About Gill

the beginning

Gill's story
Edinburgh
I was born and brought up in Edinburgh, where I went to James Gillespie’s High School, famous as the school where the author Muriel Spark was educated, on which she based her most famous book The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and where I was taught by a succession of wildly eccentric spinsters.

I went on to study Zoology at St Andrew’s University, then trained as a teacher. I dabbled in scientific research for a couple of years, but my brain wasn’t wired to make a success of that, so I became a biology teacher, doing my best to keep up the great tradition of eccentricity in which I was raised.

writing journey

becoming a writer

All the time what I really wanted to do was write. I wrote in secret (I know, how sad is that?) so that not even my family knew about it. My career began – although I didn’t realise it at the time – when I saw the Millennium Clock  in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Suddenly I was writing The Chaos Clock. It decided to be a childrens’ book and I didn’t feel I was in a position to argue with it. Eventually, I gave up teaching to write full time and now I’ve written over twenty books, ranging from picture books to family interest science. I’m very lucky – I got my dream job!

gill arbuthnott

Awards

  • Balloon to the Moon won the British Book Design & Production Award 2019
  • What Makes You You? (2014) and Microbe Wars (2022) were both shortlisted for the Royal Society Young People’s Book Award
  • Dark Spell was shortlisted for the 2015 Scottish Children’s Book Awards
  • Beneath was shortlisted for the 2015 RED Book Award
writer & educator

Arrange a visit by Gill

Arranging an event

One of the best parts of being an author is the chance to meet and interact with readers. I love delivering events in schools and libraries and at literary and science festivals and I’m always happy to be approached to come and talk.

I am happy to tailor sessions to the age and number of people in the audience and provide a fun and informative event. I have spoken to audiences ranging in size from 1 to over 300 and from pre-school to 80+. 

gill arbuthnott

I'd love to hear from you

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