Heather D Haigh
Writer
&
Visual Artist
HeatherBookNook
Bio
Heather is a sight-impaired spoonie and working-class writer from Yorkshire. Published by Oxford Flash Fiction, Fictive Dream, The Phare, Timberline Review, WestWord and others, she is a Pushcart and BOTN nominee.
Heather has recently branched out into artwork and has rekindled her love of photography after finding ways to adapt to her damaged vision.
She has won several small writing and photography competitions.
When not scribbling or waving her camera around, she can usually be found napping.
Writing
Awards and Achievements
Runner-up in the Quiet Man Dave Prize for Non-Fiction 2024.
Runner-up in the Kay Snow Award for Fiction 2024.
Winner of the New Writers Authumn Micro Flash Competition - Nov 23
Winner of the Globe Soup Monthly Micro Challenge - July 23, May 24
Second place in the WestWord July 24 Monthly Micro Competition.
Best in Genre - Globe Soup 7-day Challenge #9. Spring 23
Top pick in the Globe Soup Darkness Drabble competition - Aug 22
Highly Commended in Free Flash Fiction Competition - March 25
Honourable Mention in Free Flash Fiction competition - July 24
Honourable Mention in The Strands International Flash Fiction Competition - January 2025
Honourable Mention from Flash 500 - Spring 22
Pushcart Prize nomination Oct 24 (Raw Lit) Nov 24 (Thin Skin)
Nominated for Best of the Net 22 (Black Paper Moon)
Double Shortlisted in the New Writers Spring Drabble - Apr 24
Shortlisted In Oxford Flash Fiction Competition - Oct 24
Shortlisted in Cranked Anvil Flash Fiction Competition - Oct 24
Shortlisted in the Flash 500 Annual Short Story Competition - 2024
Shortlisted with Free Flash Fiction - Competition Sixteen - Jun 23
Shortlisted with Northern Gravy - Nov 22, Feb 23, May 23
Shortlisted in the Cranked Anvil Short Story competition - July 22
Shortlisted in Retreat West Quarterly Flash Competition - Spring 22, Autumn 22
longlisted in Welkin Micro - Jan 24
Longlisted in the Propelling Pencil charity competition - Autumn 23
Longlisted in the Fiction Factory Flash Competition 23
Longlisted with Northern Gravy - 21, Spring 22, Summer 22, Autumn 24
Longlisted In City Nonfiction Flash competition - 21
Longlisted in Globe Soup Seven Day Writing Competition - 21
Longlisted in Free Flash Fiction competition - March 22, April 22, Nov 22, Jan 23
Longlisted in AWC Furious Fiction competition July 22
Longlisted in Lucent Dreaming Flash Competition 22
Longlised in Retreat West's monthly Micro Competition - September 22, May 23
Longlisted in Pigeon Review Flash Competiton 22
Longlisted in The Strand international Flash Fiction Competition Jun 23
Longlisted in Flash 500 Jan 23, July 23
Books I Like
Novels
A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson - I may love and hate this book in equal measure.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - the premise is all too plausible.
How to Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie - This made me look deeply at my moral code.
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes - heartbreaking but inspiring.
My Dark Vanessa - Kate Elizabeth Russell - the sexualisation of girls delivered viscerally.
Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch - excellent urban Fantasy, quirky, weird, gory, fun.
The Poison Garden by Alex Morwood - Chilling and terrifyingly plausible.
Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell - Captivating.
Treacle Walker by Alan Garner - Loved the voice, the whimsy, and the fun.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens - The atmosphere and characterisation are compelling.
Collections of Short Fiction
Know That We Held by JP Relph - Mesmerising language, viscerally disturbing, powerfully dystopian.
See My Breath Dance Ghostly by Matthew Gostelow.
The Potential of Radio and Rain by Myna Chang - The sense of place in the work is incredible. I lived it as I read.
Writing Craft
Going Short - an Invitiation to Flash Fiction by Nancy Stolman - A great introduction to writing flash fiction.
The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr - How to build a story that works by understanding your characters and your readers.