Cathie Hartigan
Listen to one of Cathie's short stories for free: Cleaning Up Wiping for a brighter future. Unbound podcast series dramatised by Tempest Productions. Read by Ali Williams, sound by Mark Lingwood |
Cathie's as yet unpublished novel, The Luthier's Promise, has been awarded a silver medal for the Historical Novel Society First Chapters competition. An early draft of this novel was long listed for the Flash 500 novel competition.
Notes from the Lost was shortlisted for The 2020 Selfies Book Awards. Set in WW2 Italy and modern day Exeter, London and Italy, it's a 'poignant and insightful' 'wonderful characters' 'a deftly woven time-slip' according to early reviews! There's more info HERE Latest: Notes from the Lost made it to the last six for the Dorchester Literary Festival prize and was a finalist in the Page Turner Awards. Cathie's debut novel, Secret of the Song, reached #1 in its catagory on Kindle soon after it was published. More recently it was shortlisted for the Hall and Woodhouse DLF prize. A time-slip mystery set in contemporary Exeter and renaissance Naples. It has received many enthusiastic reviews: 'an accessible, compulsive read with great characters, and a cracking ending' 'I really enjoyed it , a very clever piece of writing , quite compelling right to the very end. Brilliant!' 'This is a book that is not only a page-turner but lingers in the memory. Terrific!' Read more reviews on Amazon HERE Cathie trained as a music teacher at Dartington College of Arts. A decision to pursue her life-long writing hobby more seriously led to lecturing in creative writing at Exeter College for nine years, and the founding of Creative Writing Matters in 2009. In addition to Secret of the Song and Notes from the Lost she has co-authored with Margaret James, three textbooks The Creative Writing Student's Handbook , The Short Story Writer's Workbook and The Novelist's Workbook. Cathie is also a prize-winning writer of short fiction, and her stories have appeared in several anthologies. |
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Teaching TestimonialsNo £££ were exchanged for these! Thank you, lovely students.
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‘Cathie has been instrumental in discovering and developing my writing skills. She is a knowledgeable and supportive teacher, and deftly balances encouragement with perceptive criticism. I would recommend her courses to any writer who is either just starting out or looking to improve.’
Dan Knibb Winner ‘Imagine there’s a future’ short story competition 2011. Winner Sentinel Literary Quartely short story and poetry competitions 2012/16. Winner Cardiff Women's Aid short story competition 2013. Shortlisted Harry Bowling Novel and Flash Prize 2014
Cathie is a brilliant teacher! Cannot fault her- kind and helpful- and shows you how to write a good story, get's you really thinking.
Abi Kirk Publishing contract for her novel 'Loving in Time' with Vanguard Press 2012.
‘Cathie's courses are a delight. Her easy and deceptively simple exercises have inspired some of my best short stories.’
Pat Gordon Winner Writers’ News short story competition 2010
Cathie's courses have given me the confidence to pursue what I love further. I can now call myself a writer and it feels really good. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to learn alongside other creative writers and also receive the constructive criticism that we need to help our stories work for a wider audience. I recently have won a national writing competition and my story is being published in a magazine. This wouldn't have been possible without Cathie's support, guidance and encouragement.
Jane Ring Winner SENSE competition 2012
‘Cathie's style of teaching is enabling and encouraging; she helps her students to tap into creativity they didn't know they had, and to build upon what they have already begun. The classes are always stimulating, thought-provoking and fun, and you go away with a new sense of potential.’
Su Bristow Short listed EarlyWorks short story competition 2011. Short listed Writing Magazine 2012. Winner Exeter Novel Prize 2014/Publishing contract for 'Sealskin' with Orenda Books 2016
'Cathie's real skill is that her class is so interesting and enjoyable you don't realise how much you are learning. She is always encouraging and yet manages gentle and wise criticism where necessary. I thoroughly enjoyed her writing course and found great inspiration in her homework topics each week.
Emily Sharma Short listed and special mention Flash 500 competition 2012/2015
'Cathie uses exactly the right recipe of enthusiastic encouragement and plenty of laughs, combined with rigorous feedback and considerable wisdom and insight. She understands, and helps you understand, that writing is a craft to be learnt and practised as much as a natural talent.'
Janet Kipling Short listed Woman and Home short story competition 2009
‘Cathie Hartigan - probably the best creative writing teacher in Exeter/Devon/the Planet.’
David Andrews
Dan Knibb Winner ‘Imagine there’s a future’ short story competition 2011. Winner Sentinel Literary Quartely short story and poetry competitions 2012/16. Winner Cardiff Women's Aid short story competition 2013. Shortlisted Harry Bowling Novel and Flash Prize 2014
Cathie is a brilliant teacher! Cannot fault her- kind and helpful- and shows you how to write a good story, get's you really thinking.
Abi Kirk Publishing contract for her novel 'Loving in Time' with Vanguard Press 2012.
‘Cathie's courses are a delight. Her easy and deceptively simple exercises have inspired some of my best short stories.’
Pat Gordon Winner Writers’ News short story competition 2010
Cathie's courses have given me the confidence to pursue what I love further. I can now call myself a writer and it feels really good. It is wonderful to have the opportunity to learn alongside other creative writers and also receive the constructive criticism that we need to help our stories work for a wider audience. I recently have won a national writing competition and my story is being published in a magazine. This wouldn't have been possible without Cathie's support, guidance and encouragement.
Jane Ring Winner SENSE competition 2012
‘Cathie's style of teaching is enabling and encouraging; she helps her students to tap into creativity they didn't know they had, and to build upon what they have already begun. The classes are always stimulating, thought-provoking and fun, and you go away with a new sense of potential.’
Su Bristow Short listed EarlyWorks short story competition 2011. Short listed Writing Magazine 2012. Winner Exeter Novel Prize 2014/Publishing contract for 'Sealskin' with Orenda Books 2016
'Cathie's real skill is that her class is so interesting and enjoyable you don't realise how much you are learning. She is always encouraging and yet manages gentle and wise criticism where necessary. I thoroughly enjoyed her writing course and found great inspiration in her homework topics each week.
Emily Sharma Short listed and special mention Flash 500 competition 2012/2015
'Cathie uses exactly the right recipe of enthusiastic encouragement and plenty of laughs, combined with rigorous feedback and considerable wisdom and insight. She understands, and helps you understand, that writing is a craft to be learnt and practised as much as a natural talent.'
Janet Kipling Short listed Woman and Home short story competition 2009
‘Cathie Hartigan - probably the best creative writing teacher in Exeter/Devon/the Planet.’
David Andrews