Mary J. Oliver

Mary J. Oliver trained in the visual arts before switching to writing full time ten years ago. Her poems have appeared in many periodicals and anthologies in the UK and US. Competitions won include those judged by Paul Muldoon and Ruth Padel. Her first book, Jim Neat: The Case of a Young Man Down on His Luck, was published by Seren in 2019.  In 2017, the original manuscript of Jim Neat was awarded 2nd prize in the New Welsh Writing Memoir Award. Five of the poems from it have been set to music for piano by the composer Judith Bailey. Oliver edits Piccolina, a poetry newsletter promoting live-poetry events in Cornwall, UK, and is chair of the Poetry Society’s Penzance Stanza Group.