Highland-based Philip Paris is the bestselling author of The Last Witch of
Scotland, an historical fiction inspired by the case of Janet Horne, the last person
in Britain to be executed for witchcraft (Dornoch, 1727). The book was published
in 2023 and in 2024 Waterstones made the title its ‘Scottish Book of the Year’.
Philip’s work is extremely varied, ranging from historical to contemporary fiction,
as well as non-fiction and memoir. His books are often inspired by important
events or issues that have not previously been covered in the form of a novel.
Men Cry Alone broke new ground in highlighting domestic abuse against men
when it was published in 2012, and the novel later won the Scottish Association
of Writers Barbara Hammond Trophy.
His 2009 debut novel, The Italian Chapel, told for the first time the story of the
creation of Orkney’s famous chapel, built by Italian prisoners or war during
WW2. Philip’s non-fiction book, Orkney’s Italian Chapel: The True Story of an
Icon, is recognised as the authoritative work on the building’s history.
Philip’s latest historical fiction, A Fire in Their Hearts (published August 2025),
was inspired by the extraordinary story of the 17th century Scottish Covenanters.
Today, this violent period of Scotland’s past is largely unknown, yet a brutal civil
war raged for decades as ordinary people fought the Royalist army under various
monarchs over who should be the head of the Church of Scotland – Jesus Christ
or the king.
A Fire in Their Hearts also explores the little-known events of how captured
Covenanters were often transported to the plantations in America or the West
Indies as forced indentured servants. This banishment of Covenanters is the
tragic story behind the sinking of the Crown of London off Deerness in December
1679, with the loss of around 200 lives. About a third of the historical fiction
follows the traumatic experiences of the book’s protagonist as she endures life
on a sugar plantation in Barbados.
Meeting Victoria Hall Cromarty on September 15th at 7.30pm
Non-members £5 or £15 for a year’s membership including refreshments
Cromarty History Society 2026
