Anna Claybourne

I have been working as a children's book writer for 25+ years, initially as an employee at Usborne Publishing in London, but since 1996 as a freelance writer based in Edinburgh. I write mainly non-fiction, including children's books on science topics, wildlife, the human body, art, craft and fashion, but have also published children's rhyming picture books, reading scheme books, retellings of myths and legends, folklore and literary classics, and books about Shakespeare and his work, an area I specialise in. I have had more than 200 books published, with many of these being translated into other languages.

My interests include creative writing, sewing and crafts, camping and playing the trombone. I work on a very wide range of subject areas, but I am especially interested science and nature, science experiments and illusions, Shakespeare, unsolved mysteries, art, craft and the maker movement, myths, legends and folklore.

My talks have included interactive sessions on Shakespeare, ghosts and hauntings, dangerous animals, how the brain works, and how non-fiction books are written. I usually combine amazing facts and quiz questions with fun volunteer activities. I have also run a session as a gameshow-style quiz, and have done straightforward reading of my retellings, with a Q&A at the end.