ALANNA’S WRITING CAREER

Alanna Knight's award-winning first novel, ‘Legend of the Loch' was published in 1969 and she went on to write more than 60 novels.

Novelist, playwright and biographer, her work includes gothic and historical novels and crime fiction, as well as her notable non-fiction works on Robert Louis Stevenson.

Born in Tyneside of Scots-Irish parentage, she lived and wrote in Edinburgh, the city which inspired her popular and widely-acclaimed series of books: The Inspector Faro Series. These crime stories featuring Victorian detective, Jeremy Faro - the most well-known and well-loved of all her creations - won her praise and fans from all over the world.

INSPECTOR FARO

Alanna told the story of where the character came from: "I was sitting by the window in my Victorian house, not long after moving to Edinburgh, and a man walked past. I thought to myself, 'He looks like a Victorian detective would have done.' - and so followed Faro. I don't know who the man was, and have never seen him again - but he was the original Jeremy Faro."

HISTORICAL CRIME

Speaking about her reasons for being drawn to the world of historical crime, Alanna explained: "It was the puzzles. History is full of riddles and mysteries, and the researcher has to figure them out, especially if one wants to write a book. I love such puzzles, and I wanted to write some myself."

ALANNA’S CONNECTIONS

A founder member of the Scottish Association of Writers; Aberdeen Writers' Circle; Hon. President of the Edinburgh Writers' Club; she was Convener of the Scottish Chapter of the Crime Writers' Association; she was a member of the Society of Authors in Scotland and the Mystery Writers of America. She was involved over the years in helping other writers get into print: lecturing in creative writing as well as writing articles and books on the subject

and adjudicating competitions. 

ALANNA ON WRITING

With tight deadlines, she was highly disciplined in turning away tempting social activities. 'It isn't deprivation - I love writing.  I can't remember a time when I didn't want to be a writer.  I even wrote plays for my classmates at school and poems for children's radio.  I realise that I am a workaholic that I'm never really happy unless I have a book in progress.'

ALANNA’S OTHER TALENTS

Alanna was not only an extremely talented writer but she also a gifted artist. She created portraits in pastel of many other writers, among them Ian Rankin, Nigel Trantor, Dorothy Dunnett and Eileen Ramsay, as well as actor, Robert Powell.  Alanna explained, "I get the same feelings from writing and drawing.  There is a moment when you realise you have got a good story, and it's so exciting.  It's the same with drawing.  The outlines resemble nothing, then

suddenly you see a face coming through.  It's a moment of jubilation when you know that what you're working on isn't going to be a disaster."