Born and raised in the Scottish Borders, Jenny moved to Edinburgh in the late 1980s to study History and English Literature. She later completed a PhD on the Scottish context of Canadian author L.M. Montgomery at the University of Edinburgh, where she also taught American History. Jenny worked in adult education research and policy at the Institute of Education, London for over a decade, living in Edinburgh and travelling regularly to Europe. Her main interests lie in Scottish literature, culture and folklore and in children’s books. She has two daughters.

Having grown up in Edinburgh and the Lothians, Alana completed her MA in English Literature and History followed by a MScR in Fantasy Literature at the University of Edinburgh. Now an English teacher in secondary school, Alana is passionate about local and national history, literature, cuisine and a wee dram of uisge-beatha (otherwise known as whisky, without an ‘e’). Having been trained at the Scotch Whisky Experience, Alana loves nothing more than to share stories and pass the time of day over a dram or two and can more often than not be spotted as the person with her nose in a book.