
‘Nothing less than Scotland’s very own Anne Tyler.’
– Alan Bissett
About Cynthia Rogerson
Cynthia Rogerson was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. The eldest of three, she first came to the UK when she was 17 to be an au pair in Ireland. After a week she decided to hitchhike around Europe instead. Returning to California, still smitten with Europe, she commenced working as a waitress to save money to return as soon as possible. Thus began her life-long see-sawing between the two countries. She sometimes feels her writing is a needed cure for homesickness or sense of saudade – what the Portuguese call a constant yearning for something out of sight. Other times she simply thinks the cold rain in Scotland is better for writing than the blue Californian skies.
She was the Program Director of Moniack Mhor Writers Centre for eight years, and supervised on the Edinburgh University online creative writing program for five years. She also taught creative writing on campus for one term, as well as tutoring residential courses. Currently she mentors through the Moniack Mhor Mentoring program, and delivers RLF Bridge academic writing workshops in secondary schools throughout the Highlands and Islands.
She has four children, six grandchildren, and is married to playwright Peter Whiteley.
Video: Cynthia Rogerson talks about receiving a letter about her book If I Touched the Earth from fellow novelist Anne Tyler.