Scotland consistently produces world-class writers.

I'm a library user and I just don't hoard books. To me, they're for sharing.

I'm not sure how much easier it is for a mother to balance her life now - have we simply swapped one set of restrictions for another?

History at its best is a gritty, dirty business.

For me, writing stories set, well, wherever they're best set, is a form of cultural curiosity that is uniquely Scottish - we're famous for travelling in search of adventure.

Without archives many stories of real people would be lost, and along with those stories, vital clues that allow us to reflect and interpret our lives today.

As an historical novelist - there are few jobs more retrospective.