Grace Randle

 Grace is a native Shetlander and can trace her Shetland ancestry back at least five generations through each of her four grandparents. She is proud of her heritage, and since starting on this project has developed even more of an interest in the oral and written history and legends. Her and her husband are lucky to own a lot of old Shetland books, and she finds it fascinating to read things written from the perspective of people who were living and working in the mid-19th century.

Describing herself as having a bit of a butterfly brain, Grace has often hopped between interests, and in 1998 launched a board game which celebrated Shetland’s local Up Helly Aa fire festivals. She saw this as a bit of fun, and although she says fame and fortune eluded her, she did manage to cover her costs.

Grace has always had an interest in creative writing and has had a few pieces published in local magazines and anthologies which were produced by writers’ groups. In 1986 she won a runner up prize in a competition run by the national magazine Woman’s Own. However, due to family commitments and work pressures she stopped writing for a few years but is now retired and beginning to rediscover her creative flair.