Biography and Experience
Paul Murdoch, born the son of a slater in 1961, began performing on stage at the age of eight and since his teens has played live music all over the world. He gained an honours degree in zoology at Glasgow Uni then went on to work in the vet pharmaceutical industry for 32 years. After winning national and global awards for marketing ideas and achieving constant sales success, he ended up on the commercial leadership team of Novartis UK. His first book was published in 2008 and he has gone on to produce a further seven novels. Paul wrote the children's eco-thriller - Windscape, which was nominated for the Grampian Children's Book Award. The follow up - The Egg Thief was released in 2017. Paul released Sunny during the Aye Write Festival in 2018. This book has been compared to ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ and ‘Divided City’. Paul also penned children’s picture-books, which have been used by UNICEF and other charities all over the world to teach English and to help younger children with counting. Paul has over eighteen years experience of author visits; not just in the UK, but all over the world - with hundreds of schools, libraries, specialist groups and festivals attended, he has seen more than 50,000 children in that time. His books - Old Bloke Goes Running and Old Bloke Goes Swimming are quite a departure from his other books, a kind of tongue-in cheek look at trying to get fit in your fifties. The books have already received great reviews and have featured on BBC Radio Scotland.
His latest Young Adult book - The Magic Scales was released in Oct 2023
The Magic Scales is s full-on fantasy adventure where magic and monsters try to stand in the way of James Peck and the quest to find his missing father.
Check out Audible to hear him read his books.
He has just signed to the London Film, TV and Literary Agents - SMA Talent and is currently working on several screenplays for TV and Film.
Musically, Paul has played the UK and abroad as a guitarist and singer both in bands and as a solo performer. His original material, such as his acclaimed song, Golden Rust, all about dementia, entered the Scottish charts and has featured in the national press here and abroad. He was honoured for his musical contributions in Haarlem, Holland, where a city centre mural, painted by renowned Dutch artist, Eric Coolen, depicts him playing.
Paul has appeared on TV, Film and Radio. During lockdown, Paul rediscovered his love of nature photography and after gaining a large Facebook following secured a regular nature column in the Clydesider Magazine and various professional photography and training assignments with NHS professionals and Local Councils.
Recognised by the Scottish Parliament and Asthma UK in a special motion. ‘S3M-6414 Nanette Milne: Congratulations to Sam Wilding aka Paul Murdoch —That the Parliament congratulates Scottish author Paul Murdoch on the publication of the third book in his Denthan series, Return to Denthan and notes his excellent work with children and young people across Scotland in delivering creative writing workshops and in supporting Asthma UK Scotland’s Alert to Asthma scheme, which helps schools ensure pupils with asthma live a healthy and active life.
Supported by: Jamie Hepburn, Jackson Carlaw, Robin Harper, Mary Scanlon, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Sandra White, Elizabeth Smith, Jamie McGrigor, Bill Aitken, Stuart McMillan, Jim Hume, Alex Johnstone, Aileen Campbell, Ken Macintosh, Murdo Fraser, Gil Paterson, Margaret Mitchell, Jackie Baillie, Maureen Watt, Cathy Peattie, Ted Brocklebank, Joe FitzPatrick’
Paul has full PVG Disclosure Scotland. He has worked with the following groups:
Pre-school, nurseries and play groups: ages 4 plus, with his Tiffy Toffy picture books.
Performed music in Holland for Syrian Refugees with the Dutch group Ampzing
Primary Schools, Secondary Schools, Independent Schools, Steiner Schools and Colleges.
Paul has done one to one mentoring for Clydesider Magazine Volunteers.
Education Scotland GLOW - Paul is a GLOW author blogger. He has produced videos on Book Launches, The Jungles of Bali and Stone Circles. His book Windscape is also available as an audio book on GLOW.
Bereaved Children’s Groups: ages 4 - 14.
St Vincent’s Hospice, Kilbarchan - Adult
A storytelling and music hour
Via Work Connect Service Users Groups and The Specialist Supported Employability Services - Paul has worked with people with severe, enduring, complex mental health, addiction and learning disabilities.
Audio Book Narrator - 5 titles on Audible, iTunes and with GLOW (Education Scotland during the pandemic reading audio books and setting questions around the readings - still an online resource)
Nature, Heritage and Wellbeing Talks
to Libraries, Probus Groups and The Lennox Heritage Society.
West Dunbartonshire’s Health and Social Care Partnership run a Work Connect Specialist Employment Service in a training and engagement capacity. (Photography, interview techniques and creative writing)
Special Needs and Access Schools – working with children who have emotional and behavioural issues.
Festivals and Special Events – The Wigtown Book Festival, The Aberdeen Storytelling Festival, The Borders Book Festival, The Encounters Festival, The New Lanark Schools Book Festival, The Levengrove Festival, The Edinburgh Book Festival The Aye Write Festival, The Off the Page Festival, The Tidelines Book Festival, YAH YA Festival, Kids Lit Quiz… West Dunbartonshire Libraries Primary School Literature Festival 2022 - CRACKIN’ CRITS.
Creative Writing Groups - Adults and Children - Character development, Plot Planning, Settings, Real Dialogue etc
Public Library and School Library Visits.
Keynote speeches at school prize givings. Kilmacolm School and more.
Researcher, Writer, Narrator and Film Presenter on Clydesider - Just a Minute Films - Series 1 and 2
Composed and recorded his original music for the Clydesider - Just a Minute Films
Presenter and host of Real People Series 2 - on Loch Lomond TV
International school visits to Germany, Holland and a major Scottish Government backed Cross-Cultural visit to the jungles of Bali, where he worked for a month with 19 tribes in 6 schools.
Working with Charities – Asthma UK, UNICEF, The Heroes Centre, East Bali Poverty Project and Tullochan.
Government Organisations - Education Scotland, Local Authorities. Author blogs and video TV for GLOW - Paul has two Glow Documentaries - one on Bali and one on The Stone Circles of Scotland.
Paul is a SCOTTISH BOOK TRUST author.
Teacher and Company Presentations - Conference syndicate work project planning, presentations etc.
Book Shop Events - WHSmith, Waterstones and many independent stores.
Although a group of 25 - 50 is ideal, he has worked with a variety of group sizes; from 4 to 400 at one time.
He enjoys travelling, and has worked in hundreds of schools everywhere from Barra to Bali...
Paul worked with Abertay University and FITSTARS to develop educational apps and games that help with young children's fitness. This also involved various cross-party meetings at the Scottish Parliament chaired by Asthma UK’s Gordon Brown.
Paul is an Asthma UK Children's Ambassador.
Asthma UK has endorsed and arranged many of his school visits.
Paul is working with screenplay agents - SMA Talent, writing screenplays and adapting stories for TV and Film.
Paul has been inducted into the Helensburgh Heroes Center Hall of Fame for his services to Literature.
Paul worked with the Swiss Pharma company Novartis for 27 years in Sales Management and sat on the UK Veterinary Commercial Leadership Board. He won the Global Sales Award in 2006
Paul has helped more than 30 individuals and charities publish their own books over the years. I am an encourager that believes in empowering others to achieve their dreams.
Paul has produced many videos and short films for Councils and Magazines. Wildlife, Social, and Historical. His film, ‘Picture Normality’ was featured in the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival in 2021.
As a supporting actor on films - Tommy’s Honour, Whisky Galore and Wild Rose
For booking details, email paulmurdoch1@gmail.com