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Donald Smith

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Contact: [email protected]
Local authority: Edinburgh City
Languages: English, Scots
Donald Smith's headshot

Born in Glasgow of Irish parents, Donald has worked in theatre and literature in since the '70s. Joining The Netherbow Arts Centre from the School of Scottish Studies in 1982, Donald became Director of the Scottish Storytelling Centre from 2003-2014. He was also a founding Director of the National Theatre of Scotland, and is Artistic Director of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival.
 
He has written a series of non-fiction books on Scottish culture including Storytelling Scotland (2001), A History of Scottish Theatre (co-author, 1995), God, the Poet and the Devil: Robert Burns and Religion (2009), Freedom and Faith (2014) - a book about Scottish independence - and Pilgrim Guide to Scotland (2015).
 
Donald Smith is an accomplished storyteller in a variety of media from fiction to digital, live stage and spoken word. He has also produced, adapted or directed over 80 plays and published a series of novels on turning points in Scottish history, including The English Spy, Between Ourselves, Ballad of the Five Marys and Flora McIvor.

(Works in Scots)

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

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

Audience will work with

Adult learners; Care-experienced people; Carers; English as an additional language (EAL); Intergenerational learning; Outdoor learning; People experiencing mental health problems; Prisoners & young offenders; Reluctant readers; Vulnerable young people (under 18); Vulnerable older people; Young people in the community (e.g. Youth clubs, Guides, Scouts)

Topics of work

Activism & protest; Biography & memoir; Environment & climate; Fairy tales, folklore & mythology; Family; Historical fiction; History; Nature; Politics; Religion & beliefs; Seasonal books

Age groups published for

Children; Teens; Adults

Age groups will work with

6-8; 9-11; 12-14; 15-18; 18+

Audience size

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