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Philip Paris
My work is often inspired by events or issues that have not previously been covered in the form of a novel. The Last Witch of Scotland, an historical fiction based on the case of the last person in Britain to be executed for witchcraft, was published in 2023 and in 2024 Waterstones made the title its ‘Scottish Book of the Year’. Having spent years researching the Scottish witchcraft trials, this is a subject I often give talks about at literary festivals, history societies, museums, libraries etc.
A Fire in Their Hearts, published in August 2025, tells the extraordinary story of the 17th century Scottish Covenanters. This 50-year fight for religious freedom affects Scotland to this day, and resonates strongly with us on many different levels. I am available to give talks about how I turned these crucial historical events into a novel.
Another topic about which I’ve given many talks is Orkney’s famous WW2 Italian chapel. My non-fiction book Orkney’s Italian Chapel: The True Story of an Icon is recognised as the authoritative work on the building’s history. Other work includes Men Cry Alone, a contemporary novel about domestic abuse against men, which won the Scottish Association of Writers Barbara Hammond Trophy in 2019.
I’m also available to speak to groups about where writers get their ideas from, the process of writing and about my own experience of turning ideas into books.