Angus Konstam (Chair) is an acclaimed historian, with over sixty books in print. He is also one of the world’s leading authorities on piracy. A former naval officer and underwater archaeologist, he then spent ten years as a Museum curator, working on both sides of the Atlantic. He is now a full-time writer, living in Edinburgh. His most recent books include Blackbeard, Sovereigns of the Sea, Piracy: The Complete History, There was a Soldier and Naval Miscellany. www.anguskonstam.com
Iain Gale (Hon Secretary) began writing historical fiction in 2005 after a successful career as an art critic and journalist. He has experience as a judge in prestigious art and literary prizes and served for a number of years on the visual art committee of the Scottish Arts Council. He was also instrumental in the foundation of the Edinburgh Art Festival. In 1997 Iain was commended as Art Critic of the Year in the Bank of Scotland Press Awards. Agent: Capel & Land
John Ward (Treasurer) was born in Clydebank, raised in Perth, schooled in Dundee, and studied Philosophy and Literature at Edinburgh before going on to teach English at the Royal High School. He worked at Inverness College before becoming a full-time writer in 1999 and he now specialises in young adult fantasy/adventure stories. Married with 4 grown children. Published work: The Secret of the Alchemist (2003), The Stone of Sorrow (2004), City of Desolation (2005) and The Comet's Child (August 2009).
Lin Anderson (Events Manager)is a graduate of Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities and was recently awarded an MA Screenwriting with Distinction from the Screen Academy Scotland. Her short film River Child won a student BAFTA and the Celtic Film Festival best fiction award. She has published five novels in her crime series featuring Glasgow based forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod which have been translated into a number of languages. www.lin-anderson.com
Catherine Czerkawska is a widely published writer of fiction and non fiction. She has written award-winning plays for radio and the stage. She has tutored for Arvon at Moniack Mhor, and held a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellowship for a number of years. With degrees in Mediaeval and Folk Life Studies, she finds herself increasingly drawn to historical fiction and – as a struggling ‘mid list’ author - is joyfully embracing the digital revolution. The Curiosity Cabinet (Polygon 2005) was one of three finalists for the Dundee Book Prize, and is now available on Kindle. Bird of Passage was published in 2011 as an eBook and she is working on two new novels: The Amber Heart, based on her extraordinary Polish family history, and a Scottish historical novel called The Physic Garden. www.wordarts.co.uk. Blog: http://wordarts.blogspot.com
Maggie Craig has published numerous articles, seven novels and two full-length works of non-fiction, the most recent of these being Bare-Arsed Banditti: The Men of the ’45 (Mainstream), the best-selling companion volume to her ground-breaking and acclaimed Damn’ Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45 (Mainstream). Her latest novel is One Sweet Moment (Allison & Busby), a poignant love story and coming-of-age story set in 1820s Edinburgh. A native of Glasgow, she now lives in deepest Aberdeenshire.
Jonathan Falla - biography to follow.
Sara Sheridan is an historical novelist though she recently also wrote a children's book. She is obsessed by history, sits on the Board of 26 - the writers' collective - and enjoys speaking at events. A twitter evangelist (@sarasheridan) she also occasionally writes for the paper, blogs on various websites and sometimes appears on radio. www.sarasheridan.co.uk
Sheila Templeton is a prize winning poet, originally from Aberdeen, now living by the sea in Ayrshire. Her first poetry collection is Slow Road Home and many of her poems have appeared in anthologies eg New Writing Scotland, Cleave, Running Threads, as well as in magazines. She has also had poems read on Radio Scotland. She gives regular poetry readings both solo and with the Makar Poets. She can be contacted through the Book Trust Writers' Register on Live Literature Scotland.