Christine Lawrence

About me

I'm Christine Lawrence ā€” a former psychiatric nurse turned author, spoken word performer, playwright, and actor. My fiction is rooted in lived experience and inspired by the places and people around me. I often explore themes of mental health, addiction, and social exclusion, and Iā€™m passionate about using storytelling as a way to spark empathy and connection.

Back in 2012, I was named one of BookFestā€™s ā€œWriters to Watchā€, and since then my short stories have appeared in a range of anthologies and local literary projects, including:

  • Portsmouth Fairy Tales for Grown Ups
    Buy it here

  • The Writing Edward King project

  • Cursed City: Dark Tide, a collaborative transmedia event
    Find out more

  • Pompey Writes, featuring work from Star and Crescent

In 2021, I ran a series of creative writing workshops for the Libraries Connected ā€˜BBC Novels That Shaped the Worldā€™ initiative, which was a truly rewarding experience. I love encouraging others to discover the joy and healing power of writing, and I often teach creative writing workshops throughout the South Coast.

I'm one of the founding members of Tā€™Articulation, Portsmouthā€™s live literature performance group, and Iā€™ve also led workshops for the environmental writing platform Pens of the Earth
(Pens of the Earth).

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My Books

Iā€™ve written five novels so far:

  • Caught in the Web, Payback, and Donā€™t Step on the Cracks are psychological thrillers that explore complex social and mental health issues.

  • Emily (2023) is a love story set in the Portsmouth Borough Asylum during World War I.

  • Grace (2025) is a companion novel to Emily, following a young woman training to be a mental nurse during the Great War.

Iā€™ve also published two collections of short stories:
Moments of Darkness and More Moments of Darkness ā€” many of which were originally written for spoken word events.

MORE INFORMATION
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Theatre & Performance

Iā€™ve always loved the stage. From the early days running across the grass at Titchfield Abbey in Much Ado About Nothing, to more recent roles like the Nurse in Shakespeare in Love, theatre has remained a vital part of my creative life.

At Titchfield Festival Theatre, Iā€™ve played:

  • The Porter and Banquo in Macbeth

  • Duchess of York in Richard III

  • Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet

  • Juror 5 in 12 Angry Women

Iā€™ve also directed several productions, helped found the wardrobe department, and served as Wardrobe Mistress until the pandemic in 2020.

In the last two years, Iā€™ve become part of Crowbait Club UK, which has given me a fresh drive to write monologues and short plays. My monologue Inside Looking Out was chosen for Showbait 2024, and Buttons followed in 2025. I also performed my play Soup as part of Six Untold Stories at Southsea Community Cinema earlier this year.

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Spoken Word & Community

Whenever I get the chance, I perform my short stories and poetry at spoken word nights. Thereā€™s something magical about sharing a story directly with an audience ā€” whether itā€™s funny, dark, or deeply personal.

I believe strongly in the power of writing and performance to connect us, heal us, and help us make sense of the world around us.

Where to find me

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PHONE

07572790875

EMAIL

[email protected]