Patricia Helen Wooldridge grew up in West Sussex, moving to East Hampshire in the 1990’s. After a career in secondary schools teaching English she moved to the University of Portsmouth in 1994. As a senior lecturer she worked in the Education department before developing a role in the teaching of Creative Writing, including the establishment of a BA combined honours degree course in this subject. In 2010 she left university employment in order to concentrate on her writing. She has a BA and MA in English Literature (London University) and a D.Phil in Creative Writing (Sussex University).
 
Patricia has always been an avid reader of poetry since she was fifteen and her first poems were written at this time. However, she has only begun to fulfil her writing ambitions in the last twenty years. She also has a strong interest in art and the relationship between painting and poetry.
 
Her poems have appeared in numerous poetry journals including Acumen, ARTEMISpoetry, Staple, The Interpreter’s House, Iota, Smiths Knoll, Envoi, Poetry Nottingham, Resurgence and The London Magazine. She has achieved recognition in a number of poetry competitions with her work appearing in a range of poetry anthologies (see below). Her collection, Sea Poetics won the Cinnamon Press Debut Poetry Collection Prize in 2017 and her pamphlet, Being, won the Cinnamon Press Pamphlet Award in 2020. Her third publication Daughterwas published in September 2022. Patricia’s latest collection Out in the Field won the 2022 Cinnamon Literature Award and is now available from Cinnamon Press.
 
She has an impelling need to be outside, drawing inspiration from the natural landscape, birds and the weather (especially winter). She regards walking as essential in the composition of poetry.
 
Publications
 
Collections:
Out in the Field, 2023, Cinnamon Press, ISBN 978-1-7886414-2-5
Daughter, 2022, Cinnamon Press, ISBN 978 -1-7886494-4-5
Being, 2021, Cinnamon Press, ISBN 978-1-7886407-5-6
Sea Poetics, 2018, Cinnamon Press, ISBN 978-1-7886402-2-0
 
Journals: Acumen, Agenda, ARTEMISpoetry, Envoi, The Interpreter’s House, Iota, The London Magazine, Obsessed With Pipework, Poetry Monthly, Poetry Nottingham International, Pulsar, Resurgence, Rialto, Second Light, South, Staple, Weyfarers
 
Anthologies: In the Voice of Trees, Cinnamon Press, 2020;   From Hallows to Harvest, Cinnamon Press, 2018;   Fanfare, Second Light Publications, 2015;   Journey Planner, Cinnamon Press, 2014;   Jericho, Cinnamon Press, 2012;   A Roof of Red Tiles, Cinnamon Press, 2011;   Mr Barton Isn’t Paying, Flarestack Poets, 2009;   When Pigs Chew Stones, Ragged Raven Press, 2007;   Blood Line, Blinking Eye Publishing, 2007;   Night Balancing, Blinking Eye Publishing, 2006;   Room, Worple Press, 2006
 
Competition Placements
 
Winner – Cinnamon Press Literature Award, 2022;
Winner – Cinnamon Press Poetry Pamphlet Prize, 2020;
Prizewinner – On the Buses Guernsey International Poetry Competition, 2020;
Shortlisted – Cinnamon Press Literature Award, 2019;
Winner – Cinnamon Press Mentorship Award, 2019;
Winner – Cinnamon Press Debut Poetry Collection Prize, 2017;
Winner – Kent and Sussex Open Poetry Competition, 2016;
Fourth – Rialto/RSPB Poetry Competition, 2015;
Commended – National Poetry Competition, 2013;
Winner – Ragged Raven Poetry Competition, 2006;
Other placements – Blinking Eye Poetry; Cinnamon Press Poetry; Flarestack Poets; Second Light; Tonbridge Poetry; Virginia Warbey