Dr Stephanie Conn (nee Clegg) specialised in English, Bachelor of Education at Stranmillis from 1995-1999.  During this period of time poetry became relatable and comforting as  Stephanie ‘dabbled’ with writing in order to make some sense of the world, after the death of her mother.  As a busy mum and full-time teacher there was not a lot of time to dedicate to writing. Passionate about providing positive poetry and writing experiences, Stephanie developed the literacy programmes ‘Passport to Poetry’ (KS2) and ‘Poetry Potion (KS1) and then went on to complete an MA in Creative Writing.

Stephanie has published three poetry collections and a poetry pamphlet. ‘The Woman on the Other Side’ was shortlisted for the ‘Shine/Strong’ Award for best first collection. ‘Copeland’s Daughter’ won the Poetry Business Pamphlet Award. She is a multi-prizewinning poet, including the inaugural Seamus Heaney Award for New Writing, recipient of a range of arts awards, bursaries and residencies, including the Arts Council of Northern Ireland’s Career Enhancement Award, and reads her work locally, nationally and internationally, including at the Tasmania Poetry Festival. Stephanie has completed residencies at Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Ireland, Arvon; Ted Hughes Centre England and will be a 2023 resident artist at the Irish Cultural Centre in Paris.