Beyond the Hedge, the first of a trilogy of reality-based fantasy novels inspired by her childhood in Scotland, was written while she was living in Dorset in the south of England with her family and a host of animals, many of whom feature in her work.
Mairi moved to the Pyrénées-Orientales in southern France at the end of January 2007 where she continues work on Between Two Worlds, the second novel in the trilogy. By Another Route, the third in the series, will be set in and around the village where Mairi now lives.
"I realised I'd come home when I chanced upon Taurinya which nestles in the foothills of Le Canigou, the sacred mountain of the Catalans. It's a magical setting and so inspirational; it felt preordained that I should live in this mystical place. There's a beautiful rocky river at the foot of the village which reminds me of Scotland. It's an ideal spot for elves and sprites to have wonderful adventures with Licorne de Taurinya, the resident French unicorn. My Scottish fairy folk will feel right at home here with their Catalan counterparts."
David Rintoul's magnificent dramatised reading of Beyond the Hedge has been broadcast twice since it was published in November 2005 by Channel 4's digital radio station Oneword.
