Inverness-based Barbara Henderson is the author of historical novels Fir for Luck and Punch. Her energetic school visits are increasingly taking her across the length and breadth of Scotland, and sometimes beyond. As a Drama teacher, she loves to get young people on their feet as they respond to stories.
‘Writing is like magic,’ she says. ‘I see something in my imagination, and I try to capture it by writing it down—nothing more than black marks on white paper. Much later, young people see these black marks on white paper and suddenly they see something too, feel something of their own. I cannot think of anything more special than that.’ Barbara shares her home with three teenage children, one long-suffering husband and a scruffy Schnauzer. Her garden always ends up a wilderness, however hard she tries.
Over the years, writing has always been what she loves most: Barbara has won several national and international short story competitions and was one of three writers short-listed for the Kelpies Prize 2013 with a previous novel manuscript.