Clio Gray

Clio Gray is the Man Booker-nominated, Bailey's-longlisted author of 12 books to date, with several more in the pipeline. She writes historical fiction, often (although not exclusively) with a crime element, usually based on historical quirks and events, and has been praised for her meticulous research.

Born in Yorkshire, Clio has been living in the Highlands for 27 years - the inspiration for her Scottish series, novels in the varied settings of the Kildonan Gold Rush, the Ardnamurchan Peninsula and Hestan Island, involving lost libraries, the clearances, the strong connections between Scotland and both Scandinavia and Russia, not to mention the odd spot of murder.

Clio is always happy to give talks about her work to anyone and everyone. She also provides mentorship services to new writers under the umbrella of HISSAC - the Highlands and Islands Short Story Association, which she founded in 2004 - with the aim of encouraging emergent writers, helping them develop their work to publishable standards. To this end, HISSAC also runs an annual Short Story and Flash Fiction Competition, with Clio as Judge Chair. (Photo credit: John Paul)