James Spence

I grew up in Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders. I've lived in Edinburgh since 1982 and have been self-employed as a storyteller since 2002. I go into schools to tell stories and lead story-making and other creative workshops. Increasingly I'm invited to do Scots language events. Dan Serridge and I performed in the acclaimed storytelling production of The Two Truths of Thomas the Rhymer. I devised and performed The Liars' Tour of the Storytelling Centre. I won the Edinburgh Spring Fling poetry competition in 1991.

I am working on a performance piece, consisting of over 70 haiku, that retells the story of Gregory's Girl. The book is due out summer 2019, as is Ferr Frae the Dirlin Thrang, the Scots translation of Hardy's famous novel. Other books I have written:

• Willow Pattern Haiku, in Scots and English
• Scottish Borders Folk Tales
• Unco Case O Dr Jekyll An Mr Hyde: A Graphic Novel In Scots

And collections of poems:

• Oot Thonder
• The Great Escape
• The Fatal Touch
• Ghost Paths