About the Team at Skerries Publications.
Just like the Hebridean Skerries found on the far west coast of Scotland, the team at Skerries Publications are real gems with unique and highly creative talents. We all live and work far away from each other in our own chosen corners of the north and west of Scotland and indeed Norway. We work mostly from home and connect via technology and occasionally meet up when needed. Individually, we all have our own businesses and jobs, but work together on the Skerries Publications' project Peata Ruadh. As innovative thinkers and creators, we all like to have our own creative working spaces, sometimes with cats and dogs at our backs and feet. Sometimes with children not too far away. Always with a cup of tea or coffee ready and an outdoor space or garden to go to allowing ideas to develop. Our working hours are our own to manage in full knowledge and trust of dead lines to be met.
Fiona Hulbert BEd
Fiona studied primary education at the Northern College of Education in Aberdeen where she was awarded a BEd (1991). Since then she has taught in Norway and in schools in Scotland. She studied Norwegian while in Norway and holds a Trinn 2 qualification. Fiona is the author of the Peata Ruadh book series, she is also the owner of the small independent publisher, Skerries Publications. The heart of her work as an author and publisher is to connect the minds and hearts of the audience to the art and craft of story telling through the written word, visual representations and encourage a desire to learn more about the links between people, culture and our environment. Through the Peata Ruadh stories and their environmental significance, connections between Scottish, Norse and Gaelic heritage reveals the historical, linguistic and cultural links of the northern countries. She is a co-owner of a community enterprise in Northern Norway offering work space for young people to build and develop their own businesses. Fiona has a keen interest in the environment, language, culture, craft and heritage. She keeps hens, has two very old cats and a collie dog. She tends a flower, fruit and vegetable garden and is the mother of two grown up children.
Rebecca Hallewell/Coope DA
Rebecca studied at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen where she was awarded a DA and Post-Graduate in print-making and painting (1978-83). Since graduating, she has worked for many years as a freelance illustrator and designer, producing interpretive and promotional material for a wide variety of clients. Currently she specialises in pen and ink drawing and wood engraving and has illustrated all of the Peata Ruadh books. As co-founder of independent publisher Hallewell Publications, she has illustrated and mapped over 50 walking guidebooks in the PocketWalks series (sold over 1 million copies to date), as well as producing a number of historic guides. her wood engravings have sold in galleries throughout Scotland.
Anna Ford BA
Anna studied Fine Art Printmaking at the Manchester Metropolitan University being award her BA Fine Art. After studying computing with the Open University, she founded Atholl Road Design as a website development and digital communications agency in 2001. Anna and her team have been developing websites, content management systems, CRM systems, phone Apps and booking systems since 1998. All the work, including coding, is made in the UK. Her team do not use third party developers or purchase templates and so they have full understanding and cotrol over every aspect of the systems they create. Anna Ford has been creating web systems for Skerries Publications since the publication of it's first book in 2016.
Ida Marie Carlsen MA
Ida lives on the North coast of Norway on an island called Dønna. Ida studied at Tromsø university where she was awarded an MA in Education and Norwegian. She now works as a teacher in a secondary school. Ida has translated all the Peata Ruadh books into Norwegian. Ida has two young children and she can't wait to read the Peata Ruadh books for them when they get a little bit older. From time to time she sees puffins out there on her island. When she is not working she likes to spend time with her family, read, knit and go hiking in the mountains. There are lots of them on Dønna! And wild, beautiful nature right outside her doorstep.
