Writing on the Am Baile website, which brings together information on writers influenced in some way by the Highland landscape in which they live, Clio said, "Although not set in the Highlands, or even Scotland, it has certainly been influenced by those landscapes in my descriptions.

"The action mostly takes place in Lower Slaughter near Stroud, and the island of Hiiumaa in the Estonian Bay, both quite a long way from where I live, although not dissimilar in the way I describe the beaches and the moors."

Clio was born in Yorkshire, spent much of her childhood in Devon, and has been living in the Highlands of Scotland for the past 15 years. She works at the library in Tain and spends the rest of her time writing books. She won the Harry Bowling literary prize in 2004, followed by the Scotsman/Orange Short Story Award in 2006 for I Should Have Listened Harder, set in a Siberian prison mine. Her collection of short stories, Types of Everlasting Rest, was published in 2007.

Clio has described herself as "a natural librarian", drawing upon years of compulsive list making and information gathering to help create her inspirational plots.

Clio Gray at the launch of her new book, Envoy of the Black Pine. Andrew Smith, 01862 832588

More about Clio and other locally based authors can be found on Am Baile, which also features some sound clips of writers reading from their own work. It can be accessed at ambaile.org.uk

Meanwhile, the newly formed HSA (Highland Society of Authors) has been established to give published authors the chance to publicise their work and raise their public profile.

Author Evenings have been arranged with local libraries and village halls, where several authors will be in attendance to talk about, and read from, their most recent work. All events are open to the public and authors will be on hand after the readings to chat, and sign any books people might choose to purchase.

The next takes place on September 2 at Beauly Library from 7-8.30pm. Clio will be joined by Erica Munro, Cynthia Rogerson and Angus Dunn. On September 3, she'll join writers at Fortrose Library from 7.30-9pm.

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

Bookmark this

---