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Janis Mackay

All of the information on this page has been provided by the author. If you need an author to have specialist skills, experience or knowledge please ask for more information about this ahead of booking them for an event. Please note that Scottish Book Trust cannot carry out Disclosure checks on Live Literature authors for most events. It is the responsibility of the person organising the event to carry out the appropriate Disclosure checks.
Contact: [email protected]
Other contact method: Agent (Kathryn Ross): [email protected]
Local authority: Edinburgh City
Languages: English, Scots
Author type: Storyteller, Writer
Janis Mackay's headshot

Janis has books published for children from aged 3-14. Her first novel, Magnus Fin and the Ocean Quest, won the Kelpies Prize and in 2013 Janis won the Scottish Children's Book Award with her novel The Accidental Time Traveller.

A storyteller and creative writing tutor, Janis has much experience visiting primary schools, inspiring literacy and sparking the imagination. She spent some years living by the sea and in this time wrote five books all inspired by the sea shore. She also spent time imaginatively travelling through time and as a result has stories from the Victorian era, WWI and the future. Janis is also happy to offer CPD to teachers, on storytelling skills and creative writing.

Websites featuring the author

Local authorities will visit

Aberdeen City; Aberdeenshire; Angus; Argyll and Bute; Clackmannanshire; Dumfries and Galloway; Dundee; East Ayrshire; East Dunbartonshire; East Lothian; East Renfrewshire; Edinburgh City; Falkirk; Fife; Glasgow City; Highland; Inverclyde; Midlothian; Moray; Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles); North Ayrshire; North Lanarkshire; Orkney Islands; Perth and Kinross; Renfrewshire; Scottish Borders; Shetland; South Ayrshire; South Lanarkshire; Stirling; West Dunbartonshire; West Lothian

Events will deliver

Chairing events; Mentoring; Performance; Professional development, CLPL or CPD; Reading; Residency; Talk; Workshop

Audience will work with

Adult learners; Care-experienced people; Carers; English as an additional language (EAL); Intergenerational learning; Outdoor learning; Adults with additional support needs; People experiencing mental health problems; Reluctant readers; Vulnerable young people (under 18); Vulnerable adults; Young people with additional support needs (under 18) (ASN/SEN)

Topics of work

Adolescence; Adventure; Animals; Biography & memoir; Childhood; Coasts, seas & oceans; Environment & climate; Fairy tales, folklore & mythology; Family; Fantasy; First experiences for younger readers; Friendship; Historical fiction; History; Nature; Performance training; Picture books; Travel writing; World War 1

Age groups published for

Children; Teens; Adults

Age groups will work with

3-5; 6-8; 9-11; 12-14

Audience size

0-10; 11-30; 31-100; 100-500; 500+