Karin Slater is a poet and short fiction writer from the Hebrides, whose work has appeared in a number of publications, including New Writing Scotland, The Interpreter's House, Northwords Now, The Rialto, Causeway and The North.

I graduated with First Class Hons. in Creative and Professional Writing in 2006, from the University of Glamorgan's highly-rated degree course.  I still say because no course in Scotland would have me.  Good for me though, as the final year saw a huge shift in the quality of my writing and my ability to edit my work.

I completed my dissertation in poetry, which is still the main focus of my writing.  A deconstruction of the first of Edwin Morgan's Glasgow Sonnets back in school, was enough to get me into the art of distilling words and I have been making the time to write ever since.  I am also a huge addict of Norman MacCaig's clarity/directness, the intrigue of Paul Farley and the more than quirky language of Graham Fulton.  A good book's more than enough to get the inspiration going.

I was shortlisted for a Scottish Book Trust New Writers' Award 2010/11 and am working away at a poetry collection.  Let's see what happens with that!