Rae Howells is a poet, journalist, academic and lavender farmer from West Cross, Swansea. She is married to Yorkshireman Phil Poucher and they have two daughters and a dog.
Poetry
Rae's debut collection, The language of bees (Parthian), was shortlisted for Wales Book of the Year 2023. She has previously won the Rialto Nature & Place and Welsh poetry competitions and been featured widely in journals including Magma, The Rialto, Poetry Wales, New Welsh Review, Acumen, Black Bough, Marble and Poetry Ireland. A keen environmentalist and a believer in the restorative power of wild places, she is poet in residence at Llanelli Wetland Centre. She co-authored the pamphlet Bloom & Bones (Hedgehog Press) with Jean James. This Common Uncommon (Parthian) is her second poetry collection.
Journalism
Rae started her career in journalism more than 25 years ago, and has worked in corporate journalism, magazines, newspapers and the hyperlocal sector. She has edited several publications, including The Big Issue Cymru and The Port Talbot Magnet. She is acting Chair of the Welsh Executive Council of the NUJ and has served on the board of the Independent Community News Network. She currently works as Project Manager of NUJ Training Wales, a Welsh Government-funded training programme for journalists and communications workers in Wales, aimed at helping the workforce update skills and retain employment.
Academia
Rae studied for her PhD at Cardiff University, researching the effects of newspaper closures on the democratic deficit. She found serious consequences for communities when local journalists are lost. You can read more here. Rae co-authored the book Hyperlocal Journalism (Routledge) which features a selection of her findings, and her essay in The Welsh Way (Parthian) also looks at the effects of declining local journalism on communities in Wales.
Gower Lavender
Since 2017 Rae and her husband have run the company Gower Lavender. Using their own Gower-grown lavender, the company makes award-winning small batch lavender skincare and home fragrance products. Find out more here.
