Welcome to Katie’s Reading Room
I am a 33-year-old writer living and swimming in Scotland. As the daughter of an animator (the little boy in The Snowman is named after my dad), I grew up knowing I wanted to tell stories. After graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2008, I found myself at the doors of Wieden + Kennedy and side-stepped into the weird and wonderful world of advertising. With the rather vague job title of ‘creative’, I discovered my love for storytelling with words and it was here my journey as a writer began.
Within the shiny walls of creative agencies, I wrote stories for Uber drivers in Australia and Chambord swigging French women. The opportunity to explore different voices and stories influenced my writing as I experimented in print, screen and technology.
In 2016, I was offered the chance to ghostwrite a book about houseplants after a client discovered my grandfather was a world-expert on weeds. 60,000 words later, we beat Alan Titmarsh on Amazon ratings (sorry Alan).
In 2017, I received the British Council’s nature writing scholarship and became aware of how underrepresented young, contemporary female voices were within this creative form. My green fingers crafted stories where nature prevailed – recognising, challenging and supporting its place in the modern world.
I often commute to London where I freelance at creative agencies to make the money that gives me the freedom to write. As a copywriter, I work with words every day, usually trying to squish them to be as few as possible. Recently, I have been working at Facebook helping them tell the stories that matter.
I believe my background in advertising alongside a natural curiosity for our planet gives my writing purpose. I understand the importance of defining your audience and creating work that is not only relevant but useful in their lives. Just as The Snowman makes us cry every Christmas, I too want to create stories that will make you feel something.
Moved? Say hi, katieanneharrison@gmail.com
Publications ~
Dead Man Floating, Mycelia, 2019
Please Shower Before Entering The Pool
Open Pen, 2018
How Not To Kill Your Plants, Hodder, 2017
Look Up, It’s Me, Shooter, 2016
Study ~
Writing for Radio, NFTS, 2018
Creatve Writing, The Writer’s Room, Sydney, 2017
Short Story Writing, Faber, 2016
Short Story Writing, Bishopsgate, 2015
Lecturing ~
Central Saint Martins, 2015 - Present
Edinburgh College of Art. 2019 - Present
Berghs School of Communication, 2016
UCA Epsom, 2016
Readings ~
Berlin, April 2019
Scholarships ~
British Council, 2018
British Council, 2019
