Denise Mina

Denise Mina is a highly acclaimed Scottish author, best known for her contributions to the crime fiction genre and its Scottish subgenre, Tartan Noir. She was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1966, and spent her childhood traveling around Europe due to her father's job as an engineer. The family followed the north sea oil boom of the seventies, moving twenty-one times in eighteen years to various locations including Paris, the Hague, London, Scotland, and Bergen. This nomadic upbringing had a significant impact on Mina's life and work, providing her with a unique perspective and a wealth of experiences to draw upon in her writing.

Mina's journey to becoming a successful author was not traditional or straightforward. After leaving school at sixteen, she held a series of poorly paid jobs, including working in a meat factory, as a bar maid, kitchen porter, and cook. Eventually, she settled in auxiliary nursing for geriatric and terminal care patients. However, her passion for learning and academia remained, and at the age of twenty-one, she passed exams and went on to study Law at Glasgow University, later researching a PhD thesis at Strathclyde University on the ascription of mental illness to female offenders. It was during this time that she made the bold decision to misuse her grant and stay at home to write a novel, 'Garnethill', instead of studying. This novel marked the beginning of a trilogy, and Mina's career as a published author.

Mina's work spans various mediums, including novels, short stories, documentaries, and even comic books. She has written for the popular comic book series Hellblazer, and has also written a one-off graphic novel about spree killing and property prices called 'A Sickness in the Family'. In 2006, she wrote her first play, 'Ida Tamson', an adaptation of a short story which was serialised in the Evening Times over five nights. Mina has also contributed to TV and radio as a commentator and is currently working on a film adaptation of 'Ida Tamson'. Her work is characterized by her candor and her ability to tackle complex and challenging themes with sensitivity and insight.