Mari Ellis Dunning writes poetry and fiction. Her debut children’s book, Percy the Pompom Bear, was launched at the Abergavenny Writing Festival in 2016. Mari has been a runner up in the Robin Reeves Prize and twice in the Welsh Poetry Competition; she has been both first place winner and highly commended in the Terry Hetherington Young Writers’ Award, has been the winner of Seren’s annual Christmas Poetry Competition, and has work published in several journals and anthologies. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Aberystwyth University and currently lives in Aberystwyth. As evidenced in her debut poetry collection, Salacia (Parthian Books) the coast is hugely important to both her wellbeing and writing.

Mari is fascinated by the concept of borders and liminality in literature, as well as gender studies and the portrayal of mental health and witchcraft.