Biog

Dawn Mclachlan

Dawn Mclachlan (formerly Dawn Finch) is a working-class poet and author based in a the rural farming community in Aberdeenshire, NE Scotland.

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I am active and outspoken campaigner for libraries and literacy and a former President of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP). I was the chair of the Society of Authors’ Children’s Writers and Illustrators committee (CWIG) from 2020 to 2023, a role that included being part of the All Party Parliamentary Writer’s Group investigation into the impact the Pandemic had on the lives and careers of those in the creative sector.

I have both written and contributed to dozens of non-fiction books for children, and my mainstream published books about prehistoric Britain are bestsellers used in most of the primary schools in the country. I also write fiction for young readers and have written about historical fiction for children and young readers. After winning a respected poetry award in 2019, I moved forward with my poetry development and now primarily work as a poet.

I write poetry for both adults and children and am currently exploring writing more fiction and poetry for adults. I won the Brian Nisbet Poetry Award 3 times and as a result was invited to chair the judging panel. I have performed my poetry in many places but I love being outstanding in a field and open air performances. In Feb 2024 I created a poetry set for the Scottish Environmental Design Association with funding from the Scottish Poetry Library. These new poems were performed on a windswept hillside in north Aberdeenshire. I was the recipient of a 2024 Scottish BookTrust grant to develop poetry appreciation at a grass roots level with the creation of a pop-up Poetry Cafe for Book Week Scotland.

My most recently published poetry appears in the anthologies, Gods and Monsters, Heroes and Villains - (illustrated by Chris Riddell) and Cosy Poems. All published by Macmillan. My poetry also features in the book Space, a poetry anthology published by Macmillan celebrating the 350th anniversary of the Royal Observatory Greenwich. I also edited and contributed to the poetry anthology - Speaking Back - published by Lumphanan Press in collaboration with Huntly Writers in October 2023.

In my spare time I’m found on my allotment. When I’m not getting muddy I’m promoting local poetry, working to encourage young people in their poetry journey, helping run Orb’s Community Bookshop, or guiding people around Huntly Castle. I enjoy walking a lot and painting a bit.