Mari Ellis Dunning (born 15 July 1993) is a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...

writer based in

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth (; ) is a University town, university and seaside town and a community (Wales), community in Ceredigion, Wales. It is the largest town in Ceredigion and from Aberaeron, the county's other administrative centre. In 2021, the popula ...

. Her debut poetry collection ''Salacia'' was shortlisted for the

Wales Book of the Year The Wales Book of the Year is a Welsh literary award given annually to the best Welsh and English language works in the fields of fiction and literary criticism by Welsh or Welsh interest authors. Established in 1992, the awards are currently ...

in 2019. She has also published a

children's book Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...

Early life

Mari Ellis Dunning was born on 15 July 1993. She attended

University of Aberystwyth Aberystwyth University () is a Public university, public Research university, research university in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding member institution of the former federal University of Wales. The university has over 8,000 stude ...

, having studying for an

MA degree A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

in Creative Writing there.

Career

Dunning's first solo publication was a children's book called ''Percy the Pom Pom Bear'', published simultaneously in

and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

. The book was launched on 23 April 2016 at the

Abergavenny Abergavenny (; , , archaically , ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community in Monmouthshire, Wales. Abergavenny is promoted as a "Gateway to Wales"; it is approximately from the England–Wales border, border with England and is loca ...

Writing Festival. Later that year, Dunning won the Terry Hetherington Young Writers Award with her short story 'Cartref'. Her debut poetry collection, ''Salacia'', followed in 2018. Published by

Parthian Books Parthian Books is an independent publisher based in Cardigan, Ceredigion, Cardigan, Wales. Editorially-led, it publishes a range of contemporary fiction, poetry, drama, art books, Translation, literature in translation, and non-fiction. Since its ...

, ''Salacia'' was later shortlisted for the 2019 Wales Book of the Year. In an interview with ''The Cardiff Review'', Dunning revealed that the collection "is filled with poems centred on my own experiences, mental health, and narrative poems in the voices of various women whose stories I was completely compelled to tell. I like to get inside a person's head and let the writing stem from there." In 2022, Dunning published her second poetry collection ''Pearl & Bone'', again with Parthian Books. The collection deals with pregnancy and early motherhood, as well as telling the stories of different women across history (including poems in honour of

Christine Keeler Christine Margaret Keeler (22 February 1942 – 4 December 2017) was an English model and showgirl. Her meeting at a dance club with society osteopath Stephen Ward drew her into fashionable circles. At the Cold War (1953–1962), height of the ...

, whose image features on the book's cover). ''Pearl & Bone'' was named as the best collection by a Welsh poet in '' Wales Arts Review's'' 'The Best of 2022' list.

Publications

Fiction

* ''Percy the Pom Pom Bear'' (2016)

Poetry

* ''The Wrong Side of the Looking Glass'' (with Natalie Ann Holborow) (2020) * ''Salacia'' (2018) * ''Pearl & Bone'' (2022)

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunning, Mari Ellis 1993 births Living people 21st-century Welsh poets 21st-century Welsh women writers Writers from Aberystwyth Welsh women poets Alumni of Aberystwyth University Welsh children's writers British women children's writers