Diana Gittins

Diana Gittins (born 20 October 1946), is a former associate lecturer in creative writing for the Open University and a published writer of fiction and non-fiction books.

Gittins is the author of Madness in Its Place: Narratives of Severalls Hospital 1913-1997, which was adapted for broadcast for BBC Radio 4.

Diana Gittins spent her childhood in New England, USA and moved to Devon in the UK when she was 14.

After attending Dartington Hall School, Devon she studied at the University of Paris for a year, University of Essex, and later at Bath Spa University. She has two masters, one in social history and one in writing for young people. She also has a PhD in sociology.

Gittins has had a number of jobs through the years, but her academic roles have included: being a research fellow at the University of Essex; a lecturer at Plymouth University; a lecturer at Colgate University, US; as well as a part-time associate lecturer of creative writing for the Open University.

• Hawthornden Castle Fellowship
• Shortlisted for the 2009 Cinnamon Poetry Pamphlet competition
• Guernsey International Poetry on the Buses competition, 2011
• Flamingo Feather Poetry Competition (second place)

She lives with her partner in Exeter.