venues from the Bowery Poetry Club to the Royal Festival Hall, performed at festivals from the London Book Fair to Edinburgh's Hogmanay, and won multiple slams including the BBC Scotland Slam 2009. Both their poetry books Tonguit (Freight Books, 2015) and The Games (Out-Spoken Press, 2018) were shortlisted for the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award, and Tonguit for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection.
Harry Josephine has been Scottish Book Trust reader in residence at West Lothian Libraries, and run writing workshops and courses for organisations like LGBT Health & Wellbeing, Glasgow Disability Alliance, the Centre for Stewardship, alongside many schools and local authorities. They have had residencies as diverse as Govanhill Baths, Glen Nevis, Pitgaveny Farms and the Crichton Carbon Centre. Their themes include the environment, island culture, LGBT issues, minority language, and living a joyous life.
Aberdeen City; Aberdeenshire; Angus; Argyll and Bute; Clackmannanshire; Dumfries and Galloway; Dundee; East Ayrshire; East Dunbartonshire; East Lothian; East Renfrewshire; Edinburgh City; Falkirk; Fife; Glasgow City; Highland; Inverclyde; Midlothian; Moray; Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles); North Ayrshire; North Lanarkshire; Orkney Islands; Perth and Kinross; Renfrewshire; Scottish Borders; Shetland; South Ayrshire; South Lanarkshire; Stirling; West Dunbartonshire; West Lothian
Events can deliver
Bilingual event; Mentoring; Multilingual event; Panel event; Performance; Reading; Residency; Talk; Workshop; Professional development, CLPL or CPD; Chairing events
Audience can work with
Adult learners; English as an additional language (EAL); Outdoor learning; People experiencing mental health problems; Vulnerable young people (under 18); Young people in the community (e.g. Youth clubs, Guides, Scouts); Young people with additional support needs (under 18) (ASN/SEN)
Topics of work
Activism & protest; Biography & memoir; Class & society; Coasts, seas & oceans; Discrimination & prejudice; Editing & editing your own work; Environment & climate; Event production; Fantasy; Gender equality; Health including mental health & wellbeing; Human rights; Island communities; LGBTQIA+ characters; Nature; Performance training; Politics; Publishing & getting published; Rural communities; Science fiction; Self-publishing & independent publishing; Translation
