List of Scottish novelists
Encyclopedia
List of Scottish novelists is an incomplete alphabetical list of Scottish
novelists. This list includes novelists of all genres, writing in English, Scots
, Gaelic
or any other language.
This is a subsidiary list to the List of Scottish writers.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
novelists. This list includes novelists of all genres, writing in English, Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
, Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
or any other language.
This is a subsidiary list to the List of Scottish writers.
B
- Iain BanksIain BanksIain Banks is a Scottish writer. He writes mainstream fiction under the name Iain Banks, and science fiction as Iain M. Banks, including the initial of his adopted middle name Menzies...
aka Iain M. Banks, (born 1954) writes mainstream novels under the first name, science fiction novels under the second. - J. M. BarrieJ. M. BarrieSir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, OM was a Scottish author and dramatist, best remembered today as the creator of Peter Pan. The child of a family of small-town weavers, he was educated in Scotland. He moved to London, where he developed a career as a novelist and playwright...
(1860-1937), author of Peter PanPeter PanPeter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
among others. - Christopher BrookmyreChristopher BrookmyreChristopher Brookmyre is a Scottish novelist whose novels mix comedy, politics, social comment and action with a strong narrative. He has been referred to as a Tartan Noir author...
(born 1968) - George Mackay BrownGeorge Mackay BrownGeorge Mackay Brown , was a Scottish poet, author and dramatist, whose work has a distinctly Orcadian character...
(1921-1996), Beside the Ocean of TimeBeside the Ocean of TimeBeside the Ocean of Time is a novel by Scottish writer George Mackay Brown. It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and judged Scottish Book of the Year by the Saltire Society. The plot follows Thorfinn Ragnarson from Norday in the Orkney Islands of the 1930's. The son of a tenant farmer, he... - Mary BruntonMary BruntonMary Brunton was a Scottish novelist.-Life:Mary was the daughter of Colonel Thomas Balfour of Elwick, a British Army officer and Frances Ligonier, daughter of Colonel Francis Ligonier and sister of the second earl of Ligonier. She was born on 1 November 1778 on Burray in the Orkney Islands...
(1778-1818) - John BuchanJohn Buchan, 1st Baron TweedsmuirJohn Buchan, 1st Baron Tweedsmuir was a Scottish novelist, historian and Unionist politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 15th since Canadian Confederation....
(1875-1940), The Thirty-nine StepsThe Thirty-nine StepsThe Thirty-Nine Steps is an adventure novel by the Scottish author John Buchan. It first appeared as a serial in Blackwood's Magazine in August and September 1915 before being published in book form in October that year by William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh...
C
- Keith ChartersKeith ChartersKeith Charters is a British author and publisher.Born in Edinburgh, he grew up in Glasgow where he attended the University of Strathclyde, before he moved to London in 1986, where he lived until 2002. His first novel for children, Lee and the Consul Mutants was published in 2004 and his second,...
(born 1965) - Dominic Cooper (author)Dominic Cooper (author)Dominic Cooper is a British novelist, poet and watchmaker. He won the Somerset Maugham Award for his novel The Dead of Winter .- Background & career :...
(born 1944) - Iain Crichton SmithIain Crichton SmithIain Crichton Smith was a Scottish man of letters, writing in both English and Scottish Gaelic, and a prolific author in both languages...
(1928-1998) - Samuel Rutherford CrockettSamuel Rutherford CrockettSamuel Rutherford Crockett was a Scottish novelist, born at Duchrae, Balmaghie, Kirkcudbrightshire, the illegitimate grandson of a farmer....
(1860-1914) - A. J. CroninA. J. CroninArchibald Joseph Cronin was a Scottish physician and novelist. His best-known works are Hatter's Castle, The Stars Look Down, The Citadel, The Keys of the Kingdom and The Green Years, all of which were adapted to film. He also created the Dr...
