Novelist and Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing . Latest novel, Man at Sea (2022), published by Fly on the Wall Press.
First novel, So It Is (2012), shortlisted for SMIT Scottish Book of the Year 2013 and described in The Observer as a book which 'offers a fresh perspective on the Troubles'. Second novel, The Busker, published on 1st May 2014.
Born in Orkney and brought up in Glasgow, I studied for a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Creative Writing at Queen's University, Belfast; MLitt in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow; and a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Surrey.
Society of Authors, K Blundell Trust
Grant to enable travel and research relating to the writing of my third novel.
Arts Council England
Grant supporting the researching and writing of my second novel, The Busker.
SMIT Scottish Book of the Year Shortlisting
So It Is was shortlisted for the Scottish Book of the Year in the First Book category.
Paperback of the Week, The Herald
The Busker selected as 'paperback of the week' in the Herald during the first week of May 2014.
Scottish Book Trust Pick of 2014
The Busker was selected as a Scottish Book Trust 'Pick of 2014'
Scottish Film Talent Network Write4Film Programme
A tailored series of professional, industry-led sessions run by Scottish Film Talent Network for published writers from other mediums seeking to move into screenwriting. Application and interview were required for selection. Led to application to Scottish Shorts 2019 funding for a short film, Awake, which was longlisted but unsuccessful.
Contemporary fiction and historical fiction, particularly prose that seeks to experiment with form and novels that explore the intersection between the personal and the political.
So It Is investigates the Troubles in Northern Ireland and, in particular, the role of women in the violence. The Busker is concerned with the Occupy movement and the functioning of 'protest' in contemporary British politics. Critical work has included articles on Creative Writing pedagogy, poststructuralist readings of the writing process, investigation of the link between form and content in Narrative Theory and exploration of the role of the Creative Writing PhD in modern academia. An upcoming article will also interrogate the links between creative writing and physical activity; co-written with Dr Gemma Ryde at University of Glasgow.
Article
Walking and Writing, Running and Redrafting: Towards a template for the physically-active creative
Bell L & Ryde G (2022) Walking and Writing, Running and Redrafting: Towards a template for the physically-active creative. Writing in Practice, 8, pp. 100-111. https://www.nawe.co.uk/DB/current-wip-edition-2/articles/x10-walking-and-writing-running-and-redrafting.html
Authored Book
Bell L (2022) Man at Sea. Manchester: Fly on the Wall Press. https://www.flyonthewallpress.co.uk/product-page/man-at-sea-by-liam-bell
Website Content
Bell L (2022) Service Charge. The Honest Ulsterman [https://humag.co/prose/service-charge] 28.02.2022.
Exhibition
Bell L The Liminal Zone.
Website Content
Bell L (2021) Delivery. Fictive Dream - Short Stories Online, 28.03.2021. https://fictivedream.com/2021/03/28/delivery/
Article
'Bird-Trapping', Novel extract from dot dot dash
Bell LM (2019) 'Bird-Trapping', Novel extract from dot dot dash. New Writing, 16 (2), pp. 139-147. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790726.2018.1477803
Newspaper Article
How to write a novel - four fiction writers on Danielle Steel's insane working day
Corbett S, Bishop D, Hogan E & Bell LM (2019) How to write a novel - four fiction writers on Danielle Steel's insane working day. The Conversation. 15.05.2019.
Website Content
Bell L (2018) flatter-blind. The Honest Ulsterman [https://humag.co/prose/flatter-blind-verb-to-flatter-so-as-to-make-blind-to-blind-with-flattery] 01.06.2018.
Other
deericide (noun): the killing or killer of deer
Bell L (2018) deericide (noun): the killing or killer of deer. Northwords Now. https://www.northwordsnow.co.uk/issue35/deericide-noun-the-killing-or-killer-of-deer
Book Chapter
Bell L (2017) The Graduation Cap. In: Fifty: The University of Stirling in 50 objects. Stirling: The University of Stirling, pp. 38-41.
Other
In the Event of Landing on Water
Bell L (2017) In the Event of Landing on Water. Freckle Magazine, (6).
Article
Bell LM (2017) Overland to Malta. TEXT Journal of Writing and Writing Courses, 21 (2). http://www.textjournal.com.au/oct17/bell.htm
Newspaper Article
What I learned from Ben Okri about creative writing
Bell LM (2016) What I learned from Ben Okri about creative writing. The Conversation. 17.10.2016. https://theconversation.com/what-i-learned-from-ben-okri-about-creative-writing-67178
Article
The Busker: Writing Occupy, Politics, and Protest
Bell LM (2015) The Busker: Writing Occupy, Politics, and Protest. New Writing, 12 (2), pp. 185-192. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790726.2015.1037768
Authored Book
Bell LM (2014) The Busker. Brighton: Myriad Editions. http://www.myriadeditions.com/books/the-busker/
Other
Bell LM (2014) Camel. Gutter, 11.
Newspaper Article
Bell LM (2014) The Watercooler. Litro Magazine Online. 05.2014. http://www.litro.co.uk/2014/05/augmented-reality-the-watercooler/
Book Chapter
Bell LM (2013) Publication and the PhD. In: Harper G (ed.) New Ideas in the Writing Arts. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Press, pp. 1-16. http://www.cambridgescholars.com/new-ideas-in-the-writing-arts-14
Edited Book
Bell LM & Goodwin G (eds.) (2012) Writing Urban Space. Wiltshire: Zero Books. http://www.zero-books.net/books/writing-urban-space
Authored Book
Bell LM (2012) So It Is. Brighton: Myriad Editions. http://myriadeditions.com/So-It-Is
Article
Form and Content: A Rationale for a Fractured Narrative
Bell LM (2011) Form and Content: A Rationale for a Fractured Narrative. New Writing, 8 (2), pp. 132-142. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790726.2011.558201
Book Chapter
Sexual Violence in literature: a cultural heritage?
Bell LM, Finelli A & Wynne-Davies M (2011) Sexual Violence in literature: a cultural heritage?. In: Brown J & Walklate S (eds.) Handbook on Sexual Violence. New York: Routledge, pp. 52-68. http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415670722/
Article
Bell LM (2010) Quiver (Short story). Wordriver literary review, 2 (1), pp. 38-45. http://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/word_river/1/
Book Chapter
Bell LM (2008) The Piano. In: Niven L & Whittingham B (eds.) Bucket of Frogs. New Writing Scotland, 26. Glasgow: Association for Scottish Literary Studies. http://asls.arts.gla.ac.uk/NWS26.html
Book Chapter
Bell LM (2004) The First Day of Christmas. In: Thornton V & Whyte H (eds.) Milking the Haggis. New Writing Scotland, 21. Glasgow: Association for Scottish Literary Studies. http://asls.arts.gla.ac.uk/NWS21.html