Recipient of New Writer Award 2007, several Creative Scotland Awards (2010-15), selected for Best Poems published in Scotland (2004/5). Writer in Residence at the Glass department, Edinburgh Art College (2004-5) and resulting pamphlet shortlisted for the Callum McDonald Award (2005/6). Shortlisted in the Strokestown (2009) , the Bridport (2015) , and the Wigtown single poem (2023) international competitions and shortlisted in the Aesthetica competition. She was commended in the Troubadour International Poetry competition, 2023 and was the 2nd prize winner in the Poetry Wales Award, 2022. Her poetry pamphlet 'Ortelius' Sea-Monsters' won the Alastair Reid prize, Wigtown, 2023.
Her poetry pamphlet 'Flout' (HappenStance, 2015) was inspired by Shetland landscape, folklore and music launched at StAnza. 'Berlin Umbrella' a poetry/sound collaboration with Sonja Heyer launched in Berlin, 2018 and appeared at StAnza in 2020 supported by Creative Scotland, the British Council, Berlin and the Goethe Institut, Glasgow. Their latest poetry/sound collaboration, 'Rewilding' (supported by Creative Scotland, HES and the RSPB) appeared as part of the Orkney Nature Festival in May, 2023, listened to through headphones walking round the Ring of Brodgar and on the RSPB Reserve or online.
She has collaborated with many other artists from other media, including a composer at the St Magnus festival, Orkney, a visual artist, a choreographer and as part of a light installation.
'Poetry in the Persian Tent' was a 5-day (one hour each day) mini-festival of poetry and music in Edinburgh, 2012 organised by Stephanie including poets John Glenday, Jackie Kay, Marie Howe, Liz Lochhead and many others.
Currently she is co-selector of poets with founder and m.c. Milla Van Der Have of PoetryLit, an online monthly poetry event. Started to counteract lockdown blues, it has proved immensely popular and attracts global audiences.
She has one novel for teenagers published 'The Triple Spiral' (Walker Books, 1989) and has had broadcast 4 scripts on BBC Schools, Radio.
Her poems have been published in Best Scottish Poems, 2005, Butcher's Dog, the Edinburgh Review, Glasgow Review of Books, the Honest Ulsterman, Ink, Sweat and Tears, Magma, New Writing Scotland (ASLS), Northwords Now, Oxford School of Poetry Review, Poetry Scotland, Poetry Wales, New Welsh Review, Red Wheelbarrow and Rialto amongst others.
For Stephanie's Blog post on the dance piece choreographed by Mathew Hawkins
inspired by her poem 'Ayre.' Click .here
Stephanie at Skerries, County Dublin, with a view of the Mountains of Mourne in the background, sitting on the seat dedicated to her ancestor, Percy French, who composed the song 'The Mountains of Mourne sweep down to the sea'. September, 2015.
Winner of the Alastair Reid Prize, Wigtown Book Festival, 2023,
Short-listed for the Callum McDonald Award, 2005.
Poetry pamphlet published by HappenStance, 2015.
'The Triple Spiral' novel for Young Adults published by Walker Books, 1989.
Poetry and Sound collaboration
with Mark Harding.
To listen to Stephanie read 'Unst' to Mark's
electronic soundscape
click here