(1896–1981) - Andrew CrumeyAndrew CrumeyAndrew Crumey is a novelist and former literary editor of the Scotland on Sunday newspaper. He was born in Kirkintilloch, north of Glasgow, Scotland. He graduated with First Class Honours from the University of St Andrews and holds a PhD in theoretical physics from Imperial College, London. In...
(born 1961)
D
- Colin DouglasColin DouglasThis article relates to Colin Douglas the Scottish Author, the following is a link to Colin Douglas the British TV actor Colin Douglas Colin Douglas is the pseudonym of a Scottish novelist, Colin Thomas Currie, born in Glasgow in 1945, who was schooled at Hamilton Academy before graduating in...
pseudonym of Colin Thomas Currie (born 1945) Edinburgh medical novels with many thinly-disguised real characters. - O. DouglasO. DouglasO. Douglas is the pen name of Anna Masterton Buchan , a Scottish novelist.She was born in Perth, Scotland, the daughter of the Reverend John Buchan and Helen Masterton. She was the younger sister of John Buchan, the renowned statesman and author...
pen name of Anna Masterton Buchan (1877-1948) - Sir Arthur Conan DoyleArthur Conan DoyleSir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
(1859-1930), creator of the Great DetectiveSherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
, discoverer of the Lost WorldThe Lost World (Arthur Conan Doyle)The Lost World is a novel released in 1912 by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle concerning an expedition to a plateau in the Amazon basin of South America where prehistoric animals still survive. It was originally published serially in the popular Strand Magazine during the months of April 1912-November 1912...
, believer in fairiesFairyA fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
. - Niall DuthieNiall DuthieNiall Duthie is a novelist. He was born on 15 May 1947 in Aberdeen, Scotland. He was brought up there, and in Ghana, England and Malaysia. He is the author of three acclaimed novels: The Duchess's Dragonfly . Natterjack, and Lobster Moth...
(born 1947) novelist
G
- Janice GallowayJanice GallowayJanice Galloway is a writer of novels, short stories, prose-poetry, non-fiction and libretti-Biography:She is the second daughter of James Galloway and Janet Clark McBride. Her parents separated when she was four and her father died when she was six. Her sister Nora, sixteen years older, died in...
- Richard GordonRichard Gordon (Scottish author)Richard Alexander Steuart Gordon was a Scottish author born in Banff, Scotland who wrote numerous science fiction novels, encyclopedias, and travel guides. Gordon's novels are noted for their mix of historical fact and creative fictionalized events.- Life :Gordon was brought up and educated in...
, science fiction. - Lewis Grassic GibbonLewis Grassic GibbonLewis Grassic Gibbon was the pseudonym of James Leslie Mitchell , a Scottish writer.-Biography:...
, Sunset SongSunset SongSunset Song is a 1932 novel by the Scottish writer Lewis Grassic Gibbon. It is widely regarded as one of the most important Scottish novels of the 20th century... - Alasdair GrayAlasdair GrayAlasdair Gray is a Scottish writer and artist. His most acclaimed work is his first novel Lanark, published in 1981 and written over a period of almost 30 years...
, LanarkLanark (book)Lanark, subtitled A Life in Four Books, is the first novel of Scottish writer Alasdair Gray. Written over a period of almost thirty years, it combines realist and dystopian fantasy depictions of his home city of Glasgow.... - Andrew GreigAndrew GreigAndrew Greig is a Scottish writer. He grew up in Anstruther, Fife. He studied philosophy at the University of Edinburgh and is a former Glasgow University Writing Fellow and Scottish Arts Council Scottish/Canadian Exchange Fellow...
- Neil Gunn, The Silver Darlings
Mac/Mc
- George MacBethGeorge MacBethGeorge Mann MacBeth was a Scottish poet and novelist. He was born in Shotts, Lanarkshire.When he was three, his family moved to Sheffield....
(1932-1992) - George MacDonaldGeorge MacDonaldGeorge MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister.Known particularly for his poignant fairy tales and fantasy novels, George MacDonald inspired many authors, such as W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, E. Nesbit and Madeleine L'Engle. It was C.S...
(1824-1905), PhantastesPhantastesPhantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women is a fantasy novel written by George MacDonald, first published in London in 1858. It was later reprinted in paperback by Ballantine Books as the fourteenth volume of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in April 1970.The story centres on the character...
, The Princess and the GoblinThe Princess and the GoblinThe Princess and the Goblin is a children's fantasy novel by George MacDonald. It was published in 1872 by Strahan & Co.The sequel to this book is The Princess and Curdie....
, LilithLilith (novel)Lilith is a fantasy novel written by Scottish writer George MacDonald and first published in 1895. Its importance was recognized in its later revival in paperback by Ballantine Books as the fifth volume of the celebrated Ballantine Adult Fantasy series in September 1969.Lilith is considered among... - Iain McDowallIain McDowallIain McDowall is a British crime fiction author. He has written six novels in his ‘Crowby’ series, featuring the present-day investigations of Inspector Jacobson and his team of provincial police detectives...
- William McIlvanneyWilliam McIlvanneyWilliam McIlvanney is a writer of crime stories, novels, and poetry. McIlvanney is a champion of gritty yet poetic literature; his works Laidlaw, The Papers of Tony Veitch, and Walking Wounded are all known for their portrayal of Glasgow in the 1970s.- Life and career :McIlvanney was born in the...
(born 1936) - Pat McIntoshPat McIntoshPat McIntosh is a Scottish writer of historical mystery fiction and fantasy.-Life and career:McIntosh was born and raised in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Having begun to write at age seven, she credits the author who inspired her to write as "probably Angus MacVicar!" She lived and worked in Glasgow for...
- Helen Clark MacInnesHelen Clark MacInnesHelen Clark MacInnes was a Scottish-American author of espionage novels.She graduated from the University of Glasgow in Scotland in 1928 with a degree in French and German...
(1907-1985), suspense novels - Compton MackenzieCompton MackenzieSir Compton Mackenzie, OBE was a writer and a Scottish nationalist.-Background:Compton Mackenzie was born in West Hartlepool, England, into a theatrical family of Mackenzies, but many of whose members used Compton as their stage surname, starting with his grandfather Henry Compton, a well-known...
(1883-1972), Whisky Galore! - Alistair MacLeanAlistair MacLeanAlistair Stuart MacLean was a Scottish novelist who wrote popular thrillers or adventure stories, the best known of which are perhaps The Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra and Where Eagles Dare, all three having been made into successful films...
(1922-1987), The Guns of NavaroneThe Guns of Navarone (novel)The Guns of Navarone is a 1957 novel about World War II by Scottish thriller writer Alistair MacLean that was made into a critically acclaimed film in 1961...
, Where Eagles DareWhere Eagles DareWhere Eagles Dare is a 1968 World War II action-adventure spy film starring Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood and Mary Ure. It was directed by Brian G. Hutton and shot on location in Upper Austria and Bavaria.... - Ken MacLeodKen MacLeodKen MacLeod , is a Scottish science fiction writer.MacLeod was born in Stornoway. He graduated from Glasgow University with a degree in zoology and has worked as a computer programmer and written a masters thesis on biomechanics....
, (born 1954), science fiction - Candia McWilliamCandia McWilliamCandia McWilliam is a Scottish author. Her father was the architectural writer and academic Colin McWilliam.Born in Edinburgh, McWilliam was educated at Girton College, Cambridge, where she obtained first class honours. Her first novel, A Case of Knives, published in 1988, was the winner of a...
(born 1955)
M
- Laura MarneyLaura Marney-Biography:The author of four novels and numerous short stories, Laura Marney is a member of the Glasgow G7 group of writers ....
- Bruce MarshallBruce MarshallLieutenant-Colonel Claude Cunningham Bruce Marshall, known as Bruce Marshall was a prolific Scottish writer who wrote fiction and non-fiction books on a wide range of topics and genres. His first book, A Thief in the Night came out in 1918, possibly self-published...
