Liz MacWhirter

Liz is a theologian, poet, novelist, essayist and lecturer. She is working on a new commission from the Saltire Society, for poetry exploring the conservationist John Muir’s legacy in the Anthropocene. As a creative-critical academic, Liz specialises in theopoetics and trauma theology. Her interdisciplinary PhD thesis at the University of Glasgow is entitled, When Hope Takes Flight: Intersecting trauma theology with Julian of Norwich through writing poetry and hybrid narratives. Her debut poetry pamphlet, Blue: a lament for the sea (Stewed Rhubarb, 2025), is a medieval-style dream vision holding ecological grief which she continues to perform widely. Black Snow Falling (Scotland Street Press, 2018) gained a CILIP Carnegie Medal nomination for a new mythology. Liz’s work has been recognised by funding from Yale University ISM Expressive Arts Initiative, University of Glasgow Research Support Awards, Publishing Scotland, Creative Scotland, and the Scottish Book Trust, where she is a Live Literature Author. Three peer-reviewed articles were published in 2025; more are in development. Liz currently lectures in creative writing and theopoetics at the University of Glasgow (PT Affiliate). Before her PhD, Liz was an award-winning creative copywriter and ran a freelance business which took her all over the world.