Gaia Holmes lives in Halifax. She’s been a busker, a cleaner, a lolly-pop lady, a gallery attendant and an oral historian. She is currently an associate lecturer in Creative Writing at the university of Huddersfield and a free-lance writer. She has recently started up her own ‘Igniting the spark’ writing workshops at Dean Clough, Halifax.. When she’s not teaching, reading or writing poetry she is a DJ for Phoenix fm (Calderdale’s community radio station) or tapping her tambourine with Halifax Samba band. Gaia has worked as a creative writing workshop facilitator, with students ranging in age, ability and ethnicity, for over ten years. She is able to tailor her workshops to suit particular requirements.

Comments on Gaia’s workshops:

“Gaia’s unique style made the workshop work for me. She encourages participants in a positive way and her comments useful and thoughtful.” ‘Igniting the spark’ student.

” I really enjoyed being stretched into new language and new ideas through existing poetry with a tutor without pretentions and with oodles of humanity.” Huddersfield literature festival 2008

“Gaia has an openness which helps to bring you out of your shell. She explains things clearly and encourages you. Her constructive criticism is delivered in such a way that you feel focused and not discouraged.” Huddersfield university student, 2010.

” I have never been to a writing workshop! hows that… (plenty on other subjects though) wasnt sure if I could write something to order / on demand as it were. But actually ideas came surprisingly freely (and all whilst sober!)” W. Plowes

“Just wanted to say again how much I enjoyed your ‘workshop of sensory delights’.. Your approach to create evocative poetry is fantastic! I’d love to come to more of your workshops!” Anne Vickerstaff.

 

gaiaholmes.wordpress.com

Poetry/Prose

 

Her debut collection, ‘Dr James Graham’s Celestial Bed’ was published in 2006 by Comma Press. Her second collection ‘Occasional China’ is due out with Comma in Autumn/winter, 2010. Gaia has read widely thoughout Britain and beyond, in pubs, schools, coffee shops and libraries. Several of her poems have been adapted to film including ‘Desires’ (director, Kate Jessop) which was short listed for a Virgin Media award in 2008 As well as being a familiar face on the local poetry scene, Gaia Holmes is also known nationally. She has read at literary festivals throughout Britain and beyond. Her poem ‘Claustrophobia’ was highly commended in the ‘best individual poem’ category of the Forward Poetry Prize, 2007 and ‘A homesick truckie In The Algarve’ was the featured poem in Frieda Hughes’ weekly literary column in ‘The Times’ (May 2007)

 

Gaia has worked as a creative writing workshop facilitator, with students ranging in age, ability and ethnicity, for over ten years. She is able to tailor her workshops to suit particular requirements. Comments on Gaia’s workshops: “Gaia’s unique style made the workshop work for me. She encourages participants in a positive way and her comments useful and thoughtful.” ‘Igniting the spark’ student. ” I really enjoyed being stretched into new language and new ideas through existing poetry with a tutor without pretentions and with oodles of humanity.” Huddersfield literature festival 2008 “Gaia has an openness which helps to bring you out of your shell. She explains things clearly and encourages you. Her constructive criticism is delivered in such a way that you feel focused and not discouraged.” Huddersfield university student, 2010. �I have never been to a writing workshop! hows that… (plenty on other subjects though) wasnt sure if I could write something to order / on demand as it were. But actually ideas came surprisingly freely (and all whilst sober!)� W. Plowes �just wanted to say again how much I enjoyed your ‘workshop of sensory delights’.. Your approach to create evocative poetry is fantastic! I’d love to come to more of your workshops!� Anne Vickerstaff.

 

Available on request

 

up to 20

 

Any

 

English

 

Yorkshire

 

Praise for Gaia’s work: “Sassy and streetwise, dark and blue, these are poems that are high on words; full of rich imaginings and dislocated love affairs, peopled with ordinary folk made exotic and with the strange made true. Read them.”.- Amanda Dalton “These poems are made from intense sensual experience, bursting with colours, flavours and textures. Gaia Holmes has an eye for the strangeness of things, from “fat lenses of jellyfish/packed in jigsaws of ice” to the sounds and smells of the steelworks, where “metal shrieks as it softens and throbs/under the core of heat”.- Jean Sprackland “There’s something in these poems that I can only call “detailed intimacy and closely-worked humanity”; the language is inclusive but still challenging and draws me in to reading after reading. A splendid collection that will grow on you”.” Ian McMillan

“[Holmes’s] is a magical viewpoint that illuminates dark corners”. – Northern Exposure, July 06