- Allan MassieAllan MassieAllan Massie is a well-known Scottish journalist, sports writer and novelist.-Early life:Born in 1938 in Singapore, where his father was a rubber planter for Sime Darby, Massie spent his childhood in Aberdeenshire...
- Rosaline MassonRosaline MassonRosaline Masson was prolific writer of novels, biographies, histories and other works. She was born on 6 May 1867 in Edinburgh and was the daughter of David Masson, Professor of Rhetoric and English Literature at Edinburgh University, and of Emily Rosaline Orme...
- Peter May (writer)Peter May (writer)Peter May is a Scottish television screenwriter, novelist and crime writer.- Early life :Peter was born in Glasgow. From an early age he was intent on becoming a novelist, but took up a career as a journalist as a way to start earning a living by writing. At the age of 21, he won the Fraser...
- Denise MinaDenise MinaDenise Mina is a Scottish crime writer and playwright. She has written the Garnethill trilogy and another three novels featuring the character Patricia "Paddy" Meehan, a Glasgow journalist. Described as an author of Tartan Noir, she has also dabbled in comic book writing, having recently written...
- Naomi MitchisonNaomi MitchisonNaomi May Margaret Mitchison, CBE was a Scottish novelist and poet. She was appointed CBE in 1981; she was also entitled to call herself Lady Mitchison, CBE since 5 October 1964 .- Childhood and family background :Naomi Margaret Haldane was...
- Neil MunroNeil Munro (Hugh Foulis)Neil Munro was a Scottish journalist, newspaper editor, author and literary critic. He was born in Inveraray and worked as a journalist on various newspapers....
S
- Andrew Murray ScottAndrew Murray ScottAndrew Murray Scott, born in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1955 is a novelist, poet and non-fiction book writer. His first novel, Tumulus, appeared in 2000, as the winner of the inaugural Dundee International Book Prize for unpublished novels, against 82 other manuscripts, winning the author £6,000 plus a...
(born 1955), novelisthttp://www.andrewmurrayscott.com - Michael ScottMichael Scott (novelist)Michael Scott , British author, was born at Cowlairs, near Glasgow, the son of a Glasgow merchant.In 1806 he went to Jamaica, first managing some estates, and afterwards joining a business firm in Kingston...
(1789-1835) - Sir Walter ScottWalter ScottSir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
, (1771-1832), innovator of the historical novel - Alan SharpAlan SharpAlan Sharp a novelist and screenwriter. He published two novels in the 1960s, and since then has written the screenplays for about twenty films, mostly produced in the United States....
(born 1934) - Nan ShepherdNan ShepherdNan Shepherd was a Scottish novelist and poet.-Life:She attended Aberdeen High School for Girls and graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 1915, subsequently lecturing for the Aberdeen College of Education.After she retired in 1956 she edited the Aberdeen University review...
(1893-1981) - Sara Sheridan (born 1968)
- Ali SmithAli SmithAli Smith is a British writer.She was born to working-class parents, raised in a council house in Inverness and now lives in Cambridge. She studied at the University of Aberdeen and then at Newnham College, Cambridge, for a PhD that was never finished. She worked as a lecturer at University of...
(born 1962) - Iain Crichton SmithIain Crichton SmithIain Crichton Smith was a Scottish man of letters, writing in both English and Scottish Gaelic, and a prolific author in both languages...
(1928-1998), Consider the LiliesConsider the LiliesConsider the Lilies is a religious album released by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The album was originally released in 2003.-Track listing:#"For the Beauty of the Earth" - 3:21#"O Holy Jesus" - 3:36... - Tobias SmollettTobias SmollettTobias George Smollett was a Scottish poet and author. He was best known for his picaresque novels, such as The Adventures of Roderick Random and The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle , which influenced later novelists such as Charles Dickens.-Life:Smollett was born at Dalquhurn, now part of Renton,...
