Kelly Creighton is the author of five novels, two story collections and one poetry pamphlet. Her work includes the critically acclaimed DI Harriet Sloane series set in East Belfast; award-winning, post-Good Friday Agreement psychological thriller The Bones of It, and #MeToo literary thriller Souls Wax Fair.

In 2014 she founded The Incubator literary journal, which concentrates on the contemporary Irish short story. Kelly is co-editor of the Sesheta multi-genre Christmas anthology, Underneath the Tree.

She is an editor, publisher, ESL Teacher, creative writing mentor and professional member of the Irish Writers Centre. For many years she has provided creative writing workshops for community groups and schools. Kelly lives with her family in Co Down.

She addresses violence, gender, power and the justice system through her fiction. Her poetry focuses on art and the personal.

Kelly’s debut novel was the San Diego Book Review’s 2015 Book of the Year and was studied at university level. She was a runner-up for the Michael McLaverty Short Story Award and the Abroad Writers’ Conference Short-Short Story Prize. Kelly’s work has appeared on shortlists for the Fish Short Story Prize, the inaugural Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing, Cuirt New Writing Prize, the Saboteur Award for Best Short Story Collection, and others. Her debut story collection was longlisted for the Edge Hill Prize.

Her work has been published in literary journals such as Poetry Ireland Review, The Stinging Fly, Banshee, The Honest Ulsterman, Litro, and many more. Her work has featured in numerous anthologies, including Best British Short Stories and Alternative Ulster Noir.

She frequently presents at literary festivals in the UK, Ireland and America, and her work has always been generously supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

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