Authors

I’ve been an actor, a story-teller, and now I’m a writer. My first books for children were published in 1990, and since then I’ve written over 200 books, including picture books, non-fiction, modern fairy tales for fluent readers and novels for teenagers. The Tiara Club series is hugely popular, and I’m very lucky to be amongst the most borrowed authors in UK libraries – my books were borrowed over half a million times last year.


I’ve won and been shortlisted for many awards: most recently I won the Stockton Children's Book of the Year for The Robe of Skulls. I’ve visited schools from Orkney to Oklahoma, and been writer in residence at festivals all over the world – but I’m happiest when at I’m home in Edinburgh. One day, I was standing at my local bus stop, and an elderly Morningside lady asked me what I did. “I write books for children,” I said. “Oh”, came the reply, “You’re in the right place, then. Edinburgh’s got stories in her bones and her stones.” That’s so true ... and I love it!


Visit Vivian’s own website at www.vivianfrench.co.uk


An extract from Word of Crow by Vivian French
 

‘Hail, dark sister!’ The voice was deep, and laden with doom.
   ‘Hail to you, sister of the night!’ The second voice was equally gloomy.
   ‘Hail, hail, hail to us all three!’ The third was deepest of all, suggesting death and destruction in equal proportions.
   ‘Unless it rains instead, which it’s more than likely to, given the lie of the clouds,’ said a fourth, and the three witches on top of the castle battlements swung round to stare.
   ‘And who exactly do you think you are, interrupting a private meeting?’ The tallest witch frowned at the very young and attractive witch hovering on her broomstick just below. ‘I don’t remember inviting you.’
   The young witch settled herself on the edge of the wall. ‘You didn’t. But I heard it was your hailing night, so I thought I’d pop up to keep you company – oops! Watch it! Here comes the sentry!’
   There was a swift flurry of black skirts and feathers, and four hooded crows were perching on the stones.

Read the full story in Our City, available from Polygon in November 2008.