Lari Don
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laridonwriter.bsky.social
Lari Don
@laridonwriter.bsky.social
Children's writer based in Edinburgh. Adventure novels, pic books, trad tale retellings. Passionate re stories, politics, feminism. #longcovid. she/lher
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I've never taken so long to research and write a book (due to #longcovid) so I've never been so delighted to hold a new book in my hands! I can't wait to share these #CelticTales, and @elisecillustration.com's stunning illustrations, with everyone! I don't have to wait long, it's published on 16 Oct
Reposted by Lari Don
Storytime with author @laridonwriter.bsky.social featuring a tale from one of her wonderful @florisbooks.bsky.social collections youtu.be/wv6NhdtnPVk?...
Lari Don tells the story of How to Escape a Waterhorse, from Celtic Folk and Fairy Tales
YouTube video by FlorisBooks
youtu.be
November 2, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Reposted by Lari Don
Pop into these Edinburgh bookshops this Thursday to meet @laridonwriter.bsky.social and @elisecillustration.com!
Approx times:
9:30 @edinburghbookshop.bsky.social
10:00 Blackwell's South Bridge
10:30 Waterstones Edinburgh
11:00 @goldenharebooks.bsky.social
11:30 Ginger & Pickles
November 4, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Wow, Philip Longson's illustrations are so beautiful and dramatic! But beware - Halloween is not a night to trust Fairy Queens, or any other beings in fancy dresses and cloaks!
"At midnight, Janet heard the fairy queen's army, marching through all the fairy queen's lands on Halloween night..."
Have you heard the tale of Tam Linn? @laridonwriter.bsky.social's fabulous retelling, illustrated by Phillip Longson, is perfect for children aged 5+
discoverkelpies.co.u...
October 31, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Ooh look! I get to visit some of my favourite #bookshops and #booksellers! And meet the #illustrator whose work I’ve been admiring through many many edits! (And sign lots of shiny books for readers too…) @elisecillustration.com #Edinburgh #CelticTales #signedbooks
Did someone say SIGNED COPIES? We're taking @laridonwriter.bsky.social and @elisecillustration.com on a tour of some of Edinburgh's lovely bookshops! Pop in to meet the creators of #CelticFolkAndFairyTales and grab a signed copy!
@edinburghbookshop.bsky.social @goldenharebooks.bsky.social
October 30, 2025 at 10:14 AM
My favourite silver birch, turning to gold. (It’s the tallest tree I can see from my kitchen window, so keeps me connected to the seasons even when I can’t leave the house…) #autumn #Scotland
October 29, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Reposted by Lari Don
What are your favourite children's books for #SpookySeason? Head over to our blog to see some of ours, including a sneak peek at Jude Reid's debut (out March 2026!), plus favourites from @laridonwriter.bsky.social, Ross Mackenzie, @alexnye.bsky.social and more!
discoverkelpies.co.uk/2021/10/spoo...
October 28, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Reposted by Lari Don
Don't miss @laridonwriter.bsky.social guest post for @booksfromscotland.bsky.social - all about the fascinating connections between stories told in different places across the Celtic lands!
Read it here: booksfromscotland.com/2025/10/celt...
#CelticFolkAndFairyTales #CelticTales
October 27, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Oooh! Maps and stories! Two of my favourite things!
Travel to the Celtic lands with stories of magic, myth and mischief retold by @laridonwriter.bsky.social illustrated by @elisecillustration.com. Discover tales linked to each location on our interactive map, and read Lari's guest post on what we mean by 'Celtic'! discoverkelpies.co.uk/news-features/
October 24, 2025 at 9:52 AM
I’m excited about sharing this book (published today!) with you. It contains so many of my favourite things: untrustworthy fairies, battling dragons, shapeshifting magic & strong clever girls who defeat their own monsters. And amazing art by @elisecillustration.com #Celtictales #storytelling #kidlit
October 16, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Reposted by Lari Don
Happy book birthday to @laridonwriter.bsky.social and @elisecillustration.com - the stunning Celtic Folk and Fairy Tales is out today!
We highly recommend you watch this fantastic video of Lari telling her version of the Manx waterhorse tale: youtu.be/wv6NhdtnPVk
October 16, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Publication day! Time to send these beautiful beasties out into the world! Celtic Folk And Fairy Tales is now available wherever you like to get your selkie, dragon, shapeshifter, monster & changeling tales. The amazing artwork is by @elisecillustration.com #kidlit #celtictales #folklore #folktales
October 16, 2025 at 9:09 AM
I have a fond admiration for plants which are still growing new green, while all the plants around them are turning gold #Edinburgh #cyclepath #determination
October 15, 2025 at 9:22 AM
If you listen REALLY carefully, there are at least four different ways to escape a waterhorse in this tale. But if the waterhorse standing between you and the nearest way, that's when it gets really scary! #waterhorses #stronggirls #folktales
How DO you escape from a waterhorse? If you listen carefully, you might find the answer in this story! Sit back, relax, and enjoy @laridonwriter.bsky.social tell the story of Kirree, a young girl from the Isle of Man, who found herself confronted by a fearsome Glashtin! youtu.be/wv6NhdtnPVk
October 14, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Reposted by Lari Don
👉 Please watch Lives Interrupted to hear directly from young people living with Long Covid. Their voices, with their message, deserve to be heard.
