Biography
Jessica Mc Kinney is a writer and editor from Inishowen, Donegal, based in London. Her subject areas include fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Her writing has been published in The Stinging Fly, Poetry Ireland Review, Winter Papers, Gorse, The Four Faced Liar, Banshee Magazine, The Moth, Bath Magg, Poetry Jukebox, Abridged, SAND Journal, The Cormorant, Mirror Lamp Press and Belfield Literary Review, as well as anthologies by Pan Macmillan, New Island Press, Poetry Ireland and Le Castor Astral. Her pamphlet Weeding, published by Hazel Press in 2021, was nominated for both Patrick Kavanagh and Saboteur pamphlet awards. She is currently developing her first novel.

Education & Training
She holds a BA in English Studies from University College Dublin, and an MA in Poetry from Queen’s University Belfast, where she received the Irish Chair of Poetry Student Award. She has completed courses in creative writing, editing and facilitation with Arvon, Granta, Curtis Brown Creative, City Lit, The Poetry School and Poetry Ireland. As an emerging writer, she took part in development programmes including the Stinging Fly Summer School, Seamus Heaney Centre Poetry Summer School, Cúirt Young Writer Delegate Programme, and the John Hewitt Society Summer School. Her visual art training includes letterpress printing, bookbinding, analogue photography and pottery.

Awards & Residencies
Jessica has been awarded residencies at Arvon: The Hurst, Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Brisions Veor and Greywood Arts Centre. Her work has been supported by the Society of Authors, Irish Chair of Poetry, Donegal County Council, and the Arts Council of Ireland. In 2025, she was shortlisted for the Paul McVeigh Award, selected for the Greene & Heaton ‘Greene Door Project’, and received the Developing Your Creative Practice Award.

Professional Background
She is employed as a Production Editor with leading academic publisher Taylor & Francis, is a mentor for the Oxford University ‘Crankstart Mentoring Programme’, and facilitates workshops with Inkhead and the Ministry of Stories. In recent years, she led creative writing sessions with Fighting Words Dublin, as well as zine-making and book-binding workshops with the National College of Art & Design Dublin, Tara Studios and A4 Sounds Studios. She has partnered with cultural organisations and literary festivals, including Ledbury Poetry, StAnza Poetry Festival, Cúirt International Festival of Literature, Listowel Writers Week, The Butler Gallery and Chelsea Physic Garden, to deliver bespoke literary events.