Ali Millar

Ali Millar is an author and journalist. Born in Edinburgh and raised in the Scottish Borders, she now lives in London.

Ali Millar was born in Edinburgh in 1980 and raised in the Scottish Borders as a Jehovah’s Witness. Her debut memoir, THE LAST DAYS: a memoir of faith, desire and freedom was published by Penguin Random House in 2022. Heralded as ‘a dam burst of a book marking the arrival of a major literary talent’, THE LAST DAYS was a Guardian Book of the Year, a Bookseller Editor’s Choice and a Scotsman One to Watch. Released to widespread critical acclaim across five continents, THE LAST DAYS tells the story of life inside the Jehovah’s Witnesses and was called a ‘real life handmaid’s tale’.

2024 saw the release of her debut novel, AVA ANNA ADA (White Rabbit Books/W&N), described by the Guardian as a ‘bleeding, sweating story’. Publisher Lee Brackstone said: “We don’t publish many novels at White Rabbit, but I knew as soon as I read it that this dark and unsettling little fable deserved a place on the list. Part contemporary horror, part future dystopia, Ava Anna Ada combines occult stylings with dark sexual energy to create an unforgettably original and disturbing literary debut.”

As journalist, her work has appeared in The Guardian, The Stylist, The Sunday Times and Caught by the River. She has been profiled by The Sunday Times, The Sunday Post and appeared on the BBC World Service, NBC National Australia, Times Radio, and Talk TV. She will appear on a Channel 4 documentary with Rebekah Vardy, recently recorded in the winter of ’22. She has read and appeared at festivals and events including Edinburgh International Book Festival, Wigtown Book Festival and Camp Good Life, as well as across digital platforms on podcast, blogs and Youtube channels.

Additionally, as broadcast journalist she has interviewed numerous authors including Rachel Cusk, Amy Liptrot, Etgar Keret and Marina Warner. As event chair she has interviewed at Edinburgh International Book Festival, Camp Good Life and The Social.

A strong proponent for freedom of speech, she is part of Scottish PEN’s women’s committee.

She has an MA with distinction in Creative Writing from Edinburgh Napier University where she graduated with the class medal. She has a background in textiles and design, with a BSc (Hons) 1st class in Textiles. Ali Millar lives in Hastings with her husband and four children.