Gibby Keys photographed in Saltwell Park by Keith Pattison.
The winner of the 2008 Andrea Badenoch Fiction Award is Gibby Keys. Gibby is 47 and has lived with her family in Hexham, Northumberland for ten years. She has previously written poetry and drama. Her play Stuff was produced by Queen's Hall Arts last year. The novel for which she won the award, The Handfastin' is her first attempt at full-length prose. She started to write prose eight years ago whilst attending a creative writing class at Newcastle College. The Handfastin' was developed during a writers' retreat at the Arvon Foundation, supported by Queen Elizabeth High School in Hexham where she teaches in the Drama department.
Gibby received her award on Sunday 3rd May at a Northern Writers' Awards event (which formed part of the Hexham Book Festival).
Hear Debbie Taylor introduce the award, and the 2008 winner.
Hear Gibby Keys read an extract from her novel, The Handfastin'.
Read an interview with Gibby in The Journal.