Jess has been writing stories since childhood. Her first completed work, aged eight, was a fully illustrated Horrid Henry fanfiction, lovingly laminated by her grandma.

After graduating from St Andrews University, Ali moved to the South West of England where her writing is still strongly influenced by her Scottish roots.

Born in 1940 in Ardbhan, Kyles, North Uist, Ena MacDonald has spent almost her entire life in crofting

Jane Edberg was born in Windsor, England but resides in the United States on the coast of California with her husband.

Avril Joy is a short story writer, novelist and poet.

Maureen Freely was born in the US but grew up in Turkey. After graduating from Radcliffe College, Harvard University, she moved to England, where she teaches at the University of Warwick.

Lynn Michell has published 13 books including an illustrated writing scheme for schools, a book about ME, and two books published by The Women’s Press.

Susan Clegg has short stories published in Matter and The Stinging Fly. She was Highly Commended in the Writers & Artists Killer Fiction competition.

Jess Richards was born in Wales and raised in Scotland. She is the author of three literary fiction novels: Costa shortlisted Snake Ropes, Cooking with Bones and City of Circles.

Catherine Chanter has spent her professional life working with disturbed children and sitting on adoption panels.

Ann Oakley is a writer and a sociologist. In a distinguished career lasting nearly sixty years she has produced many trail-blazing publications that span the fiction – non-fiction divide.

Charlotte Fairbairn was born in Scotland and lives in Cumbria. She has published three novels including God Breathes His Dreams Through Nathaniel Cadwallader which also came out in the US.

The Whole Kahani (The Complete Story) is a collective of British fiction writers of south Asian origin. The group was formed in 2011 to provide a rich creative perspective that straddles cultures and boundaries

Hema Macherla was a finalist in the Richard and Judy novel writing competition with Breeze From the River Manjeera, runner up for the Big Red Read, and received a National Reading Hero award at No10 Downing Street

Margot McCuaig is a writer and award winning filmmaker. Her acclaimed debut, The Birds That Never Flew, was shortlisted for the Dundee International Book Prize and longlisted for the Polari Prize.

Her novel Manual For A Decent Life won the Brighthorse Prize, the Eastern Eye Award for Literature 2020

Jan Hartley crossed the channel to live in France at the age of 78.

Mona Dash is the author of Untamed Heart (Tara India Research Press, 2016) and two poetry collections.

Clare Best decided when she was six that she wanted to be a writer. Along the way she worked as a fine bookbinder, a bookseller and an editor.

The poets who have contributed to this anthology represent every stage of a woman’s life and come from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

Sophie has made her living as a writer since her son was born and she moved to France, to a battered old millhouse to the north of Paris.

Karen Kao is a published poet and short story writer. Linen Press published her debut novel, The Dancing Girl and the Turtle in 2017.

Lindsay Parnell was born on a marine base in Jacksonville and grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia. Linen Press published her debut novel, Dogwood, in March 2015