Delighted to announce that my next non-fiction book is One Week in April: The Scottish Radical Rising of 1820. This will be published on 9th April 2020, marking the 200th anniversary of the events of one turbulent week in Scotland’s history and their historical context. To read more about the book or to pre-order...
The Battle of George Square – Bloody Friday 1919 in Glasgow
31st January 2019 marks the centenary of what became known as the Battle of George Square, also known as Bloody Friday. At least 60,000 people on strike from their work crammed into George Square in central Glasgow, in front of the City Chambers. The huge gathering was the culmination of a campaign to reduce...
The New Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women
I’m very proud to be one of many contributors to The New Biographical Dictionary of Scottish Women, just published by Edinburgh University Press. It’s a book every Scottish library should hold and make available. Over 1,000 women find their place in this book and, as the cover copy says, the Dictionary “provides a striking...
Ness Bookfest
Had a great time in lovely Inverness last Friday speaking at the Ness Book Fest about my historical novels at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery. Great audience, great organisation, thanks to the volunteers who worked so hard to make everything run so smoothly. I also got confirmation from a knowledgeable lady in...
Scottish Historical Fiction Festival, Grantown on Spey, Saturday 8th September 2018.
“It’s nae the Tudors!” So says The Bookmark in Grantown on Spey of their day-long historical fiction festival which will be held at the Pagoda, Grantown on Spey. Maggie will be speaking about her books in the afternoon session, starting from 2.15, alongside a line-up of fellow Scottish writers of historical fiction. Tickets...
Dance to the Storm Update
Robert Catto always strides into my kitchen as though he owns the place. As usual, I try to divert his attention, offering him claret or brandy in the evening, black coffee during the day. My tactics never work. Nothing gets past this man. ‘Coffee,’ he growls. ‘And, if you please, your word count for...
Edinburgh International Book Festival 2018
Looking forward to speaking about When the Clyde Ran Red: A Social History of Red Clydeside at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in Charlotte Square next month. I’ll be on with cartographer John Moore who is talking about his beautiful and lavishly-illustrated book: The Clyde: Mapping the River. Details of how to buy tickets here....
When the Clyde Ran Red: A Social History of Red Clydeside
Always exciting when the author copies arrive, as they did this afternoon. Thanks to @BirlinnBooks and @BookSource1, with special thanks to Book Source for getting the books to me in this weather. Stay safe. This new paperback edition of When the Clyde Ran Red will be released next week, 8th March....
Revisiting the Jacobites – The History Behind the History
On Thursday 12th October, from 18.30 – 20.00 (doors open 18.15), I’ll be one of a panel addressing different aspects of the 1745 Jacobite Rising at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. I’ll be talking about the women I wrote about in Damn’ Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45, Arran Johnston will...
Damn Rebel Bitches: Research Then & Now
When I did my research for Damn’ Rebel Bitches: The Women of the ’45 twenty years ago, that had to be done the hard, albeit very enjoyable way. I’ve just written an article on the subject for Historia, the online magazine of the Historical Writers’ Association, which you can read below. Damn’ Rebel Bitches:...