Brian Lavery

Brian Lavery, Part-Time Tutor (Travel and Journalistic Writing)
Email Brian Lavery via b.lavery1@leeds.ac.uk
Phone Brian Lavery: 0113 343 3212

My role

I am a Scottish author living in Hull and I spent more than 30 years in journalism before undertaking a first-class joint honours degree (English and Creative Writing) and a doctorate in creative writing at the city's university. I lecture in creative writing and journalism at the University of Leeds Lifelong Learning Centre.

I've held top-level posts on several national and international newspapers, was news editor of two regional papers and edited three weekly papers early in my career – at one point I was the country’s youngest newspaper editor.

In August 2020 I received the City of Kingston upon Hull Lord Mayor’s Civic Crown Award for preserving my adopted city’s heritage. 

As well as lecturing in creative writing and journalism at the University of Leeds Lifelong Learning Centre I am writer-in-residence at Hull Kingston Rovers rugby league club’s charitable trust, where I run free community writing classes.  

Published work 

My prose includes the books The Luckiest Thirteen (Barbican Press, 2017) and The Headscarf Revolutionaries (Barbican Press, 2015), the latter of which gave rise to the song cycle 12 Silk Handkerchiefs written by radical musician Reg Meuross, with which I toured the UK as narrator and scriptwriter, backed by Arts Council (England).

The Headscarf Revolutionaries is in development with acclaimed British director Mark Herman (Brassed Off, Little Voice, Boy in the Striped Pyjamas et al). The Headscarf Revolutionaries was also featured in the BBC4 documentary, Hull’s Headscarf Heroes (2018) – to which I contributed – and has been highlighted in two Radio 4 documentaries and two programmes on the BBC World Service.

That book has also inspired poetry by Helen Mort and a further musical album from Hull-based songwriter Joe Solo.

I have also featured as writer/presenter on BBC Radio Four’s Four Thought series. 

Planet Publications (Wales) and Obliterati Press have published my short fiction over the years and Other Poetry, About Larkin, Larkin Press and Umber have published my poetry. 

In September 2020 some of my poetry was published in Viral Verses alongside leading writers such as Ian McMillan and Mike Harding.