I am an award-winning writer, creative writing tutor and website editor based in Edinburgh but willing to travel throughout the UK. I have tutored extensively in the UK with the Arvon Foundation and with schools and community groups.
Children of Albion Rovers - (contributor) - Canongate, 1997 - novella
Nail and Other Stories - Canongate, 1997 - short story colection
Rovers Return - (contributor) - Canongate, 1998 - novella
Born Free - Canongate, 1999 - novel
Hope & Other Stories - Canongate, 2006 - short story collection
Dear Laura - Canongate - to be published March 2007 - non-fiction book
Anthologies
New Scottish Writing (contributor) Flamingo; Typical Girls (contributor) Sceptre; Damage Land (contributor) Polygon; The Hope That Kills us (contributor) Freight Design; Strictly Casual (contributor) Serpent’s Tail; A Change of Face - Contemporary Scottish Writing (contributor) The Literary Review (USA); Word Jig: New Fiction from Scotland – Hanging Loose Press (USA)
Translations
A full list is available upon request.
Magazines
Stories and articles published in: The Face, The Big Issue, Guardian, Scotland on Sunday, Billy Liar, Verbal, Cencrastus, Chapman, Grand Street (USA), Front and Centre (Canada), Blvd (Netherlands), Bang (Sweden), Barcelona Review, Story (USA), Liar Republic.
Laura worked with Pulp Net as a guest editor over a period of several months, and subsequently on a live reading.
She was highly professional and very conscientious in all the work that she undertook. She also brought an enormous amount of creativity and enthusiasm to the projects. The audience she read to in Newcastle last June were clearly both impressed by her reading and inspired by her presence among them as a role model.
Laura Hird is an interesting and respected writer who also cares a lot about contemporary literature and is an excellent advocate for it both through her website and through the live events and teaching she does. I am sure she will make an excellent addition to Artscape.
Editor, Pulp Net, London
This is a reference for Laura Hird, who has worked as a tutor at Moniack Mhor Writer?s Centre on a regular basis over the last four years. I am one of the centre directors, and I can state unequivocally that Laura is one of our best tutors. Without fail, her student feedback is enthusiastically grateful. She is that rare creature ? both an excellent writer and an excellent tutor. She has an un-intimidating presence, and can coax the best work possible from the least confident student.
I wish her well in her career.
Centre Director
The Arvon Foundation, Moniack Mhor
Inverness-shire