New Writer 2026: Amie Robertson

Amie Robertson is an Edinburgh-born writer who believes stories have the power to change the world. As a primary school teacher, she knows hope and belonging are often found in pages. Now, she’s determined to give children the greatest of adventures in a world full of magic pirates at war.

Her stories weave a passion for Scottish history and mythology with the lived reality of her working-class background – exploring themes of family imprisonment and defiance of one’s fate in magical, otherworldly settings… most likely with mischievous animal sidekicks!

She has completed two writing courses at Edinburgh University, where her children’s picture book, My Secret Dragon was chosen for their writing showcase. She has also taken part in a Telling Stories course at the Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh, exploring her interest in Scottish Folkloric tales, and performing at the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival.

She is working on her second middle-grade novel, inspired by historical Hebridean clans with an added touch of magic. Amie currently lives in North Edinburgh with her partner, often getting him lost in the wilderness of Scotland, as she’s too busy daydreaming to ever read the map.

Writing sample:

Raiding a pirate ship is not easy, as Ruaridh discovered when a cannonball flew past his head. Other 12-year-olds would have run, screamed, abandoned ship or even started greetin’ for their granny – but Ruaridh?

He laughed. 

You see, it takes a special kind of person to steal from magic pirates.

Only the fierce – those that are truly pirate blood! 

“Hah! Missed again!” Ruaridh cackled when the weapon zoomed past his ears.

He was perched on one of the ship’s masts, making sure to keep a tight grip of its rigging. The clan of the Storm Fury swarmed below, notorious for their bloodthirst across every island in the Hebrides. 

Still, Ruaridh grinned. He had one trick for evading capture by pirates – glowing sapphires, attached to his feet. His jumping crystal boots.

These brilliant blue stones had powered him through the Atlantic winds with one mighty stomp of his foot. He’d catapulted amongst their sails. He’d somersaulted from their beams. The clan reached for his ankles, but Ruaridh threwhimself away. Now, he crouched on the mast as wind howled like a kraken – throwing dark hair and snot across his cheek. 

But wait? 

Ruaridh whipped up his head towards the crow’s nest – narrowing eyes of blue storm.

There’s something glistening there?

“THERE HE GOES!” the look-out screamed in high-pitched Gaelic – noticing Ruaridh’s stare. She directed her crew to take aim at him again. 

He stomped his foot and fled to the skies. 

“A pox on you!” he shouted, landing on rope. 

Ruaridh craned his neck upwards, but he’d lost sight of whatever bounty he might have seen. For that, he kicked the mast beside him – hard. 

His name suited him – Roo-ray: the ‘fiery king’.

It was a name given to him by his da’… but he tried not to think about that. 

Amie says:

'I am shocked and overjoyed to have won a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award and cannot emphasise enough how much it truly means. It has given me the confidence and determination to go after my writing dreams, with the invaluable support and insight from those within the business. I just can’t wait to get started!'