Award-winning writer Ewen Glass, who lives in Lincoln, has written The Art of Washing What You Can’t Touch

An award-winning film writer has released his debut poetry collection which explores his life as a birth child growing up in a family which fostered scores of hard-to-place children.

Ewen Glass, who now lives in Lincoln, has written The Art of Washing What You Can’t Touch, in which he recounts his childhood growing up in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland, as part of a family that fostered numerous other children.

The short collection has been released by American publisher Alien Buddha Press and includes poetry, prose-poetry and creative non-fiction.

“We have seen and read stories about foster children and those in care – and rightly so, we need to hear these stories, and we need to keep hearing these stories,’ says Ewen, whose feature films have been released in cinemas across the world.

“But I feel the story of a birth-child in this set-up hasn’t been heard yet. It is an under-explored, possibly even under-considered, perspective, which I have lived and which I think is important to tell, so I’m delighted this chap-book is being released and will be available the world over.”

This collection builds on a number of poems Ewen has already published in Northern Irish literary journals such as Belfast Review, Yarns and New Isles Press (Yellow House Publishing), UK magazines such as Poetry Scotland, Dreich, Asylum and Passionfruit Review, and prestigious international literary journals such as HAD, Okay Donkey and Roi Fainéant.

“When I discovered Grey Hands, the only magazine that exclusively publishes the voices of anyone who has lived experience in the child welfare system, I understood just how important it was to tell these sorts of stories, and be heard,” he adds.

To date Ewen has written for major TV networks such as BBC, Channel 4, RTE and Hollywood Suite in Canada. Having put words in the mouths of Hollywood actors Harvey Keitel, Gina McKee and Gabriel Byrne, Ewen’s contribution to the film industry was recognised by being awarded full membership of BAFTA in 2021.

As he pivots to poetry, Ewen acknowledges the vibrant local literary scene, adding: “There are initiatives like tenx9, which are hugely popular and only encourage people to own and tell their story.

“Attending the John Hewitt Summer School this year in Armagh gave me the confidence I think I needed to finally submit the book to publishers and was thrilled when it was snapped up.

“It’s also worth noting that, while the collection is in English, it draws heavily on my Ulster-Scots background and celebrates the local register, about which I’m passionate.

“These pieces are very personal to me, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, but I think it’s important to capture, understand and tell your own story, whether as a hobby or profession. I hope these poems resonate with people in Northern Ireland and beyond.”

Ewen’s passion for scriptwriting started when he was quite young and was interested in films, television and the escapism it provided. He also liked the idea of it giving a voice, allowing anyone, including himself, the opportunity to be heard.

When he was 17 wrote a one-act play which was shortlisted for Young Irish Playwright of the Year and he says that’s when he started to believe there could be a career as a writer for him.

Ewen studied film and media at Stirling University, in Scotland, and then began writing for theatre before moving into short films. His other credits include teen soap Hollyoaks, horror film Basement and Lies We Tell, a 2017 feature film starring Hollywood legend Harvey Keitel, and a hard-hitting sports drama, set in the world of mixed martial arts in the Czech Republic.

Earlier this year Ewen launched Lincoln Script Lab, his own online and in person workshops to help others explore the art of screenwriting. He takes on his next online cohort in February 2025. For more information visit lincolnscriptlab.com