Allan Massie is a highly respected Scottish author, born on October 19, 1938, in Singapore. He is renowned for his work in historical fiction, political thrillers, contemporary fiction novels, and non-fiction books. Massie's educational background includes attending Glenalmond and Trinity College, Cambridge. His career as a journalist has seen him in the role of The Scotsman's chief fiction reviewer and a political columnist for several distinguished newspapers such as The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, and the Scottish Daily Mail.
In addition to his work as a journalist and author, Massie has had a varied career in education and arts administration. He began his career as a teacher and later became an English professor in Rome in 1972. In 1982, Massie became a creative writing fellow at Glasgow, Edinburgh and Strathclyde Universities. He also served as a member of the Scottish Arts Council between 1989 and 1991, and later as a Trustee of National-Museums of Scotland. As a reporter, Massie has worked for the Glasgow Herald and the Sunday-Times Scotland, as well as for the Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, and the New Edinburgh Review.
Massie's writing career is equally impressive, with nearly 30 books to his name, including 20 novels. He is particularly known for his ability to write about the distant past, which has earned him a reputation as one of Scotland's most prolific and well-known journalists. Massie's regular columns appear in The Scotsman, The Sunday Times (Scotland) and the Scottish Daily Mail, where he offers his unique perspective on current events and cultural issues.