(also on our YouTube)
vm.tiktok.com/ZNdnq5UmG/
#TikTok #CharityFilm #LivesInterrupted
October 10, 2025 at 7:43 AM
I love telling trad tales out loud! So @florisbooks.bsky.social created a video of me telling the first tale in our Celtic Folk And Fairy Tales collection. Here’s our 12 min 'How To Escape a Waterhorse' with magical artwork by @elisecillustration.com #storytelling
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv6N...
Lari Don tells the story of How to Escape a Waterhorse, from Celtic Folk and Fairy Tales
YouTube video by FlorisBooks
www.youtube.com
October 14, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Reposted by Lari Don
No one will care more for this country or its people than the SNP.

Scotland works best when everyone who lives here is included, valued and supported. #SNP25
October 13, 2025 at 2:38 PM
enjoying autumn's colours, one leaf at a time #Edinburgh #cyclepath
October 11, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Reposted by Lari Don
The #KelpiesPrize for Writing and Illustration 2026 is NOW OPEN for entries!
We're looking for new writers and illustrators who live in Scotland and want to make a career in children's books. If that sounds like you, head to our website for full details!
discoverkelpies.co.uk/kelpies-priz...
October 10, 2025 at 8:21 AM
I've turned my writing shed into a studio so I can film wee clips about my new book Celtic Folk And Fairy Tales to share with you. I've even filmed a full-length telling of one Celtic tale! Doesn't @elisecillustration.com artwork look splendid on the walls? @discoverkelpies.bsky.social #storytelling
October 8, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Aha! Lovely to see how Elise Carmichael created our very dramatic Welsh water monster, the Afanc! The early sketches are fascinating, showing how an illustrator uses scribbled words from the written description as part of their process…
#CelticFolkandFairyTales #kidlitart #watermonsters #Afanc
"The fanged and furry monster looked ferocious, but it didn’t eat people very often. The Afanc only ate people if they annoyed it.
However, it was quite easy to annoy the Afanc..."
How do you annoy this Welsh monster?
@laridonwriter.bsky.social @elisecillustration.com
#CelticFolkAndFairyTales
October 8, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Reposted by Lari Don
Heartwarming story
Six weeks ago, I picked up a year-old tawny owl with a broken leg off the main road near our home and dropped him off at our nearest vet.

After a few days, I received one of the most bizarre phone calls I’ve ever had, asking “So when are you coming to pick up your owl?” 🧵
October 5, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Last of the brambles! We have a variety of berries in our unkempt garden (inc goosegogs, tayberries and these teeny tiny brambles) which all ripen at different times, giving me something to harvest and nibble from late June onwards. But we’ve now reached the end of the berries this year...
October 5, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Balor is not a friendly-looking giant, is he? And the pulley to lift his drooping eyelid is a complex mix of physics and magic (which, to be fair, is one of my favourite story mixtures!) Very impressed that @elisecillustration.com and the folk at @florisbooks.bsky.social got it right! #kidlitart
"Balor was huge, twice the size of any other giant. He had one eye much bigger than the other, with a massive heavy dropping eyelid pierced by an ivory ring, linked by ropes to ten more rings in his bristly eyebrow..."
@laridonwriter.bsky.social @elisecillustration.com
discoverkelpies.co.u...
October 3, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Oooh, what a lovely review, from one of my favourite writers of magic! I'm delighted you enjoyed our #CelticTales, @sophieanderson.bsky.social !
Travel to the magical Celtic lands to meet shapeshifting selkies, duelling dragons, and a terrifying waterhorse...
Thanks to @sophieanderson.bsky.social for this brilliant review of Celtic Folk and Fairy Tales by @laridonwriter.bsky.social & @elisecillustration.com
discoverkelpies.co.u...
October 2, 2025 at 9:33 AM
This is gorgeous! Fascinating to see how the #selkie girl changed over time. (I only met the final version...) What wonderful work by @elisecillustration.com and indeed the fabulously creative folk of @florisbooks.bsky.social #theevolutionofaselkie #kidlitart #celticfolkandfairytales
From first rough to final illustration! We love @elisecillustration.com interpretation of the selkie princess in @laridonwriter.bsky.social retelling of The Selkie Hunter in Celtic Folk and Fairy Tales. What differences can you spot between the first sketch and the final artwork?
September 26, 2025 at 12:23 PM