Douglas Bruton was born in Edinburgh and spent most of his working life as an English and guidance teacher. His short novel Blue Postcards, published by Fairlight Books in 2021, was longlisted for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. His previous novel Mrs. Winchester's Gun Club was published in 2019, and his children's book The Chess Piece Magician was published in 2009. His short fiction has appeared in various journals and anthologies including Northwords Now, New Writing Scotland, Aesthetica and The Irish Literary Review and has won awards such as the Neil Gunn Prize.