A good friend of Ayr Writers’ Club, Catherine Czerkawska, makes a return visit in 2026 to talk about her novel, The Jewel. 

She is a Scottish-based novelist, playwright, and poet whose work spans radio, stage, fiction, and nonfiction. Born in Leeds, she moved to Ayrshire in the early 1960s, and her writing often reflects a deep connection to Scottish landscapes and traditions.

She has written over 200 hours of drama for BBC Radio 4, including award-winning plays like O Flower of Scotland and Bonnie Blue Hen.

Her stage play Wormwood, about the Chernobyl disaster, was critically acclaimed and is now a set text for Scottish Higher Drama.

Her publications include:

The Curiosity Cabinet (2005): A time-slip novel shortlisted for the Dundee Book Prize, exploring love and legacy across centuries.

God’s Islanders (2006): A nonfiction study of the history and landscape of Gigha, blending folklore and historical insight.

The Physic Garden: A historical novel set in 18th-century Glasgow, praised for its emotional depth and botanical detail.

Catherine Czerkawska’s The Jewel is a richly imagined historical novel that brings to life Jean Armour, the wife of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns. Published in 2016, the book offers a fresh perspective on a woman often overlooked in literary history.

Praised for its elegant prose and emotional resonance, the book has been described as “uplifting” and “superbly researched”.

It’s a compelling read for anyone interested in Scottish history, literary biography, or stories of women who shaped cultural legacies from behind the scenes.