Biog

Dawn McLachlan

Dawn McLachlan (aka Dawn Finch) is an award winning poet and bestselling author based in Huntly, Aberdeenshire

She is an active and outspoken campaigner for libraries and literacy and is a former President of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP). She 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.

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

She writes poetry for both adults and children and is currently exploring writing more fiction and poetry for adults. She has won the Brian Nisbet Poetry Award 3 times and as a result was invited to chair the judging panel. She has performed her poetry in many places but favours being outstanding in a field and loves open air performances. In Feb 2024 she 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. Dawn is also 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.

Dawn’s most recently published poetry appears in the anthology, Gods and Monsters - illustrated by Chris Riddell and published by Macmillan in September 2023. Future publications include Cosy Poems (publication date Oct 2024) and Heroes and Villains (publication date Sept 2024) - both from Macmillan Publishers. Dawn also edited and contributed to the poetry anthology - Speaking Back - published by Lumphanan Press in collaboration with Huntly Writers in October 2023.

In her spare time she’s found on her allotment, promoting local poetry, helping run Orb’s Community Bookshop, or guiding people around Huntly Castle. She also enjoys walking a lot and painting a bit.