Chrissie Gittins was born in Lancashire and studied at Newcastle University and St Martin’s School of Art. She worked as an artist and a teacher before becoming a freelance writer. She writes poetry, radio drama, short stories, and poetry for children.

Her first collection of adult poems is Armature (Arc, 2003). Her first children’s poetry collection Now You See Me, Now You … (Rabbit Hole, 2002) was shortlisted for the inaugural CLPE Award in 2003. Two of her children’s poems won Belmont Poetry Prizes in 2002. Her second children’s collection I Don’t Want an Avocado for an Uncle (Rabbit Hole, 2006) was the Poetry Book Society’s single poet collection ‘choice’ for the Children’s Poetry Bookshself, Autumn 2006; it was also shortlisted for the 2007 CLPE Poetry Award. She has read her poetry at the Royal Festival Hall, the Aldeburgh Poetry Festival, and the Poets House New York.

In 2005 Chrissie was awarded an Arts Council Grant for the Arts to complete her short story collection. Family Connections was published in April 2007 by Salt Publishing. She has read her stories at Manchester Central Library, at Newcastle and Salford Universities, and on BBC Radio Four. Her radio plays, which include Starved for Love, Life Assurance and Dinner in the Iguanodon, have starred Patricia Routledge, Jan Ravens and Sorcha Cusack.

Chrissie has received a fellowship at Hawthornden Castle, and awards from the Society of Authors, the Royal Literary Fund, and The Author’s Foundation. Chrissie's second adult poetry collection Optometrist has been accepted by Salt for publication March 2009. She lives in Forest Hill in South London and frequently travels north to Ramsbottom.