Catherine Merriman

Catherine A Merriman is a British novelist and short story writer.

Merriman has published five novels and three short story collections. Her first novel, "Leaving the Light On", won the Ruth Hadden Memorial Award in 1992. Her collection of stories, "Silly Mothers", was shortlisted for 1992 Wales Book of the Year, and she has twice won a Rhys Davies short story award, in 1991 and 1998. Many of her short stories have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

She also edited "Laughing, Not Laughing: Women Writing on 'My Experience of Sex"', an anthology of Welsh women writing frankly about their sexual experiences, which won the publications category of the 2004 Erotic Awards.

Her writing often addresses women's experiences. "Broken Glass" focuses on breast cancer. "State of Desire" addresses reawakening sexuality after bereavement. Merriman states that two of her novels ("Leaving The Light On" and "Fatal Observations"), about domestic power and domestic violence, have their foundations in her eleven years' experience as a volunteer for the charity Women's Aid. [ [http://homepage.virgin.net/questing.beast/scrawl_merriman.htm Interview by Scrawl] ]

Merriman teaches writing at the University of Glamorgan and is a fellow of the Academi. [ [http://www.academi.org/members/i/129507/ Academi Fellows] (accessed 8 February 2008)] For several years she was fiction editor for the "New Welsh Review", and she has judged numerous short story competitions.

Though not Welsh by birth, she has lived in South-East Wales since 1973, and is often considered a Welsh writer.

Publications

Novels:
*"Leaving the Light On" (1992)
*"Fatal Observations" (1993)
*"State of Desire" (1996)
*"Broken Glass" (1998)
*"Brotherhood" (2003)

Short story collections:
*"Silly Mothers " (1991)
*"Of Sons and Stars" (1997)
*"Getting a Life" (2001)

Editor:
*"Laughing, Not Laughing: Women Writing on 'My Experience of Sex"' (2004)

References

External links

* [http://www.geocities.com/siopcoffi/staffpublications.html University of Glamorgan MPhil tutors]
* [http://www.geocities.com/siopcoffi/staffwork.html 'Mammary orgasmic potential -- a case study' & 'Learning to speak Klingon' (two short stories available online)]