Paula Hillman

I live in Cumbria, in a large industrial town called Barrow-in-Furness. Ship building is at its heart, and because of its location on the coast, as well as on the foothills of The Lakes, I am heavily invested in the natural history of the place. I studied science at college and specialised in it for my bachelor’s degree in teaching, but my heart has always been tied up with books and reading.

I walked away from a long teaching career because I wanted to write. I wrote many texts and playscripts as part of my job as a teacher, and I wanted to do more. Writing is a therapy, as much as walking in nature is, to me.

I am married to a photographer and have two children - a thirty-five-year-old daughter, and an eighteen-year-old son, who is still at home with us.

I am a passionate advocate for local communities - Barrow has a deep Victorian heritage and a Cistercian Abbey - and I have studied these in depth for my own interest and within my teaching career. Barrow people are community driven and welcoming, and their character is unique in so many ways. I want to capture all of this in the books I write.

I am just about to submit my dissertation for a master’s degree in creative writing, and have been completely sucked in by the challenge!