A scholarship established in memory of a poet, writer and academic has been awarded to a deafblind student at the University of Strathclyde, supporting their ambition to become a professional writer.

Dr Michelle Smith was a gifted literary scholar and teacher, who previously worked in the English Department and at Strathclyde’s Centre for Lifelong Learning.

In autumn 2021 Michelle received the diagnosis of a benign acoustic neuroma, a slow-growing, noncancerous tumour that develops on the main nerve leading from the inner ear to the brain. She underwent an operation, but unfortunately suffered a stroke as a result, which caused impairment to her vision and hearing.

Michelle made a partial recovery, but tragically, she later suffered another more serious stroke, and the mother-of-two passed away in June 2025 aged just 51.

Academic excellence

Now her husband Matt, himself a Professor of Health History at Strathclyde, along with Michelle’s family and friends, have set up a scholarship in her memory. The annual £5,000 Michelle Smith Scholarship is for a student enrolled in Strathclyde’s MLitt in Creative Writing who has demonstrated academic excellence and who is experiencing significant barriers to continuing their education.

The first recipient is Andrew Pettigrew, who is completing his Master’s in Creative Writing. Andrew, who is deafblind, a condition affecting both vision and hearing, also lives with peripheral neuropathy. This is a condition in which damage to the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord disrupts signals between the central nervous system and the rest of the body, often causing numbness, tingling, pain, or weakness in the limbs.

Sign language

The charity Deafblind Scotland estimates that 34,000 people in Scotland are deafblind. Andrew is able to perceive limited sound thanks to a cochlear implant, also uses the tactile sign language Deafblind Manual.

He said: “I am so grateful to all the donors for creating this incredible opportunity. It is a real honour to receive an award established in Michelle’s name, and to be supported through a fund that celebrates her life and work as a writer.

“Deafblindness shapes both how I learn and how I'm able to access professional development as an emerging writer. Opportunities that many writers take for granted, like attending readings, workshops, networking events, or even informal writing groups, can be impossible for me.”

Andrew intends to use much of the grant to fund a braille computer and added:

I do face significant barriers to developing my writing career, but they aren’t about a lack of ambition or ability; they are about access, tools, and tailored learning, and the scholarship will directly help me address these barriers.

“I hope to pursue a career as a professional writer, combining my passion for creative writing with my interest in advocacy for the disabled community and assisting efforts to increase our representation across the literary landscape.”

Long-term

Donations to fund the scholarship came from Michelle’s friends and family from all over the world, and her family hope it will be a long-term initiative.

Matt, who met Michelle in their native Canada when the pair were students, and moved to Glasgow in 2010, said: “Michelle was a very thoughtful person and was planning to retrain as a social worker and had started volunteering at a local school. She was a survivor and had to overcome a lot in her life, and despite her health issues she was always positive and looking forward and mindful of the good things in her life.

“Writing was her passion and I thought it would be a good legacy to support other aspiring writers as it’s such a difficult career to succeed in.

“I’d like to thank all the family and friends who supported us. I hope the scholarship is something that Michelle would have appreciated, and it feels very fitting the first recipient is Andrew, as Michelle suffered her own vision and hearing challenges following the first stroke.”

Crime fiction

Michelle’s poems were published in all the leading Canadian poetry journals and she also authored a book and many academic articles on crime fiction, book history and travel writing, as well as numerous short stories. 

Course leader of the M Litt at Strathclyde, Dr Jessica Widner said: “Andrew is a wonderful student and person, and a very worthy recipient of the scholarship.”

Anyone wishing to support the Michelle Smith Scholarship fund can contact the University's Development Office: developmentoffice@strath.ac.uk.