Fiona Erskine

Engineer. Writer. Swimmer.

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Exciting news

Posted on December 10, 2025

Apologies for the radio silence – work has been hectic.* But hey, you’re not here to find out about the double day jobs (that’s what LinkedIN is for) and I …

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Holiday break

Posted on September 4, 2025

I started the week with a wonderful day at the WRITE Festival in South Shields Library. What a great venue! I joined an author panel with Helen Aitchison, CJ Grayson …

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Students at Sheffield University

Q&A in Chemical Processing

Posted on August 11, 2025

I had a lovely chat with Traci Purdum which was published this week. 5 Quick Questions Aug. 11, 2025 Engineering professor discovers joy in teaching, hypothetically tackles Bhopal cleanup and …

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Harrogate

Posted on July 18, 2025

Greetings from Harrogate, UK where crime readers and writers from all over the world gather once a year for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival: some of the nicest …

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Getting my rights back

Posted on June 26, 2025

This week, Oneworld signed an agreement to return my publishing rights to me. It’s a major milestone in my writing journey, but also bittersweet. In 2017, I signed with my …

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It’s easy to point out what’s wrong – it takes ingenuity to fix it

Posted on June 3, 2025

I was interviewed by Hannah Dolman at the University of Cambridge for the Alumni Magazine of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology. You can read the full text (with …

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Terry Deary

Posted on May 18, 2025

I’m so excited to have been invited to interview Terry Deary (of Horrible Histories fame) when he visits Back of Beyond Books. If you’ll be anywhere near Sedgefield on 24th …

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Interview in E&T

Posted on May 18, 2025

I was delighted to be interviewed by fellow author Nick Smith in Behalf of the Engineering and Technology Magazine E&T. We talk about pen names, the world of work, tools …

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Phosphate Rocks – do engineers read fiction?

Posted on May 1, 2025

May 2025 sees the start of a 52-part serialisation of my 3rd novel – Phosphate Rocks: A Death in Ten Objects. The Chemical Engineer, (TCE), the monthly magazine of the …

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Audiobook Loosing Control

Posted on May 1, 2025

I’ve been listening to the audiobook of Losing Control and I’m absolutely delighted with what voice actors Melanie Crawley and Mike Hayley have done with the story – they bring it …

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Visiting Cambridge University 6&7 May 2025

Posted on April 23, 2025

I’m delighted to be visiting my old university to give a couple of talks in early May, always a lovely time to be in Cambridge The first talk is as …

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Phosphate Rocks to be serialised

Posted on March 24, 2025

Exciting news. The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) have acquired the rights to serialise my novel about a fertiliser factory in their member magazine (TCE) and website. Phosphate Rocks: A Death …

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Sunny southern sojourn with friends and family and a stonkingly good book. London looking stunning!


In Houston for the day job, I went back to visit my old house and primary school from when my dad had a sabbatical at Rice University. Fleming park is much smaller than I remember but the fire ants are still there! Highlight was a full Tex-Mex with Theresa and Bhopal expert Kenneth Bloch - plans afoot for a new book.


I swam 24km in 5 days. Hard work?

Try tuna canning, salt drying or sulphur mining...

https://fionaerskine.substack.com/p/sulphur-and-salt


Goodbye #egadiislands and thank you @swimtrek for an amazing week - 24 kilometres with wonderful guides, fellow swimmers and multicoloured fishes!


This week #PhosphateRocks e-book is only £0.99 in UK

Who doesn't love a story about a demolition gone wrong? @raine_clouds_writes @lesleykellyauthor 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Phosphate-Rocks-Death-Ten-Objects-ebook/dp/B0CTRRXKNY

PS: The audio book narrated by @rain.goblin is pretty special too


A quarter of my sales this month were overseas for the very first time!

Massive thanks to all those fine Canadians for topping the list. Say Hi if you see this.

https://fionaerskine.com/


On my way to Harrogate today

https://open.substack.com/pub/fionaerskine/p/harrogate

Say hello if you'll be there


What makes the perfect handbag and how much is it worth?

https://fionaerskine.substack.com/p/the-perfect-handbag


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I have news!
Stellar thanks to @SFcrowsnest for a stirring introduction - to #TheLye and to #agentjarrold for his immense courage. Watch this space…

Novelist Carolyn Kirby discusses the apparently radical shift in men’s fashions during the late 18th century and the invention of the ‘masculine’ style that still dominates menswear. https://historiamag.com/invent-masculine-fashion/ via @HistoriaHWA

I have news. Exciting news...
https://fionaerskine.com/news-item/exciting-news/

Have you had a look at the brilliant Ravenglass by Carolyn Kirby yet?

Following a gender fluid character making their way in 1700s Whitehaven, this emotional and beautifully written globe trotting adventure is available with 25% off this Christmas!
https://share.google/AvrhJUHaVtFa9TVnK

Happiness is a train journey with a seat and a good book #lner #thesaltoracle

Excellent post - thank you @GalleyBeggars @GonzaloCGarcia

Ongoing serialisation of
#PhosphateRocks continues as the mystery deepens
Chapter 27: Broken Sunglasses - Features - The Chemical Engineer - https://goo.gl/alerts/EVCA3x #GoogleAlerts @IChemE

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