About Me


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I live in Edinburgh, Scotland where I write across the genres of crime, historical and literary fiction.

My debut novel, The Other Mrs Walker was a Times bestseller and Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year. My second, The Inheritance of Solomon Farthing was long-listed for the McIlvanney Prize for best Scottish crime novel and a Historical Writers Association Gold Crown. Emily Noble’s Disgrace is my third novel.

My short stories and non-fiction have featured on BBC Radio 4 and in the Guardian Weekend Magazine, as well as various anthologies. In 2019 I was selected by Val McDermid as one of ten exciting LGBTQI+ writers working today. In 2023 I was named the Dr Gavin Wallace Fellow by Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature, funded by Creative Scotland.

I chair events for festivals and bookshops and have conducted many in-conversations with authors including Kate Mosse, Ian Rankin, Barbara Kingsolver, Robert Harris and Maggie O’Farrell amongst others. I regularly review TV, books, theatre, film and art for BBC Radio Scotland.

I have an MLitt in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow where, on graduating, I was awarded the inaugural Curtis Brown Prize for Fiction. In 2016 I was named an Amazon Rising Star and in 2017 I was Highly Commended as a Rising Star in the DIVA Literary Awards and shortlisted as a Breakthrough Author in the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards.  

In the past I have worked as a script-editor, arts administrator and tour guide. From 2010-2014 I was Writer in Residence at the Royal High School in Edinburgh, on behalf of the Edinburgh International Festival, and I have taught creative writing for other organisations including the National Galleries of Scotland.

I am a Hawthornden and Brownsbank Fellow, Co-chair of the Society of Authors in Scotland, and convenor of the SoA local Edinburgh Group.

I am represented by Clare Alexander at Aitken Alexander Associates. For press enquiries please contact Rosie Friis at Pan Macmillan. Author biog and photos available from the Press Kit.

Photo by Chris Scott