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Gillian Paterson

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]
Local authority: Edinburgh City
Languages: English
Author type: Storyteller
Gillian Paterson's headshot

‘But history is boring...’

Think again! I am a storyteller whose focus is on bringing the past to life and taking different angles on the stories you think you know, and some you may never have heard before.

I’ve spent many years exploring topics in history through character driven storytelling, often in period costume. I worked for three years as an historical storyteller as part of the Living History programme at Edinburgh Castle telling tales of the Jacobites and the Scottish Wars of Independence, and since then have tackled subjects as diverse as Suffragettes, Saints, early mental health care, the fishing industry, and witchcraft.

As well as a passion for making history accessible for all, I also enjoy sharing stories of folklore and I love a good ghost story. I am available for all types of groups, anywhere in Scotland.

(Photo credit: Lydia Gschosmann)

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

Performance; Talk

Audience will work with

Adult learners; English as an additional language (EAL); Young people in the community (e.g. Youth clubs, Guides, Scouts)

Topics of work

Adventure; Childhood; Class & society; Fairy tales, folklore & mythology; Family; Friendship; Historical fiction; History; Island communities; Religion & beliefs; World War 1; World War 2

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+