Sandra Ireland was born in Yorkshire, grew up in Northumberland and lived for many years in the Irish Republic before returning to Scotland in 1996. She is the author of four psychological thrillers, all published by Polygon. Beneath the Skin (2016), shortlisted for the Saltire Society First Book Award, 2017; Bone Deep (2018); The Unmaking of Ellie Rook (2019); Sight Unseen (2020) and The House on Devil’s Lane (Red Fern Press, 2024).

Sandra has also enjoyed success with poetry, winning the Glasgow Women’s Library Bold Types Competition in 2022, and the Scottish Association of Writers’ Dorothy Dunbar trophy in 2016 and 2017. Her work featured in the WWF exhibition for COP 26 and has been published in various anthologies.

In 2009, Sandra enrolled as a full-time mature student at the University of Dundee, graduating in 2013 with a First-Class Honours degree in English and Creative Writing, She was awarded a Carnegie- Cameron scholarship to study for an MLitt in Writing Practice and Study. Graduating with distinction in 2014, she was that year’s joint recipient of the Gavin Wallace Memorial Prize.

Sandra now works on a freelance basis for various organisations such as the University of Dundee, Lifelong Learning Dundee, Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust, Art Angel and various charities working in the field of participatory arts for wellbeing.

She is secretary of Angus Writers’ Circle and a member of Angus Creatives, collaborating on various projects with visual artists and ceramicists.