Francine Toon is a Scottish author and poet whose debut novel, "Pine," became a "Sunday Times" bestseller and won the 2020 McIlvanney Prize. The novel was also shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize and longlisted for both the Highland Book Prize and the Deborah Rogers Foundation Writers Award. Writing poetry under the name Francine Elena, her work has appeared in publications such as "The Sunday Times", "Poetry London", and the anthologies "The Best British Poetry 2013" and "2015" (Salt).
Born and raised in Sutherland and Fife, Toon draws inspiration from Scotland's landscapes and folklore, infusing her writing with atmospheric tension and lyrical prose. Her poetry and fiction often explore themes of isolation, memory, and the uncanny. She currently lives in London, where she works in the publishing industry while continuing to develop her literary career.