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Ailie Finlay

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Contact: ailie@mykindofbook.org.uk
Local authority: Edinburgh City
Languages: English
Ailie Finlay's headshot

Ailie is a writer, storyteller and founder of My Kind of Book. She specialises in working with people with additional needs.

Ailie’s inclusive story sessions are very interactive with handmade puppets, intriguing props and lots of rhyme and rhythm. She performs her sensory stories regularly in special schools, respite centres, care settings, nurseries, and at festivals and arts venues. She also loves to train people in the art of multisensory storytelling.

The belief that everyone should have the same access to fun and engaging books and stories is fundamental to Ailie’s work. It is this that led her to found My Kind of Book in 2020. My Kind of Book is a not-for-profit social enterprise that researches, promotes and creates books for children with additional needs.

Ailie’s recent publications include Max's Story (for the Scottish Huntington's Association), Beyond Memory, a guide to singing and storytelling with people living with dementia (for the Festival Theatre), a chapter in Storytelling Strategies for Reaching and Teaching Children with Special Needs (ed. Sherry Norfolk, Libraries Unlimited) and a series of core word books for Oaklands Special School in Edinburgh.

Local authorities can visit

Aberdeen City; Aberdeenshire; Angus; Argyll and Bute; Clackmannanshire; Dumfries and Galloway; Dundee; East Ayrshire; East Dunbartonshire; East Lothian; East Renfrewshire; Edinburgh City; Falkirk; Fife; Glasgow City; Highland; Inverclyde; Midlothian; Moray; Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles); North Ayrshire; North Lanarkshire; Orkney Islands; Perth and Kinross; Renfrewshire; Scottish Borders; Shetland; South Ayrshire; South Lanarkshire; Stirling; West Dunbartonshire; West Lothian

Events can deliver

Mentoring; Panel event; Performance; Professional development, CLPL or CPD; Reading; Residency; Talk; Workshop

Audience can work with

Carers; Adults with additional support needs; People living with dementia; Young people with additional support needs (under 18) (ASN/SEN)

Topics of work

Fairy tales, folklore & mythology; First experiences for younger readers; Health including mental health & wellbeing; Loneliness & isolation; Nature; Seasonal books

Age groups published for

Children; Teens; Adults

Age groups can work with

0-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-11; 12-14; 15-18; 18+

Audience size

0-10; 11-30; 31-100