I was born in Glasgow in 1970. We moved a lot because of my dad’s job, which meant by the time I was in primary five (age ten) I’d been to five different schools. I’d just have made new friends when we’d uproot yet again and there I’d be standing at the front of the class, always in tears, being introduced as the new girl. My lovely parents are never going to be allowed to forget this!

Although I’d wanted to be a writer from my early teens, I lacked the confidence to do anything about it. I have one rambling journal in which I declare myself a complete and utter failure. I was 17 at the time. I did all sorts of jobs - I worked in a bank, as a secondary school teacher, in a psychiatric hospital, I had my own little swimming school, I was a silver-service waitress, a lecturer, I worked for a pop band - before I finally got a proper job, if journalism can be described as such a thing, at the age of 28.

From an early age I showed unhealthy all-or-nothing traits (quite useful for anyone who wants to be a writer). For instance, I was completely obsessed with the aforementioned band. When their first single was given a bad review in the NME, I burst into tears then told the members of the band that if they wanted someone to set fire to the reviewer’s house I’d happily oblige.

My first real journalism job was at the Herald in Glasgow. I worked there for four years before moving to the Observer. I loved both and worked on a wide range of stories. Everything from breaking the news worldwide that Madonna and guy Ritchie were to be married in Dornoch (I won a Scoop of the Year award for this which was a total fluke but very exciting). On a more serious note, I spent a year exposing the long-term detention of a family of asylum-seekers who were locked up in a former prison. I received an Amnesty International media award for this work. As well as covering local stories, I also reported from Bosnia, Albania, Romania, Benin, Malawi, Jamaica and Thailand. I covered some great stories and had great fun, when I wasn’t worrying my head off about something or other.

Apart from writing, reading, drinking wine and talking drivel with my friends, going out for dinner, climbing trees with my nephew, daydreaming, and watching HBO box-sets, I love dancing. Or I should say, learning to dance. My current favourites are the quick-step, cha cha and tango.