2025
| Northern Writers’ Award for Poetry | Winner |
Awards and Lists
2024
| The Laurel Prize | Longlisted |
| Tormentil | (International awards for the best published collections of environmental and nature poetry.) |
| Yorkshire Times | A Book of the Year |
| Tormentil | |
| New Writing North | Poetry Choice (Autumn 2023) |
| Tormentil | |
| Northern Life Magazine | Autumn Book Choice |
| Tormentil |
2023
The Brontë Parsonage Museum – Appointed Writer in Residence for 2023/24
2022
Royal Society of Literature ‘Literature Matters’ Award – Winner
For Tormentil while in progress
Manchester Writing School’s ‘Quiet Man Dave Prize’ – Finalist
Whose Story? Read now
| After Sylvia | Poetry Book Society Christmas Gift Recommendation |
| After Sylvia | Inpress Books – A Book of the Month |
2021
2021 Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grant
Sylvia Plath anthology (Producer and Co-editor)
Zebra Christmas Book Choice Selected by Sky TV’s The Book Club’s Simon Savidge
Why I Write Poetry No. 1 in Amazon’s ‘Hot New Releases in Poetry’ Why I Write Poetry Poetry Book Society Christmas Gift Recommendation
2020 Lists
Zebra
New Writing North – ‘10 Books by Black Northern Writers’
Inpress – ‘Pride: The Essential Indie Reading List’
Publishing Post – ‘5 Books to Read by Black Northern Writers’
Ledbury Festival – ‘Gay’s The Word Poetry Recommendations’
2019 The Portico Prize for Literature – Longlisted
Zebra
Judges: The Society of Readers and Writers – a group of 15 literary professionals, including publishers, authors, editors, librarians, critics, bloggers and book-sellers.
2018 The Forward Prizes – Highly Commended
Return of the discotheque dancers Read Poem
Judges: Mimi Khalvati, Chris McCabe, Niall Campbell, Jen Campbell and Bidisha (chair)
2018 National Poetry Competition – Two Longlisted Poems
How the Nettle Got its Sting and Big Brown Baby
Judges: Kei Miller, Kim Moore and Mark Waldron
2016 Hamish Canham Prize – First Prize
Judges: Carole Satyamurti (chair), Sophie Baker, Paul McGrane, Judith Palmer and Mike Sims
2016 Complete Works III – Appointed Fellow
Judges: Bernardine Evaristo, Karen McCarthy Woolf, Kayo Chingonyi, Fiona Sampson, Michael Schmidt and Daljit Nagra.
2016 Watermarks Poetry Competition – 3rd Prize
Judge: Clare Shaw
2015 Anne Born Prize – Commended
Judge: Pascale Petit
2015 Poetry Society Members’ Poems (Summer – Theme: Magic) – Winner
Judge: Anne-Marie Fyfe
2015 Red Shed Poetry Competition – Commended (twice)
2014 Bridport Prize (Flash Fiction) – Shortlisted
2014 PENfro Poetry Competition – Shortlisted
2013 PENfro Poetry Competition – First Prize
Judge: Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch
2013 Bridport Prize (Flash Fiction) – Shortlisted
2013 Fish Prize (Short Story) – Shortlisted
2012 Bridport Prize (Flash Fiction) – Shortlisted