DONALD SMITH was born in Glasgow to an Irish mother. Brought up in Glasgow and Stirling, he began work in Edinburgh as a theatre stage manager, becoming Director of the Netherbow Arts Centre in 1983. Donald has written, directed or produced over fifty plays, and is a founding director of the National Theatre of Scotland.
Influenced by Hamish Henderson, Donald was also the moving spirit behind the new Scottish Storytelling Centre of which is is the first Director. One of Scotland's leading storytellers, he has produced a series of books on Scottish narrative, including Storytelling Scotland: A Nation in Narrative, Celtic Travellers, and a novel, The English Spy.