Hello! Thanks for dropping by!
I’m Barbara and I write books for young people and adults (buy the books published by Cranachan HERE and The Boy, the Witch & the Queen of Scots, The Reluctant Rebel, Scottish by Inclination and Made from Girders, all published by Luath Press, here).
I visit a lot of schools for workshops and author events. I absolutely love being out and about, meeting readers in schools and at book festivals.
This summer you can meet me in person (more details on the diary page):
28th June: Cargilfield Festival of Reading
13th July: The Wedale Bookshop, Stow, Borders, 11am-2pm
27th July: Waterstones Livingston, 11am-12 noon
27th July: Waterstones Braehead, Glasgow, 2-3.30pm
31st July: Culloden Library, 11-12
10th and 11th August: Historic Environment Scotland Celebration of the Centuries, Fort George, near Inverness, all day
12th August: Edinburgh Fringe Scotland’s Fest: 12-1 family event, 1.30-2.30 adult event of Forth Bridge Stories
Book News: I had a new book out this spring! Take a look at this fab book trailer!
My two latest books before that were Made from Girders which lifts the lid on what goes on on and around the Forth Bridge, and the children’s adventure Rivet Boy which is inspired by real people and events during the bridge’s construction. I spent a year as Writer-in-Residence at the bridge.
I am also the author of a bunch of other books for 8-12-year-olds. All of them are adventure stories, mostly inspired by history and nature.
Spot the odd ones out – Scottish by Inclination is about immigration and the right to belong. That one is a good one to read if you are interested in finding out more about my life. Made from Girders tells the stories of people associated with Scotland’s most famous bridge where I was writer-in-residence for a year. Both of these are aimed at adults.
You can click through to the pages on individual books, look at my news section, follow my blog or browse to find out about the things which inspire my writing, check information about visits and upcoming events and so on. I’m always in the process of adding information and updating various sections, so keep checking back for the latest!
By the way, I love connecting with readers and with other writers, so please leave comments on my blog and follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter by clicking on the icons – I’d love to hear from you!
Go on – take a look around!
Fun Fact:
I’ve won an actual AWARD for both The Siege of Caerlaverock and The Chessmen Thief! The Historical Association awarded these two books the Young Quills Award for their category in 2021 and 2022 respectively. I am so delighted, especially since the first round of judging is entirely based on children’s reviews! Even more incredibly, Rivet Boy is shortlisted this year. I don’t fancy my chances as there are some outstanding books in the running, but I’ll keep you posted!
