The award celebrates teachers who create “an exceptionally positive and encouraging learning environment, give their students high quality constructive feedback, are passionate about their subject and always put their students first”.
The Cambridge-based author and academic was nominated by a former student and is up against seven other talented lecturers from around the world, with the results to be announced on 28 June.
Reacting to her nomination, Menna said: “What a surprise. I’m delighted and honoured. All the clichés! The other cliché that turns out to be true, certainly for me, is that being nominated means far more than winning; since who knows what variables control the outcome and knowing that my students value my teaching means a great deal to me.
“Teaching can be a little like parenting, an enormous amount of heart and soul goes into it, dedication and passion that often goes unacknowledged, so to be acknowledged is a wonderful thing!
“The most gratifying moments of teaching are witnessing students transform, in both their levels of confidence and the beauty of their writing. To witness a student blossoming, realising what they're really capable of and demonstrating that on the page, as a result of what I've shown and taught them, is truly a miraculous experience.
“I particularly love teaching at ARU because the students are particularly attentive and appreciative. I feel honoured to be mentoring them on their journey from aspiration to publication.”
Menna is a Lecturer on the MA in Creative Writing and is also a Royal Literary Fund Fellow at ARU. She is the author of six magical realism novels and a fantasy trilogy: The Sisters Grimm. Her latest novel The Night of Demons and Saints, the second in the series, was published in February and she is currently editing the trilogy’s final instalment which is due out early next year.
The Postgrad awards are organised by FindAUniversity who operate a portfolio of websites, including FindAMasters.com and FindAPhD.com, which help thousands of students to find their perfect postgraduate degree every year.
