Mel O'Dea

Mel O'Dea is both an artist, having had both solo and joint exhibitions in both London and Ireland, and a writer and poet, having had three novels published (Driftwood Memories, Figments and The Ghost Whisperers) and poems published in various magazines including Southword, The Neon Highway, Cyphers, Seven Towers, The Poetry Bus, The Blackbird and others). Mel also works as a human rights campaigner/advocate, having started with the Anti Apartheid movement whilst a student in Durham University in the late 1980's, as well as doing some animal rights and environmental work. Having had an eclectic education in both the Arts and Sciences, both through university (Mel's primary studies were in Chemistry but she also studied Mathematics, Computer Programming, Anthropology and Philosophy) and later through the London night school system (studying cheffing, various art related courses, A Level History, various creative writing courses and Psychiatry), Mel's initial career was in the sciences (microelectronics, developing and testing a microprocessor device of her own design). Mel currently lives in Mallow, Co Cork, Ireland, sharing accommodation with a black and white friend called Rainbow Dog. Mel's novels are an experimental poetry-prose hybrid and focus on the theme of the outsider. Outside of writing, painting and human rights work, Mel's interests include travel (Mel has travelled widely in Europe), reading, walking the dog, food and meeting people.