Rosie Canning

I am a Doctoral Researcher at University of Southampton under the supervision of Ms Rebecca Smith. The focus of my research is the representations of orphans and care leavers in fiction. I am examining the research through the lens of both creative and critical practice. The creative piece will explore my experiences of leaving care as well as considering the positive aspect that reading fiction has had on my life. I hope to complete the PhD by 2021.

I recently worked as a Research Assistant in the Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford. Conversations for care is a knowledge exchange project co-created with Aoife O'Higgins. Our aim was to engage people in the care community including care experienced people, foster and kinship carers, social workers, virtual schools, residential care workers, researchers and others, and stimulate discussions about care and how young people’s experiences of care can be improved. We did this through monthly Twitter chats and outreach activities at the University of Oxford. To find out more please visit our website or find us on Twitter at #CareConvos. Care in the time of Covid is a project that explores the day to day lives of care experienced adults in the UK during COVID-19. We wanted to know how the care community is coping and what helps them. We also wanted to record their experiences in history. Findings from the project will be published in October.

I am a campaigner for care leavers, and in 2013, helped set up the Every Child Leaving Care Matters campaign.

From 2014-2017 I was Volunteer Coordinator for Hackney Christmas Dinner (founded by Lemn Sissay).

2009-2020 Organiser of Greenacre Writers where we ran writing groups, workshops and festivals. #diverseauthorday in September 2015, was trending all over the world. We had some amazing contributions, read about the authors that were involved here.

Among other activities, I co-organised Your Life Your Story and curated the art exhibition for the Care Experienced Conference in April, 2019. Here is a write up about the conference from a talk: Oxford Children’s Rights Network at the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights.

See more of Orphans and Care Experience in Literature.

Contact: rc11g14@soton.ac.uk

 

Recommendations:

I have known Rosie for a number of years and what strikes me is her level of commitment and dedication to a cause she believes in. Her drive to document the fictional lives of people in care is remarkable and unique. Only the most compassionate of all of us could undertake her task. The stories she has researched are harrowing and heartbreaking but she is determined that these tales should be read by all to increase empathy for all people who have been through the care system. I cannot reccomend her highly enough.                                                                                                                                         - Alex Wheatle, Author, Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (2016)

I first met Rosie when she invited me to speak at The Finchley Literature Festival in 2014, an incredibly well organised event with a really diverse group of authors. It was then that I realised how much of a powerhouse Rosie is, encouraging new writers, creating platforms for established authors, and providing audiences with inspiring talks - and all at the same time as furthering her own academic and creative writing career. Rosie is an excellent networker, with a clear passion for bringing readers and writers together.                                             - Caitlin Davies, Author