Diana Gittins (born 20 October 1946), is a former associate lecturer in creative writing for the Open University and a published writer of fiction and non-fiction books.
Gittins is the author of Madness in Its Place: Narratives of Severalls Hospital 1913-1997, which was adapted for broadcast for BBC Radio 4.
Diana Gittins spent her childhood in New England, USA and moved to Devon in the UK when she was 14.
After attending Dartington Hall School, Devon she studied at the University of Paris for a year, University of Essex, and later at Bath Spa University. She has two masters, one in social history and one in writing for young people. She also has a PhD in sociology.
Gittins has had a number of jobs through the years, but her academic roles have included: being a research fellow at the University of Essex; a lecturer at Plymouth University; a lecturer at Colgate University, US; as well as a part-time associate lecturer of creative writing for the Open University.
She lives with her partner in Exeter.
Shortlisted for the 2009 Cinnamon Poetry Pamphlet competition
Guernsey International Poetry on the Buses competition, 2011
Flamingo Feather Poetry Competition (second place)
Gittins, Diana (1994). Dance of the sheet. Nether Stowey: Odyssey Poets. ISBN 9781897654545.
Gittins, Diana (2010), "Repulsive II", in Fortune-Wood, Rowan (ed.), The visitors & other stories & poems, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd: Cinnamon Press, ISBN 9781907090059
Gittins, Diana (2010), "Hale New Moon Bopp", in Fortune-Wood, Rowan (ed.), The visitors & other stories & poems, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd: Cinnamon Press, ISBN 9781907090059
Gittins, Diana (2010), "I Should Have Moved On", in Loveday, Mike; Gordon, Rudy (eds.), 14 Magazine, no. 9, March 2010, Online - selected editions, ISSN 1744-7763{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) "I Should Have Moved On" by Diana Gittins Archived 18 July 2014 at the Wayback Machine
Gittins, Diana (2013). BORK!. Glenrothes, Fife, Scotland: HappenStance. ISBN 9781905939916.
Gittins, Diana (Summer 2009), "Prose", in Caddy, David (ed.), Tears in the fence, No 50, Dorset, UK: David Caddy, ISSN 0266-5816
Gittins, Diana (Spring–Summer 2010), "Move the Castle", in Rapi, Nina (ed.), Brand literary magazine 06, online: BRAND Literary Magazine, pp. 109–112, ISSN 1754-0593 Pdf of magazine contents.
Gittins, Diana (Summer 2012), "Prose", in Caddy, David (ed.), Tears in the fence, No 55, Dorset, UK: David Caddy, ISSN 0266-5816
Gittins, Diana (1982). Fair sex: family size and structure, 1900-39. London: Hutchinson. ISBN 9780091454913.