'Daughters of the North': writing the biography of Jean Gordon and Mary, Queen of Scots

Abstract

This article explores the creative processes of writing popular biography, from the first hand perspective. It examins their similarities to, and differences from, writing academic history or fiction. Henderson focusses on her recent book exploring the biographies, and connections, between Jean Gordon and Mary Queen of Scots, Daughters of the North. She explains how and why she made particular choices in writing about Scottish history, culture, music, literature and art.