(1721-1771), The Adventures of Roderick RandomThe Adventures of Roderick RandomThe Adventures of Roderick Random is a picaresque novel by Tobias Smollett, first published in 1748. It is partially based on Smollett's experience as a naval-surgeon’s mate in the British Navy, especially during Battle of Cartagena de Indias in 1741...
, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle - Muriel SparkMuriel SparkDame Muriel Spark, DBE was an award-winning Scottish novelist. In 2008 The Times newspaper named Spark in its list of "the 50 greatest British writers since 1945".-Early life:...
(1918-2006) - D. E. StevensonD. E. StevensonD. E. Stevenson , Dorothy Emily Peploe was a Scottish author of more than 40 light romantic novels. Her father was the lighthouse engineer David Alan Stevenson, first cousin to the author Robert Louis Stevenson....
(1892-1973) - Robert Louis StevensonRobert Louis StevensonRobert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
, (1850-1894), KidnappedKidnapped (novel)Kidnapped is a historical fiction adventure novel by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. Written as a "boys' novel" and first published in the magazine Young Folks from May to July 1886, the novel has attracted the praise and admiration of writers as diverse as Henry James, Jorge Luis...
, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr HydeThe Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr HydeStrange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is the original title of a novella written by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson that was first published in 1886. The original pronunciation of Jekyll was "Jeekul" which was the pronunciation used in Stevenson's native Scotland...
, Treasure IslandTreasure IslandTreasure Island is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of "pirates and buried gold". First published as a book on May 23, 1883, it was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881–82 under the title Treasure Island; or, the...
etc. - Luke SutherlandLuke SutherlandLuke Sutherland is an English-born Scottish novelist and musician.-Biography:Sutherland was brought up in Orkney and Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross by his adoptive Scottish parents, who moved to Scotland from Lincolnshire in 1976. He was educated at Glasgow University, where he read English and...
(born 1971)
T
- Nigel TranterNigel TranterNigel Tranter OBE was a Scottish historian and author.-Early life:Nigel Tranter was born in Glasgow and educated at George Heriot's School in Edinburgh. He trained as an accountant and worked in Scottish National Insurance Company, founded by his uncle. In 1933 he married May Jean Campbell Grieve...
, (1909–2000), Scottish historical novels, westerns, contemporary adventure, children's books, non-fiction (history, Scotland, Scottish architecture).
W
- Alan WarnerAlan WarnerAlan Warner , a Scottish novelist, grew up in Connel, near Oban.He is the author of six novels: the acclaimed Morvern Callar , winner of a Somerset Maugham Award; These Demented Lands , winner of the Encore Award; The Sopranos , winner of the Saltire Society Scottish Book of the Year Award; The Man...
(born 1964) - William WatsonWilliam Watson (writer)William Watson was a Scottish author, playwright and newspaper editor. He was initially Literary and then Features editor of the Scotsman newspaper....
(1931-2005) - Irvine WelshIrvine WelshIrvine Welsh is a contemporary Scottish novelist, best known for his novel Trainspotting. His work is characterised by raw Scottish dialect, and brutal depiction of the realities of Edinburgh life...
(born 1958) - George Whyte-MelvilleGeorge Whyte-MelvilleGeorge John Whyte-Melville was a Scottish novelist of the sporting-field and a poet.-Life and work:Born at Mount Melville, near St. Andrews. He achieved immediate success as a writer of fox-hunting stories with his first novel Digby Grand in 1854...
(1821-1878) - David WishartDavid Wishart-Life and work:Wishart was born in Arbroath, Scotland. He studied Greek and Latin classics at Edinburgh University and after graduation taught for four years in a secondary school. He then retrained as a teacher of English as a Foreign Language and worked abroad for eleven years, in Kuwait, Greece...
- David WolstencroftDavid WolstencroftDavid Wolstencroft is a Scottish television writer and author. He is best known as creator of the BAFTA award-winning TV spy drama Spooks and its spin-off series, Spooks: Code 9. Wolstencroft was born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1969 and grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland, later going on to read history at...
(born 1969)