My fourth collection of poetry, Field Requiem, was published by Carcanet Press in 2021. Poems from Field Requiem appeared in The Forward Book of Poetry 2023, The Paris Review, Poetry Review, PN Review, The Times Literary Supplement, Brick, Prairie Fire, The Manchester Review, and Grain Magazine. Field Requiem was shortlisted for The Derek Walcott Prize for Poetry, the Pat Lowther Memorial Award, and two Saskatchewan Book Awards.

My previous poetry collections include The Season’s Vagrant Light: New and Selected Poems (Carcanet Press), Thin Moon Psalm (Brick Books) and Earth After Rain (Thistledown Press). Thin Moon Psalm and Earth After Rain each won two Saskatchewan Book Awards. Thin Moon Psalm was also nominated for the ReLit Poetry Prize and won the Alfred G. Bailey manuscript award. 

My prose has twice received honourable mention in the National Magazine Awards. My work has also been shortlisted and longlisted for the CBC short story prize, as well as the CBC poetry prize. In support of my writing and artistic projects I've won grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Saskatchewan Arts Board. 

I completed a PhD at the University of Glasgow. My research interests include the intersection of contemporary poetry and poetics with ecocriticism and environmental philosophy.

Books (poetry):

Field Requiem. Manchester, UK: Carcanet Press, 2021.

Reviewed: Canadian Literature (October 2022); Poetry Birmingham (Summer 2022); Arc Poetry Magazine (May 2022); The Poetry Review (Apr 2022); The Fiddlehead (Apr 2022); Prairie Fire (March 2022); Times Literary Supplement (Jan 2021); DURA: Dundee University Review of the Arts (Jan 2021); The Poetry Foundation (Nov 2021); The Toronto Star (Nov 2021); The Friday Poem (Sept 2021); Bookish Beck (Sept 2021).

The Season’s Vagrant Light: New and Selected Poems. Manchester, UK: Carcanet Press, 2015.

Thin Moon Psalm. London, ON: Brick Books, 2007.

Earth After Rain. Saskatoon: Thistledown Press, 2001.

Selected Anthologies:

The Forward Book of Poetry 2023: The Best Poems from the Forward Prizes. London: Faber & Faber, 2022.

Best Canadian Poetry 2016. Humphreys, Helen. Ed. Toronto: Tightrope Books, 2016.

New Poetries V. Schmidt, Michael. Ed. Manchester: Carcanet Press, 2011.

How the Light Gets In: An Anthology of Contemporary Poetry from Canada. Ennis, John. Ed. Waterford, Ireland: Waterford Institute of Technology, 2009.

Fast Forward: Saskatchewan’s New Poets. Klar, Barbara and Paul Wilson. Eds. Regina: Hagios Press, 2007.

Breathing Fire 2: Canada’s new Poets. Crozier, Lorna and Patrick Lane. Eds. Vancouver: Nightwood Editions, 2005.

Chapbooks (poetry):

Let Them Rest. Victoria, BC: Deer Mountain Pages, 2021.

The Breath of Looking. Saskatoon, SK: JackPine Press, 2006.

Selected Literary Journals (poetry, short fiction, creative non-fiction):

Brick; The Paris Review; The Times Literary Supplement; Poetry Review; PN Review; The Manchester Review; Gutter: The Magazine of New Scottish Writing; Glasgow Review of Books; The Fiddlehead; Event; Grain; Riddle Fence; Prairie Fire; Prism International; The Antigonish Review; Contemporary Verse 2; Arc; The Malahat Review; The New Quarterly; The Wascana Review; Other Voices; Room; Canadian Theatre Review.

Film:

Heather Benning, Sheri Benning & Chad Galloway, 2021. “Winter Sleep.” Short Film.

Featured on The Paris Review blog, 4 March 2021.

Official Screenings:

• REELpoetry/Houston TX, 2022 
• International Art Film Festival, London UK, 2021 
• Duende Film Festival, Barcelona, 2021 
• Fotogenia Film Festival, Mexico, 2021 
• Poetic Phonotheque: Nature & Culture Poetry Film Festival, Copenhagen 2021 
• Montreal Independent Film Festival 2021 
• Vancouver Independent Film Festival 2021 
• Cadence Video Poetry Festival 2021, Seattle 
• Yorkton Film Festival 2021 (Shortlisted for Best Experimental Film).

Exhibitions:

Heather Benning and Sheri Benning, 2027. "Your Bones Knit Rich Dirt." Solo exhibition. Esplanade Gallery.

Heather Benning and Sheri Benning, 2027. "Your Bones Knit Rich Dirt." Solo exhibition. Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba.

Heather Benning with Sheri Benning, 2020. “Winter Sleep.” Sculptural Installation and Poem. Borderline: 2020 Biennial of Contemporary Art. Remai Art Gallery (26 September 2020 -  15 February 2021).