Dr Shanta Everington

Professional biography

I am a writer-researcher and creative writing tutor, specialising in creative non-fiction/life writing. I joined the OU in 2008 as an Associate Lecturer in Creative Writing. I was awarded an MA with Distinction in Creative Writing (novel) from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2006, and a PhD Creative Writing (life writing) with The Open University in 2022. I am currently an Honorary Associate with the OU and a Writing Fellow with the Royal Literary Fund (RLF).

My published work includes fiction, poetry, life writing and academic writing. Much of my writing explores recurring themes of difference, identity and belonging. My debut novel, Marilyn and Me (Cinnamon Press, 2007), developed during my MA, is narrated by a young woman with a learning disability who models herself on Marilyn Monroe. Although a work of fiction, the book was heavily inspired by my experience as a support worker. My short story, ‘Hang Up’, shortlisted for the Bridport prize, was inspired by my work on telephone helplines. I diversified into writing young adult novels, with XY, set in a dystopian world where humans are born intersex with gender assigned at birth, winning the Red Telephone Books YA Novel Competition in 2014. My doctoral thesis, Other Mothers, inspired by my experience as a biological and adoptive mother, was published in book form as Another Mother: Curating and Creating Voices of Adoption, Surrogacy and Egg Donation by Routledge in 2023.

Additional professional experience includes: supporting students’ academic writing at Anglia Ruskin University and running a Reading Round in Leigh-on-sea Community Centre, both in my role as an RLF Writing Fellow; guest lecturing with the University of East London; creating my own life writing programme ‘Turning Life into Literature’ with The Brilliant Club, and facilitating online starter courses in writing fiction with FutureLearn. As a qualified school teacher, I’ve also taught young people in Alternative Provision for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. My additional experience in the charity sector feeds into my interests in socially engaged writing and links between creativity and wellbeing.

Research interests

I am interested in creative practice research methods, and the power of stories to expand understanding. My doctoral research project, ‘Other Mothers’, used an experimental approach to life writing – a hybrid form of curated material (edited interview and quotation collage) and created material (poetry, reimagined scenes and lyric essay) – accompanied by a critical metanarrative, to contribute to new understandings of motherhood (via adoption, surrogacy and egg donation). My current project, ‘Storying the Menopause’, uses evocative auto/ethnography to connect personal stories to wider cultural, political and social understandings.

Teaching interests

I teach on all OU Creative Writing modules, undergraduate modules A215 and A363 and postgraduate modules A802 and A803, and was nominated for a FASS Associate Lecturer Award for 'Making the difference' in 2025. I teach across fiction, poetry, script and creative non-fiction/life writing, with a special interest in the latter.

Impact and engagement

I have presented my work at various academic and literary events, including: National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE) Conference, Great Writing London, Manchester Children’s Book Festival, Luton Book Festival, Redbridge Book and Media Festival and Essex Book Festival. I have acted as a judge for the Creative Writing Competition (non-fiction category) at Milton Keynes Literary Festival and as a peer reviewer for Routledge Sociology Books/Taylor & Francis.

Academic conference paper and panels

 ‘Editing as a Creative Act’ paper at Great Writing Conference, London, 2024.

‘Ethics and Life Writing’ paper at NAWE Annual Conference, National Association of Writers in Education Online 2021. Published in Writing in Education Issue 83, Spring 2021.

‘Through the Looking Glass: Biographical Writing as Self-reflection’ at Storying the Self Symposium, University of Brighton. Published in Journal of Writing in Creative Practice 2019.

‘Designing an online MA’, part of the OU panel at NAWE Conference, York 2017.

‘Other Mothers’ Children: Representations of the adoptive triangle in contemporary life writing’ at Writing Women’s Lives Conference, Bath Spa University 2015.

‘Creative Writing Research: An investigation’, Contemporary Culture of Writing Seminar Series 2015.

Selected creative publications

Books:

Storying the Menopause: An evocative auto/ethnography (due out 2026), Routledge.

Another Mother: Curating and Creating Voices of Adoption, Surrogacy and Egg Donation (2023), Routledge, Life Writing.

 XY (2014), Bridge House Publishing (Red Telephone imprint), Young Adult Fiction

Marilyn and Me (2007), Cinnamon Press, Adult Literary Fiction

Short fiction:

Hang Up (2011) Unthology no. 2, Unthank Books.

Graft (2010), Mosaic anthology, Bridge House Publishing.

Yasmina’s Elbow (2009), a winner in the Even More Tonto Short Stories competition.

Talking in Tongues (2009), First Edition magazine.

Poetry:

Other Mothers (2019), Sequence shortlisted for Cinnamon Press Literature Award.

Drowning in Cherryade (2012), Pamphlet with Bedouin Books (now out of print).

Before You Were Ours (2010,) Envoi magazine.

Old Dear (2010), Ink, Sweat & Tears webzine.

Girl's World and To Die For (2010), Refuge anthology.