Claire Askew

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Claire Askew is the award-winning author of the DI Helen Birch crime series. The first book in the series, All the Hidden Truths, deals with the aftermath of a college shooting in Edinburgh and won the McIlvanney Debut Prize at the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival. The next book in the DI Birch series, What You Pay For, is a blistering follow-up which has also been shortlisted for the McIlvanney and CWA Awards.

We had a great chat with Claire, exploring the long and winding process to the publication of All The Hidden Truths (which included her taking the brave step of leaving her first agent), discuss why the idea of overnight success as an author is a myth - and why believing in writer’s block is a dangerous thing!