About

I started writing poetry in August 2011, and started submitting it for publication about 6 months later. My alter-ego is a scientist specializing in MRI, currently working at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute. I grew up in Oxon Hill, MD (a suburb of Washington DC), and got my Bachelor’s at Penn State with a junior year abroad at Leeds, and my PhD at University of Cambridge, with 2 years at Nottingham. Since then I had a series of postdocs around London, at St George’s Hospital Medical School, Imperial College, and UCL, before moving back to Cambridge in 2007.

Mary McLean

Publications

“The Final Stage”, March 2012, and “Paradelle for John and Friends”, Sept 2014, Lighten Up Online:  http://www.lightenup-online.co.uk/

“The Chronophage” and “Life in Sparta”, Winter 2012 Mezzo Cammin http://www.mezzocammin.com/

“New Parents at Feng Sushi”, Summer 2014, and a spot in the feature on “Little Willies”, Winter/spring 2016, Light http://lightpoetrymagazine.com/revamp/

“Scotland Forever”, Sept 13, 2014 New Verse News: http://newversenews.blogspot.com/

3 translations from Meleager’s Anthology, Sept-Nov 2016:  http://assesofparnassus.tumblr.com/

“Sung Eucharist” and “Christmas Lights”, December 2017 The Dark Horse  http://www.thedarkhorsemagazine.com/

Contests

Highly Commended in Thomas Gray Anniversary Poetry Competition 2014 (“Elegy on My Ash” ) and 2016 (“Exhibition”):  http://thomasgray2016.org/poetry-competition/

Finalist in 2012 Wergle Flomp humour verse competition with “The Ballad of Spurgeon’s Cottage” : http://winningwriters.com/contests/wergle/2012/we12_pastwinners.php

Long list for the Able Muse Write Prize 2013

Finalist in Sept 2012, March 2013, Sept 2014, and June 2015 Lighten Up Online contests: http://www.lightenup-online.co.uk/

Winner Sept 2014 and Honorable Mention May 2013 in poetry competitions at The Oldie magazine

Winner in New Statesman competition, 11 Dec 2014 and 12 July 2013 (and honorable mention 3 July 2012)

Winner in Spectator poetry competition May 26 2022 (Mammon); Honorable Mentions Dec 5th 2012, Dec 17 2020, Feb 10 2022.

Finalist in Eratosphere Sonnet Bakeoff, May 2014, and Honorable Mention July 2013