Catherine Macphail

Catherine MacPhail shot to success when her first novel Run, Zan, Run won the Kathleen Fidler Award for new Scottish fiction. Catherine has quickly established a reputation as a writer of gritty, urban stories that tackle emotive contemporary issues but always work towards a positive solution.

THE BASICS
Born: Greenock, January 25th 1946
Jobs: Assembling computers for IBM, housewife
Lives: Greenock
First Book for young people: Run Zan Run, 1994

THE BOOKS
Catherine MacPhail always wanted to be a writer, but "I didn't think wee lassies like me could do things like that. It was only after my children were born that I started going to the local Writers' Club. There I was given the confidence and encouragement to start sending my stories away." The first work she had published was a “twist-in-the-tale” story in Titbits magazine, followed by a story in The Sunday Post. After winning a romantic story competition in Woman’s Weekly, Catherine decided to concentrate on romantic novels. But after writing two, she decided “it wasn’t right for me”.

Run, Zan, Run was Catherine’s first attempt at a children's novel. “I have never enjoyed writing anything so much," she says. Catherine was moved to write about bullying after her youngest daughter Katie was tormented at school. Catherine wanted to raise awareness of how little help is available for children who are being bullied. Run, Zan, Run was the winner of the 1994 Kathleen Fidler Award for new Scottish writing.

Catherine’s next book, Fighting Back, was equally uncompromising. This time the subject was loan-sharking. Fighting Back won one of the first Scottish Arts Council Children’s Book Awards in 1999.

Catherine’s latest novel Fugitive has also received widespread acclaim. A librarian wrote to Catherine that “I don’t think in 33 years of librarianship I have ever been moved to write to an author before but your book was so witty, realistic and swiftly moving, I had to write and tell you so.”

Catherine’s next novel for children, Tribes, will be published early in 2001.

Catherine is a prolific writer. In addition to writing novels for children, she also writes for adults and is the creator and writer of the radio series My Mammy and Me, broadcast on BBC Radio 2

WHAT SHE SAYS...
“I would write for nothing, but to get paid for it is the tops.”

“My favourite book was Little Women and one of the characters, Jo, was a writer.”

“I always use real people in my stories… Run, Zan, Run is a book about something that happened to my daughter Katie and Fugitive uses the relationship between my friend and her son. I get a real person or situation and then as I start to dramatise it the character takes on a personality of its own.”

“The more you read, the better writer you will become. I often read books now to see how they have been written – how the author has created a character or built up the feeling of suspense.”

“I am usually working on several books at the one time. I often write six chapters and a synopsis for a publisher and send it off and then start another six chapters of another book.”

“I like to give myself a deadline of writing a chapter a day when I am working on a book. It doesn’t matter if I know it isn’t going right – I can always go back and fix it.”

WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT CATHERINE MACPHAIL...
“(MacPhail’s) experience as a successful dramatist is particularly evident in the splendid dialogue…the book is certainly imbued with the ‘gritty realism’ for which so much recent Scottish fiction for adults is reknowned, but the author’s strong sense of humour has a pleasingly leavening influence.” The Guardian

“A pacy, urban thriller.” The Herald (Glasgow) on Fighting Back

“Elements of a thriller, school story and family drama all combine in this lively account of Jack’s reunion with the father whom he believed to be long dead.” Books For Keeps on Fugitive

“Fugitive is one of the new branch of children’s literature starring single mums, social problems, and a more realistic, if less proscriptive, view of ideals and behaviour.” Irish Times

“Exciting” The Observer on Run, Zan, Run

“An electrifying climax.” The Observer on Run, Zan, Run

“A real page-turner… many young readers will identify with Katie when she complains that her ostensibly caring parents and teachers fail to take seriously the concerns of children.” Time Out on Run, Zan, Run

“Catherine’s MacPhail’s powerful story not only deals with bullying but raises our awareness of the varied and heart-rending reasons for people finding themselves living on the street.” Books For Keeps on Run, Zan, Run

“A riveting book with a strong storyline. It brings out with great clarity the loneliness and fear of a child who is bullied at school.” Children’s Books in Ireland on Run, Zan, Run

AWARDS
Kathleen Fidler Award 1994 for Run, Zan, Run
Verghereto Award for Run, Zan, Run
A Scottish Arts Council Children’s Book Award 1999 for Fighting Back