Author and Speaker on Disability, Social Inclusion and Personal Empowerment

Fran Macilvey is an author and motivational speaker whose particular interests include disability, social inclusion, personal empowerment and effective communication.

Fran Macilvey, Author and Speaker on Disability, Social Inclusion and Personal Empowerment

Fran was born in Congo in 1965 and spent eight years at boarding school before qualifying in Law (Aberdeen University) and working as a lawyer for ten years. In 2002 she retired from legal practice to write and parent full-time.

Her memoir, Trapped: My Life with Cerebral Palsy (Skyhorse ISBN 9781510704121) is an Amazon international bestseller described by John Pring, Editor, Disability News Service, as ‘a tough, bleak book, beautifully written and unremittingly honest…an important addition to the field of disability studies.’ Fran has written a radio play of Trapped and is writing the stage play.

In what Fran calls, ‘gleaning something valuable from 40 years of making mistakes’ her next two books, Happiness Matters and Making Miracles explore how we can all find more happiness and fulfilment. She has also completed three unpublished novels about women in the law.

Through Artlink, in 2022-23 Fran is the writer and commentator with the Neurological Conditions Project managed by Midlothian HSCP. As part of her contribution, Fran wrote Three Pieces, her creative response to the lived experiences of those with long-term neurological conditions.

Fran has appeared on BBC Radio Scotland, ‘Disability Now’ and Ableradio. She co-facilitated a workshop at the first SNP Conference for Disabled Members in Glasgow, speaks, writes, blogs and facilitates workshops in subjects as diverse as journaling, authorship and editing, why happiness matters, memoir, and the varying impacts of living with impairment. Recent projects include 4 writers’ workshops with Bethany Christian Trust; guest blog post, Why did I Write Trapped? published by Engender https://www.engender.org.uk/news/blog/trapped-the-call-for-a-more-flexible-world/ and publication of ‘Esther’ in short story anthology, ‘Black-Eyed Peas on a New Year’s Day’ https://bookviewcafe.com/book/black-eyed-peas-on-new-years-day/ For a more complete list of her articles and appearances, click this link.

In her spare time, Fran reads, rides, sings in the shower and dances where no-one can see her. You can contact her at franmacilvey@fastmail.com, through this website https://www.franmacilvey.com and via the Scottish Book Trust’s ‘Live Literature’ programme http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/profile-author/121280

Rose 'New Day'

Thanks to all my clients, friends, supporters and readers, from whom I continue to learn and be inspired. Special mention for my publishers, Skyhorse, my agent Isabel Atherton my editor Claire Wingfield and all my on-line friends.

Thank you so much for visiting.