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""Ron Ferguson"" is a Scottish author, freelance journalist and an ordained Church of Scotland minister. He is married to Cristine, and has a daughter and two sons, and two grandchildren.

Born and brought up in Fife, he has authored eleven books - his most recent book about Orkney's Bard, George Mackay-Brown, was published in 2011 - and is an award winning newspaper columnist. Formerly Leader of the Iona Community and minister of St. Magnus Cathedral.

Described by George Mackay-Brown as 'a true craftsman in literature' (http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/connect/events/aye-write-ron-ferguson-george-mackay-brown-wound-and-gift) while Ian Rankin, author of the Rebus crime thrillers, described him as 'the funniest man drawing breath in Scotland' http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2305955/Still-searching-for-a-cure-to-Mad-Cowdenbeath-Disease.html

He has lived in Orkney since 1990 and is a well-known fan of Cowdenbeath Football Club.

Early Life
Ron was brought up in Stenhouse Street, Cowdenbeath, along with three siblings. His father, Joe, was the proprietor of a family-owned painting business, located on the High Street.

Education
Educated at Beath High School and the universities of St. Andrews (MA, date), Edinburgh (BD, date) and Duke (ThM, date) in North Carolina, USA. He received an honorary Doctor of Letters from Glasgow Caledonian University in 2010.

http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/mfwhoswho/individuals/F_mfwwi/ron_ferguson.html

Career
At 16 he left school to pursue a career in journalism and worked as a reporter for the Edinburgh Evening News until 1963. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2507&dat=19790505&id=aBc-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=GEoMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6496,1524936

He retrained for the ministry and, following eight years of study, became an ordained Church of Scotland minister in 1972. His first posting was as a community minister in Easterhouse before taking up an exchange year in Canada. He was appointed Leader of the Iona Community in 1982 before moving to Orkney in 1990 to take up the vacancy as parish minister of St. Magnus Cathedral.

Ron continued to write throughout his ministry and, following his retiral after eleven years at St. Magnus Cathedral, returned to full-time writing in 2001.

He is currently a columnist for the Press and Journal and Life and Work.

Ron has also turned his creative hand to the stage. His one-man play, Every Blessed Thing (italics), was performed by Tom Fleming in Kirkwall, Glasgow, Edinburgh, London, Toronto, New York and Connecticut. He wrote the script for Orkneyinga (italics), a promenade show at the St. Magnus Festival, and his one act-play, Ending it All (italics), won two awards at the Orkney Drama Festival. http://www.ambaile.org.uk/en/literary-landscapes/intermediate.jsp?LiteraryLandscapeID=84

Awards
Shot listed for the Saltire Award for Best Research Book of the Year 2012. http://www.eden-court.co.uk/whats-on/shows/ron-ferguson-ibf-2012

Short listed for McVities Scottish Writer of the Year ttp://www.ambaile.org.uk/en/literary-landscapes/intermediate.jsp?LiteraryLandscapeID=84

Columnist of the year

==Bibliography=