S.D. Read

When I'm not stitching words into stories, I enjoy walking my rescue greyhounds, Paddy and Pearl, cycling, and along with my wife, visiting places that combine historical interest with natural beauty. We are consequently, frequent visitors to Orkney.

The inspiration for 'Souls of Scapa Flow' came from my first visit to Orkney and the purchase of a tea towel containing information about shipwrecks in Scapa Flow.

I was familiar with the German warships scuttled after the First World War and also the tragic sinking of HMS Royal Oak in 1939, but knew nothing of the sudden destruction of HMS Vanguard in 1917 with the loss of 843 lives. It led me to research this terrible event and, along with an enduring affinity for Orkney, it provided the inspiration for my debut novel.