Geraldine Ryan

03/08-present: HMYOI Northallerton

Employed by the education department to support the NYCC ‘Connect’ course, a creative arts course for groups of young offenders including song-writing, poetry, story writing, film-making and art.

10/07-present: HMP Littlehey

Writer in Residence

Focusing on the development of the in-house TV channel to engage prisoners in creative activities, and working with retired prisoners to develop creative writing and produce anthologies and other publications. Also providing a variety of arts opportunities in the prison including music and drama.

10/05-10/07: HMP Rye Hill

Writer in Residence

Ran a huge variety of creative arts projects to engage prisoners in creative writing, including setting up and establishing a successful award-winning prison magazine and introducing NUJ courses into the prison regime.

03/07-10/07: Radio Soap Opera

Awarded a grant of £5000 to write and produce the first ten episodes of a radio soap opera with prisoners. The soap opera, Conscripts, has been awarded a BBC Radio Drama award and a Koestler award.

11/06: Bridport Prize

Runner up in the Bridport Prize for my short story, Me and the Motorway. The story is published in the 2006 anthology.

Summer 2005: HMP & YOI New Hall

Sessional tutor

Worked with groups of female juveniles, and with adult females residing in healthcare.

09/04-07/05: University of Huddersfield

PGCE specialising in English & The Performing Arts

Included a 9-month teaching placement at Dewsbury College working with young students in post-compulsory education and on outreach courses with elderly learners.

09/01-07/03: Bath Spa University College

BA Hons Degree English & Creative Writing (1:1)

Gained firsts in all creative writing modules including radio drama, writing for the theatre and writing a novel, Worked under the supervision of writers such as Lucy English, Mimi Thebo, Rachel Bentham, Tessa Hadley, and the radio producer, Shaun MacLoughlin.

07/00-09/04: Teacher Supervisor & Local Organiser

Setting up and managing summer language courses for groups of foreign students. Developed courses to teach English through the Creative Arts.

10/97-07/00: ESOL Tutor

Worked in a variety of establishments including private language schools in the UK and abroad.

09/96-07/98: New College Durham

Trinity TESOL Certificate

Worked and trained as an ESOL tutor and specialised in working with groups in the community.

05/97-01/00: New Bridge

Involved in a variety of activities to create links between offenders and the community. Trained as a parentcraft tutor to run ‘Family Matters’ in prisons.