Escalator Literature winner 2009: Linda Randall

Biography:

Linda studied languages and has lived and worked across the world, teaching French, Italian and English. She has written prose and poetry all her life and in 2006 completed an MA in Life-Writing at UEA. Linda is working on a biography of Effie Gray, the Scots girl who took the unprecedented step of taking her husband to court for non-consummation of marriage (this was a brave act, particularly as the husband was the famous art critic, John Ruskin). Her book Fair Maid of Perth has been shortlisted for the Biographers’ Club Prize 2009.

‘Before John arrived Effie had been having the time of her life – ‘a great many nobs and Dragoons and fine uniforms, great flirtations, and splendid music. The music lasted till midnight then we had dancing till three in the morning. I got introduced to good partners and got some good polking.’