Hello
My name is Dr Anthony Quinn, and I'm the founder of StoryCrucible AI. I'm a writer, lecturer, researcher and creative writing therapist with a passion for the healing power of stories. With a PhD in Creative Writing and an MA in Social Work from Queen’s University Belfast, I work at the intersection of storytelling and wellbeing, where imagination meets emotional insight.
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My own creative journey includes ten critically acclaimed novels that explore memory, trauma, and identity in post-conflict Northern Ireland (for more information visit www.anthonyjquinnwriter.com). That deep creative practice shapes everything I do, from designing therapeutic writing workshops to crafting story-based interventions that empower people to reframe their experiences.
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My debut novel Disappeared (Head of Zeus, 2014) was a Daily Mail Crime Novel of the Year and a Sunday Times Best Novel of the Year. It was also shortlisted by the book critics of the Washington Post, the LA Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle for a Strand Critics award in the US, and longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year in the UK. My novels have been picked by the Irish Times and the Irish Independent in their Best Novels of the Year selections in 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2022.
My latest novel Murder Memoir Murder deploys the conventions of crime fiction and memoir writing to investigate the problems and procedures of storytelling, and explore personal and community trauma caused by the Northern Ireland Troubles. Although steeped in the conventions of crime and historical fiction, my novels chart the moods, landscapes and complex social realities of my native Ulster. I teach Creative Writing at Queen’s University Belfast, and have held writer in residence posts at Libraries Northern Ireland and in County Cavan. I teach Creative Writing and mentor at the Irish Writers Centre, Dublin, and the Prison Arts Foundation. I’ve also been an RLF Fellow at Queen’s University. I’ve mentored, taught and helped to edit the writing of over a hundred emerging writers and poets, many of whom have gone on to secure publishing deals and writing success.
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Over the years, I've worn many hats: Writer-in-Residence, mentor, editor, lecturer, and workshop facilitator. I've had the privilege of supporting people from all walks of life, from refugees to prisoners, from older adults to schoolchildren, helping them find voice, connection, and meaning through storytelling. Whether it’s in libraries, classrooms, community halls, or prisons, I’ve seen how writing can unlock resilience and spark transformation.
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​​At heart, I believe stories don't just entertain us; they help us heal. They allow us to become the narrators of our own lives, finding clarity, connection, and even closure through the written word.
My Story
I have witnessed, repeatedly in groups and individuals, and in my own life, how storytelling can be a powerful medium for personal expression and cultural exploration. Having run creative writing workshops in a wide diversity of settings and institutions, I understand how such programmes can be powerful mediums for forming connections and friendships. As storytellers, we make meaning out of our experiences, creating metaphors and insights, which, when shared in a supportive group, can evoke powerful associations and help us create positive connections with others.
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StoryCrucible AI grew out of my belief in the transformative power of storytelling, and my years of research into how writing can help people heal from trauma and emotional hardship.
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In my post-doctoral work, I’ve focused on developing creative writing therapy (CWT) workshops that help individuals process negative experiences. I’ve been especially interested in how literary techniques, like metaphor, structure, voice, and narrative point of view, can support people in becoming narrators of their own stories. When we can reshape how we tell our stories, we can often reshape how we feel about them, gaining insight, clarity, and emotional resolution in the process.
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That philosophy is at the heart of StoryCrucible AI. By blending the creative possibilities of AI with the depth of traditional storytelling, the platform gives people the tools to express, understand, and reframe painful memories, even when trauma, emotional distress, or self-doubt have made writing feel impossible.
Alongside this work, I’ve had the privilege of organising and facilitating the Lost Landscapes Storytelling Project, which supports older adults facing loneliness through creative writing. With funding from Culture Ireland and the Cavan Arts Office, the project has led to the publication of three volumes of participant stories.
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All of these experiences, academic, creative, and community-based, inform the vision behind StoryCrucible AI: to make writing not just a tool for artistic expression, but a pathway to healing, connection, and personal growth.
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Participants of the Lost Landscapes Storytelling Project with copies of their short story collection
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.