Graham Mort has had a lengthy career as a freelance writer and artist in education, specialising in innovative combined arts projects. He has taught writing courses for the Arvon Foundation and Taliesin Trust and was director of studies for the Open College of the Arts, extending distance learning though new technology. He lectures in Creative Writing at Lancaster University where he directs the Centre for Transcultural Writing and Research and has developed writing projects in Africa for the British Council. Amongst his many awards are the Edge Hill University Short Story Prize 2011 and the Bridport Prize for the short story collection Touch (2010), Cheltenham Poetry Competition first prize (twice), a major Eric Gregory Award, two Duncan Lawrie prizes in the Arvon Foundation International Poetry competition and a Poetry Book Society recommendation.