Isla Dewar

(born 1951 -) Edinburgh

Isla Dewar
© Tom Kidd

Isla Dewar now lives in the coastal town of Crail in the East Neuk of Fife with her husband Bob, a political cartoonist. They have two sons.

Prior to writing and publishing her novels Isla wrote articles for newspapers and magazines. She took a long time to finally pluck up the courage to send her first novel to an agent, but within a week she had been signed up and the first publisher who saw the manuscript offered her a two book deal. Her first book, Keeping Up With Magda, was published in 1995. Dewar found greater success with her second novel, Women Talking Dirty (1996), which was turned into a film starring Helena Bonham Carter. She has also contributed to the collection Scottish Girls About Town.

Isla Dewar has also written for children: the picture book Rosie's Wish and the young adult novel Walking with Rainbows, which was re-issued as Briggsy in 2008.

Isla continues to write at home in Fife. Her latest novel, The Consequences of Marriage, was published in August 2006.

  • Cover scan of Briggsy
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    Briggsy - Paperback
    Briggsy's family travels with the fairground and when he turns up at Minnie's school, Minnie knows he's not like the other boys. Although not everyone welcomes the travellers, Briggsy's passion for life ensures that the time Minnie spends with him is going to change her life forever.
  • Cover scan of The Consequences Of Marriage
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    The Consequences Of Marriage - Hardback
    When James McElroy reads Bibi Saunders' advert for a lodger, he pictures a glamorous young landlady with whom he will have a pleasant, bantering relationship. In fact Bibi is a much older woman, once beautiful, now wise, and still full of 'joie de vivre'.
  • Cover scan of Dancing In A Distant Place
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    Dancing In A Distant Place - Paperback
    When teacher Iris Chisholm arrives in the tiny Highland village, she's still in a state of shock - not just from her husband's death, but from the massive debts he concealed from her. The locals are heartened by her support for the children of her school, but shocked by her feisty approach to life.
  • Cover scan of Getting Out Of The House
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    Getting Out Of The House - Paperback
    Nora was devastated when her mother, Maisie, told her she preferred her older daughter, Cathryn. Now, Nora lives happily in Edinburgh. But when Maisie's world falls apart, she and Cathryn think it obvious that Nora should be the one to pick up the pieces.
  • Cover scan of Giving Up On Ordinary
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    Giving Up On Ordinary - Paperback
    Cleaner Megs Williams spars constantly with her mother, brings up her 3 children single-handed, and drinks away her troubles with her friend Lorraine in a nightclub. But Megs isn't content with her life, and decides it's time for change.
  • Cover scan of It Could Happen To You
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    It Could Happen To You - Paperback
    Ever since she can remember, Rowan has cherished a burning ambition to travel the world. Now living a metropolitan life in London, she is about to return to the small Scottish town where she grew up.
  • Cover scan of Keeping Up With Magda
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    Keeping Up With Magda - Paperback
    This first novel brings to life the tiny Scottish fishing village of Mareth, and Magda, a tousle-haired, funny and utterly shameless fortysomething.
  • Cover scan of Rosie's Wish
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    Rosie's Wish - Hardback
    Rosie wants the real Christmas, like they have in films. One day she finds Mrs Hawthorn's purse in the street. When she returns it, Mrs Hawthorn gives Rosie a wish from her garden.
  • Cover scan of Secrets Of A Family Album
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    Secrets Of A Family Album - Paperback
    This story focuses on several generations of one family during one year of their lives. At the heart of the novel is Lily, sister of Marie and Rory, wife of Art, daughter of Mattie and John and granddaughter of Grandpa.
  • Cover scan of Two Kinds Of Wonderful
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    Two Kinds Of Wonderful - Paperback
    Roz committed the ultimate sin of motherhood - she left her children behind when she couldn't stand another day living with her obsessive husband Matthew. Years later, trying to rebuild the relationship, her daughter is unforgiving.
  • Cover scan of The Woman Who Painted Her Dreams
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    The Woman Who Painted Her Dreams - Paperback
    Madeline Green adores her father, he is her hero. When he dies Madeline is still in her teens. She stumbles forward into life with one burning ambition - to paint. Seeking release she begins to paint her wild dreams.
  • Cover scan of Women Talking Dirty
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    Women Talking Dirty - Paperback
    From the author of Keeping up with Madga this novel tells of the lives and loves of two friends, Ellen Quinn and Cora O'Brien. The two of them still have plenty to learn about life, but at least if something goes wrong, there's someone to talk to.

Bibliography

Last modified Friday 03 October 2008
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